Following its second meeting Feb. 4, Minden Business Working Group co-lead Mathew Renda said the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commercesupported initiative “has some pretty good momentum” at the moment.
The new collective held its inaugural meeting in early December.
Renda said the group had been “years and years and years” in the making. He said they tried to get something going a few years ago, but were unable, perhaps because of the people involved, the timing, or the way they were going about it.
“We kept thinking and thinking until another group of people said ‘okay, I think we can make this work this time’ and asked ‘how do we do it?’ and this is where we are now.”
Renda, of Boshkung Brewing Co., is first vice president of the board of the chamber.
“We are operating under the Chamber of Commerce. That allows us to use their administration, their insurance, bylaws, to get grant funding through the chamber. It won’t be the forever plan. This was a way to get us up and running as quickly as possible without the process of incorporating, trying to start a BIA (business improvement area,) and stuff like that.”
Downtown ‘dying year after year’
Renda said one day the working group may morph into a BIA.
“I just don’t think we’re there yet…I don’t think jumping right back into levies and all of that other stuff is what the business community is looking for. I think having a nice, organized, group to get something done, and accomplish things, was the right decision, with a BIA possibly in the future.”
Renda indicated that mayor Bob Carter and councillors Shirley Johannessen and Ivan Ingram currently make up an informal subcommittee of council focusing on downtown revitalization. While the working group is not directly dealing with them, Renda said they are supportive.
“I think having one unified voice to go to council with any issues that the business community is having is a great thing.”
Renda said people are tired of talk but no action. He added that based on the two meetings they’ve held, “the community is ready for action.”
Paint the town
Under the leadership of businessman, Jim Ecclestone, the group is organizing a ‘paint the town’ community downtown beautification project over two Saturdays in April, April 18 and 25.
Ecclestone is talking to business owners about helping out to finance paint and supplies.
“A lot of people have volunteered and signed up,” Renda said. ‘I think that’s step one of many.”
Renda said the working group has come at a critical time for the downtown.
“It is definitely something that is necessary. I’ve only lived in Minden six years, and it’s gotten dated. I don’t know what it was like before, but everyone tells me it was a hopping town, and it’s just kind of died off year after year.”
Ecclestone purchased the former Rockcliffe and has been working on the façade with future plans for the site. Minden Auto Care has also had a facelift.
Renda said, “any business that is forward-facing to the customers needs to take time and look at our buildings and how we present ourselves to the community and see if we can do anything.
“It’s tough, business is down, cash flow is hard at this time of year, but the status quo is not acceptable anymore. That goes for every business, new to old. If we want to continue to drive people to our town and have them stick around and have them spend their hard-earned money, we have to do something. We try to do one improvement to the brewery every year.”
Asked about the former Beaver Theatre and old fire hall, Renda said both are “eyesores.” However, he noted the Beaver Theatre is privately-owned and all the working group can do is reach out to the owner to perhaps help to replace the existing plywood to make it look better. He said he is pleased council is planning to spend $50,000 towards doing something with the old fire hall. He’d like to see Bobcaygeon Road closed to vehicular traffic on Saturdays for the farmers market.
There is also talk of a Minden moose branding theme. “Give the town a bit of identity; every town needs something to rally behind.”
