I believe economic development in rural areas is much different than in major urban centres. I also believe there are five pillars to rural economic development in Trent Hills, and the following items are very important to our future.
1. Health Care
As many of you know, Trent Hills Council established a hospital levy for a five year period. Initially, some people were aprehensive with the thoughts that it should be a Provincial responsibility, and that it may never disappear from their property tax bills. We heard several things during public meetings including the levy be limited to five years, it not be applied to vacant land, the amount should be the same for all properties, and the money raised be used only for the proposed infrastructure and equipment at CMH. 1,250,000.00 was rasied which paid for a new computerized electronic medical records system, a new digital x-ray and flouroscopy radiography system, new energy efficient boilers, new roof, HVAC (heating, ventilation, air-conditioning) systems, and a contribution to the new CT Scan. The levy has come and gone now, and we burned it as promised at a special event that raised more money for CMH by auctioning it off. The winning bidder (Councillor Wm. J. Thompson) received the privilege of actually setting it on fire.
The reason many people are not aware the Province expects a community to be an active partner, is due to the fact our hospital has not needed to come to the municipality for financial assisstance in a very long time. Hospitals and much of the infrastructure and equipment are funded mainly by donations from local communities. The Province supplies the funds for the day to day operations budget. Our hospital has been funded in the past by the Town of Campbellford, the Township of Seymour, and the Township of Percy. In the early years, the Town of Campbellford even supplied funds for the day to day operating budget. Today, all our neighbouring municipalities are financially suporting CMH because it’s their hospital too. Some of them have raised very large amounts of money for the new CT Scan as well. The Chief Executive Officer of CMH reports annually to council with updates on current trends, needs, and successes.
The CMH CEO also sits on our Trent Hills Economic Development Committee for several reasons. CMH is our largest local employer, with a staff of almost 200 people including well paid and proffessional positions. She understands and manages trends, the impact CMH has on our municipality, the management of a large staff, and possesses a wealth of financial experience. The spin-off from the CMH payroll makes it’s way through our local economy and is multiplied many times through local goods and services providers. CMH is also the number one reason people move to Trent Hills.
We also support physician recruitment on two fronts, and during the last two years there has been some great successes with four new Doctors, as well as a well organized and staffed Emergency Department. With our above Provincial average aging population, we are also very fortunate to have a very active and integrated Family Health Team locally.
2. Vibrant Downtowns
In 2007, we initiated a new Community Improvement Plan that has been very successful in the revitalization of our downtown cores. As this program continues, stores are being attractively rejuvinated which encourages tourism-friendly commerce. This program provides incentives for property owners to invest in their properties. When our local shops do well, the spin-off impacts everyone with additional employment, and an improved, larger local economy.
Accessibilty for stores and businesses is most important. Not only to create an all inclusive community, but the estimated national spending power for people with disabilities is in excess of twenty billion dollars annually. While there are visual impairments and challenges, we must recognize mobility and access are huge hurdles for physically-challenged individuals and these hurdles should be removed for the betterment of community members and visitors to our community.
In completing the Superbuild project in Campbellford, we partnered with the Campbellford BIA, and the Campbellford Seymour Community Foundation to make major restorations and improvements along the east side of the river in downtown Campbellford. Burying the high tension hydro lines made a huge improvement along with docking connections for visiting boaters, and decorative concrete walkways. Phase II continued north of the bridge along the east side of the river, again burying hydro wires and creating decorative concrete walkways, decorative steps and railings, and heritage style street lamps on the bridge.
In Hastings, we purchased the old and unsightly trailer park and turned it into green space to compliment the Hastings Marina. We continue to partner with both Marina and Opportunity Homes Committees in the support of the Hastings Village Marina.
We partnered with the Warkworth Revitalization Committee and our senior levels of government to totally restore the vitality of downtown Warkworth, including reconstruct Main Street and rejuvenate Mill Park.
3. Serviced Business Lands
Until recently, Trent Hills had no serviced lands for new light industry. Over the years, we have been passed over because businesses will not wait for the years it takes to construct new municipal infrastructure. Council approved the extension of Heliport Dr. into the last remaining section of the Campbellford Business Park. The road is now complete, and municipal water and sewer is installed. Interest in our Business Park is increasing, along with a new subdivision that is located adjacent to it. As our existing businesses outgrow smaller premises, we must have a location for them to expand, continue to service our municipality, create new jobs, and grow our local economy.
4. Arts and Culture
We have partnered with the Warkworth Business Association to operate the old Town Hall in Warkworth. It has been reborn as the Warkworth Town Hall Centre for the Arts, and offers an excellent venue for performances. We have replaced the heating systems, and added additional air-conditioning units to provide a comfortable, year-round facility. We have also designated Warkworth as an “Arts Community” to recognize the vast array of artisans, and cultural events that take place.
We are also in the process of partnering with Westben to rent the old Town Hall / Post office in Campbellford. The municipality has use for part of the building, and a tenant to help pay the utilities and costs to operate the building will provide a partnership to rejuvenate this fine old building located in the center of town. We have replaced the clock(s) in the tower of the old Post Office that have been defective for many years, and our local Lions Club graciously donated the chimes.
We have just embarked on a Municipal Cultural Plan that has been mostly funded by the Province. It will identify what culture means to Trent Hills and what opportunities can be maximized to capitalize on it. Culture means different things to different people. For example, live performances, are as important to some, as hockey is to others. Places for people to gather will be an important component such as, performance venues, arenas, and our new proposed Recreation and Wellness Centres. This study will become another key document for future planning decisions in Trent Hills.
5. Agriculture
Our local economy is based mostly on agriculture as it always has been, especially since all of our planing, grist, cloth and leather mills closed. At one time, we even had a foundry that manufactured bridges. Many different sectors of agriculture and agri-business are represented in Trent Hills. From dairy, beef, and poultry, to cash crops, grain and oilseeds. Sadly, our local pork production is all but gone. Difficulties and complexities in our cross-border agreements with the U.S. and world-wide markets have made it impossible to raise and sell swine in Ontario at a profit. With the weather we are receiving this year, many crops will do well, however, they also need to. The farming industry in Ontario is slipping away with lack of government interest and large corporations dictating costs and process.
I believe with the ever increasing cost of energy, and the fact our food supply chain is so precariously fragile, eventually we will revert back to regional spheres of food production. Big government must begin to act by investing heavily in rural lands for the production of solar and other new and emerging power technology. Our thirst for the consuption of natural resources is not sustainable, and the cost to deliver foods from far away places will become unaffordable. I believe we will produce most of our food supply locally in due time. I also believe there may be no way to escape it, and that may not neccessarily be a bad thing if we are prepared for it. Our local agricultural community needs government investments to remain viable, and be able to adapt to changing markets and technology.
For example, our local cheese factory is the last one in all of Northumberland County where at one time, it was one of dozens, and it is also one of the few remaining co-operative cheese factories in Ontario. It achieved Grand Champion status at the 2008 Royal Winter Fair, as well as First and Second category awards in 2009. We should be proud that our cheese factory has escaped the assimilation of corporate raiders, and be wary that it is also a prime example of a traditional agricultural art that is slipping away.