NEW DIGITAL SERVICE SQUAD MEMBER, TRANSIT SAFETY STUDY, PUBLIC PARKING LOT DEVELOPMENT & MORE
Photo credits: Fromage, Pear Home, Suzanne Gardner Flowers
To all members, I hope this newsletter find you well. We are all settling into new routines and adjusting to cooler temperatures this week, the shop windows and restaurant menus are changing to reflect harvest time, and many of you have resumed regular services and operating hours. The Farmers’ Market will continue into Fall at its’ temporary location in the parking lot across from Town Hall and it is full of wonderful seasonal items right now – don’t miss it, 8:30am – 12:30 pm every Saturday! I have several important items to tell you about this week, leading first with some great news – our new Digital Service Squad Member!
Janet Blunt, BCom | Digital Main Street Co-ordinator | Community Services
519-941-0440 Ext. 2757 | Toll Free 1-866-941-0440 Ext. 2757 | Cell 519-278-4349
jblunt@orangeville.ca | www.orangevillebusiness.ca
DIGITAL MAIN STREET COORDINATOR/SERVICE SQUAD MEMBER
I am pleased to introduce Janet Blunt! You will soon see her out and about in Orangeville as she has been appointed as our Digital Main Street Coordinator. As local economies across Ontario start to re-open, digital capabilities will be the key component businesses need to succeed in an increasingly competitive, global, and volatile environment. The Digital Service Squad program is designed specifically to help main street small businesses use digital tools effectively. Please take the time to invite Janet into your business to learn how she can help you take your business digital and increase your productivity with various tools and technologies. The best part is that there is absolutely no cost to you; Digital Main Street is offering this as a FREE service to you as a valued Ontario main street small business. The Digital Service Squad (DSS) are trained specialists who can help you register on the Digital Main Street website and start the assessment process. The DSS can also help you develop a basic web presence or enhance your existing web presence by helping you activate easy-to-use tools such as Google My Business and social media. If you are going to apply for the $2,500 Digital Transformation Grant, our DSS member can also assist with the development of your Digital Transformation Plan that you will need to include to with your application. Think of the DSS as a free resource, here to provide you and your business with guidance and recommendations on how to grow and achieve your digital goals. If you have any questions or would like more information, please do not hesitate to contact Janet, she would be pleased to assist you.COVID-19 ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM - SMALL BUSINESS (CEAP-SB)
CEAP-SB, a Government of Ontario program with rules designed by the Ontario Energy Board, is designed to help small businesses and registered charities that are struggling to pay their energy bills as a result of the COVID-19 emergency. CEAP-SB provides a one time, on-bill credit to eligible small business and registered charity customers to help them catch up on their energy bills and resume regular payments.
As of August 31, 2020, small businesses and registered charities can apply for funding through their electricity and natural gas utilities or unit sub-meter providers (USMPs). Please note that CEAP-SB funding is limited, and utilities and USMPs will process applications in the order in which they are received. Submitting an application for CEAP-SB does not guarantee funding.
Full program details including eligibility criteria, on-bill credit amounts and application processes are available here.
TRANSIT SAFETY STUDY
By now you will have received a notice (via email or in-person) regarding the upcoming Transit Safety Study. In April, Town Council approved a new Transit Hub on Broadway, located between First St. and John St. This decision was met with safety concerns from various stakeholders and thus it was decided that a formal safety study would be conducted. Members of the Downtown business community are invited to attend a walk-through of the plan during the week of September 21st (exact time and date to be determined), or you can attend a scheduled telephone meeting. To attend either of these sessions, you must email the Project Manager, Matt Colwill, (mcolwill@IBIGroup.com) to be included in the schedule coordination. Alternatively, you can send your questions and comments to the same email address. Please find the full details of the Transit Safety Study attached.
DEVELOPMENT OPTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC PARKING LOT AT 82-86 & 90 BROADWAY
Please note that there will be an electronic open house on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. regarding potential development options for the properties at 82-86 and 90 Broadway. This includes the Public Parking Lot. Full details below:
An electronic public and stakeholder open house is scheduled for Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. to provide members of the public and Business Improvement Area (BIA) stakeholders with an overview of potential development options for the properties at 82-86 and 90 Broadway. The presentation will include:
-Project overview
-Land use planning framework
-Concept designs, including considerations for each
-Q & A (submitted online)
-Next steps in process/contact information should participants wish to submit further comments/questions
Public Participation
Members of the public may access the open house on the above-noted date and time by telephone at:
+1 289-801-5774 Canada, Brampton (Toll)
Conference ID: 299 580 660#