The Town of Collingwood is looking for ideas to help attract more business and young families in the near future.
“Imagine you were the mayor of Collingwood, what would be the one project you would invest in to attract young families and talent to live in Collingwood,” asks the first question of a survey posted on the town website.
The survey is designed to gather public input for an economic development action plan. The plan, states the town website, is meant to guide the town’s economic development activities and priorities for five year periods.
In October, the town gathered volunteer experts in small, growing, and large business ownership to form a mayor’s advisory team and work on the action plan. In November the team met to work on a draft of the plan. The public input gathered in the survey will be part of the draft plan process before a version is presented to council.
Other questions on the public survey ask what the respondent thinks is the most important factor to boost the town’s attraction for new business and investors, and what is the greatest barrier for future economic growth.
Martin Rydlo, director of marketing and business development, said the new plan’s impact will go beyond the business community.
“It means there are companies here that are hiring and that means jobs for people and money back into the economy,” said Rydlo in an interview with CollingwoodToday in September. “It helps diversify the tax base so the burden doesn’t solely rest on residential taxes… the objective is to have companies that are growing here.”
Rydlo and his staff are driving the development of this plan in consultation with the advisory team. He said part of the plan will include being “choiceful” about the kinds of industry and business the town attracts.
In the town’s survey, one question asks which types of businesses each respondent envisions in Collingwood five to 10 years from now.
To fill out the survey, and read more about the progress of the economic development action plan, visit engage.collingwood.ca.