By Emily Stonehouse
Downtown Minden is about to get a fresh facelift, and not just because spring is in the air.
The Minden Business Working Group, a steering committee of 20 individuals with ties to the community, have put out a call to bolster interest in beautifying the downtown core.
“Our focus is on the main street,” said Dave Woodcroft, a member of the committee, “and then we plan on moving out in baby steps.”
Mostly comprised of Minden business owners, the working group has had a handful of meetings within the community so far, with a specific focus on tangible improvements to enhance the downtown destination. “You have to give people a reason to want to stay,” said Woodcroft. “We have to start with where we have the most bang for our buck.”
With a desired date of early April, the working group is in the process of confirming details needed to update downtown decor. “Our initiative is to take that block of buildings, and add paint,” confirmed Woodcroft, referencing the location of the Water Street and Bobcaygeon Road intersection, and leading up to Pharmasave.
Woodcroft noted that step one was to confirm interest from business owners within that stretch. With that in place, they are now working with the township to ensure they are not violating any bylaws with the community paint, as well as contractors to make sure they have the necessary tools. “We’re still in that phase of determining exactly what needs to be done,” said Woodcroft. “We have presented a palette with a rendering for colours (to the business owners), and now we’re onto palette two based on their feedback.”
But the working group wants this to be a community event. “We want to get more people involved,” said Woodcroft, “We want to work with the churches and the not-for-profits too, because everyone benefits from this.”
The organization also noted that all are welcome to come help paint the town. With tentative painting dates set for April 18 and 25 (subject to change due to weather), the community is invited to partake in the experience. Paint and supplies will be provided, with flexible time blocks allowed. “Come for an hour or stay longer,” reads the event poster, “every helping hand counts!”
While the Minden Business Working Group is not a formal Business Improvement Area (BIA), the organization is working closely with the Haliburton Highlands Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Haliburton County Development Corporation to ensure they are implementing their procedures correctly and efficiently. Woodcroft noted that there are over 75 on their regular mailing list, with interest continuing to snowball via their social media channels.
Woodcroft believes that while a BIA isn’t currently in the cards for the community, he believes there is potential for the working group to organically evolve into a formal organization. “I’ve heard a bunch of times the old ‘ oh we’ve tried this a hundred times and it didn’t work,’ line,” he said. “But you can’t start with the negativity. You have to keep trying to make it happen.”
When asked about backlash around the proposed initiatives, Woodcroft shared that there is “absolutely none.” He noted that representatives from Minden council have attended their meetings, and he feels they are fully supporting the steps taken to ensure the projects are rolled out properly. “I think we have a really great relationship (with the town),” he said.
To get involved with painting the town, visit their “Life in Minden” pages on social media, or email mindenbusinesswg@gmail.com.
