In 2008, the Town of Didsbury commissioned an Economic Development Marketing Plan that concluded residents were spending $24 million per year outside of Didsbury.
Any vision or plan, if in fact there ever was one, to rectify this leakage from our local economy has failed miserably.
A walk through the Uptowne area is a depressing endeavour. At the present time there are 17 vacant retail spaces, with at least three existing businesses for sale.
If the empty spaces and lack of retail diversity aren’t disheartening enough, the casual observer has been faced for some time with storefront windows covered in newspaper, brown kraft paper, or worse the backside of beverage coolers and scraps of cardboard, with a realtor sign that has seen better days taped to the window.
The same casual observer can be forgiven if they are left to wonder as to the meaning of the “open for business” philosophy presently touted by Didsbury town council and chamber of commerce.
Well-worn shoes that participated in solutions to similar trials and tribulations on travels through forward-thinking communities are duty bound to share widely and freely, as others shared with them, stories of their journey.
In time-honoured fashion, storytelling is central to starting conversations. Conversations – lots of them with diverse groups of people – are the core element of communication. Communication is key to effective and positive outcomes.
These shoes share the following stories to start the conversations.
Who better knows the needs of the retail core than the businesses operating in it. In one community, a partnership with the municipality saw the formation of a Business Improvement Association (BIA) as a self-help approach to economic development (ED), as well as advocacy for physical improvements within the BIA area. Business taxes paid by those within the BIA area fund the organization.
Retail spaces were “staged” with movable fixtures permitting prospective tenants to arrange the fixtures in ways that allowed them, in their own eyes, to experience a sense of space and potential opportunities.
Millennials (18 to 34 years old) are more inclined to shop online, but still use retail storefronts for pickup. They have very high levels of environmental responsibility, desire for sustainability and giving back to the community.
A storefront decorated to promote community specific initiatives is well remembered by this age group, and becomes a useful point of leverage for a potential point of delivery retail tenant.
High school aged students were invited to tour empty stores (along with a Realtor, BIA representative, someone knowledgeable about building renovations, etc.) to provide their ideas as to retail establishments they would support.
Empty store windows were used as revolving showcases for artwork from local schools. The retail core became visually pleasing and an inviting area to visit, linger and make spur-of-the-moment purchases.
Business classes in post-secondary institutions were invited to utilize the circumstances of the community as a case study in marketing, economic development and entrepreneurship. They contributed boundless energy, optimism and many great ideas.
What are your stories? Help start conversations.
It’s your community -- everyone is invited to join the conversation.
Kevin Bentley
Didsbury
