Letter to the Editor
Editor,
Mr Toncic does indeed offer 21st century opportunities…these could, if embraced, address some of our local 20th century problems.
Several residents may have difficulty getting their heads around many of these 21st century concepts and terms of reference.
If the terms m-commerce or retail pop-ups don’t ring any bells then I would suggest a little time should be spent online …perhaps Googling some of the following:
1- Condotel
2-Airbnb
3- HomeAway
4-MollyMaid
5-Omni-channel
6-augmented reality apps
7-geo-fencing
8-Rentfrock Repeat
9-the sharing economy
10-STR’s ( short term rentals) Property Management
11-sharing is the new buying
Also, for these opportunities to succeed the Municipality and especially the downtown core will require high speed mobile/Internet capability.(Fibre optics /cell tower)
A Condotel would address the need for a local hotel….the commercial units at grade level could allow e & m-commerce to flourish.
The idea of a sharing economy also includes the sharing of regional assets… Here again regional tourism & transportation can come into play. An example could be a daily Blue Mountain transport service that would collect Condotel guests early in the morning and return the guests in late evening… For those guests not interested in the Blue Mountain attractions our local emphasis on wellness, social ,retail, and cultural amenities ( the Meaford Hall, fine dining in the Old Fire Hall,our parks and harbour, our Library,the year round Farmers Market, local vendors co-op, yoga, painting and cooking classes etc) would come to the fore. Employment opportunities in the service sector and start-up entrepreneur opportunities could become available.
The opportunities Mr Toncic alludes to are indeed endless.
Our new Council may well grasp these new concepts and offer help in allowing exemptions and /or changes to our Official Plan and present bylaws.
If Mr Toncic’s plan does not succeed residents of the Municipality will not really notice much if any great change to the present situation.. …another empty or half empty building perhaps, an over supply of half finished residential developments, empty store fronts, threats of school closures,a growing list of homes for sale,and any remaining full time residents complaining of yet more tax increases.
Mind you…the Municipality might decide to go back to Plan A… Remember that one? …. The “ageing in place” Seniors retirement heaven on the shores of Georgian Bay thing ? Did our economic development plan leap-frog … Or …were all those plans just too 20th century?
Opportunities do indeed abound….
op·por·tu·ni·ty
noun
plural noun: opportunities
a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something.
“we may see increased opportunities for export”
synonyms: chance, lucky chance, favorable time/occasion/moment, time, right set of circumstances, occasion, moment, opening, option, window (of opportunity), turn, go, possibility, “a chance for employment or promotion.”
The direction taken and the decisions made by this new Council over the next four years will be interesting indeed.
Jane Buchanan, Meaford
