Y E A R I N R E V I E W

2 0 1 2

Council Members

The creative rural economy is flourishing in Elgin County.

Several new businesses have opened in Elgin over the

past few months including bed and breakfasts, art

galleries, bakeries, restaurants, clothing stores, and

farmers’ markets.

Idyllic rural landscapes, charming towns and villages

and waterfront living make life in Elgin County the ideal

alternative to the hustle and bustle of city life. Elgin is a

county that truly is “Progressive by Nature.” Proximity to

major highways and a skilled work force give Elgin County

all the advantages of the “big city” without all the hassle.

Elgin County looks forward to the strengthening of

existing partnerships and the forging of new ones in

order to ensure that all businesses and residents of Elgin

County have greater access to support services and

educational opportunities to help them prosper.

To explore opportunities in Elgin’s vibrant communities,

please contact us at 519-631-1460 x 168 or visit

www.progressivebynature.com.

Warden Cameron McWilliam

On behalf of Elgin County Council, please accept

our best wishes for a prosperous and healthy 2013.

As you will see from this Year in Review Report,

entrepreneurial spirit is thriving in Elgin County.

In 2012, Elgin County Economic Development

initiatives focused on economic gardening, the

process of growing the existing local business

community in order to generate economic gains.

In the spring we completed a Business Retention

and Expansion program for Elgin County’s Energy

and Environment sector designed to improve

communications and foster better and deeper

relationships with the local business community.

Three instalments of the Elgin County Conference

series gave small business owners the tools and

knowledge to expand their businesses, enter into

new ventures and increase their profits. The County

also funded a successful one-year pilot project

to open a satellite office of the Elgin Business

Resource Centre in the Town of Aylmer which saw

the creation of jobs and new businesses.

(Back Row)

Councillor Paul Ens (Municipality of Bayham)

Councillor Jack Couckuyt (Town of Aylmer)

Councillor Jim Jenkins (Township of Malahide)

Councillor Bernie Wiehle (Municipality of West Elgin)

(Front Row)

Councillor David Marr (Municipality of Central Elgin)

Councillor Cameron McWilliam

(Municipality of Dutton-Dunwich)

2012 Warden Bill Walters (Municipality of Central Elgin)

Councillor David Mennill (Township of Malahide)

Councillor Jim McIntyre (Township of Southwold)

Message from the Warden

W a r d e n ’ s M e s s a g e

Elgin’s Economic Development Department was

established to promote economic growth in the region

through the attraction, retention, and support of new

business investment.

The mandate of the department is to work in

partnership with the partner municipalities as well as

business, industry and other levels of government to

advance the County’s economic interests and to seek

out strategic opportunities to enhance economic

development within the County of Elgin.

The County of Elgin’s Economic Development

Department is underpinned by four high level goals,

intended to anchor and qualify all strategic initiatives

or ensuing actions on the part of the County and its

partner municipalities.

These goals also support the overall vision and desired

outcomes of the economic development planning

process. They encourage prosperity and opportunity

for the County and its residents.

Investment ReadinessEnhance opportunities for the expansion of local business

and the attraction of new business investment and

entrepreneurs to the County.

Pursue Partnerships and Outreach in the CommunityTake a leadership role in advocating and supporting

strategic and collaborative economic development

partnerships.

Effective Marketing and Promotion of Elgin CountyEnsure that the County is effectively promoting the

assets, talents and opportunities available and enhancing

the profile of the County to a targeted audience of visitors

and business interests.

Growth in Key IndustriesEncourage and support the growth and expansion of

the County’s existing industry base and create focused

opportunities for future investment attraction efforts.

County of Elgin Economic Development and Tourism Advisory Committee:Councillor Jack Couckuyt – County Council

Councillor David Marr – County Council

Chair Grace McGartland – Creative Rural Economy

Donna Lunn – Agri-business

Jack Vanderkooy – Agri-business

Roberto Quai – Tourism

Bryan White – Advanced Manufacturing

Deb Mountenay – Labour/Workforce Development

Neil Bossuyt – Energy & Environment

Brett Hueston – Creative Rural Economy

Rhonda Stewart – Community Futures Development

Corporation

o u r M i s s i o n

In February of 2012 Elgin County Economic

Development completed a Business Retention

and Expansion (BR+E) program for Elgin County’s

Energy and Environment sector. A BR+E program

is designed to improve communications and

foster better and deeper relationships with the

local business community. Improvements in the

local business environment can lead to increased

local employment, a more satisfied business

community, better government-business relations

and a more diversified economy.

The Business Retention and Expansion Project

involved surveying businesses from all areas of

the County in the Energy and Environment sector

with the following goals:

1. To learn the future plans of the area’s local businesses

with respect to expansion, relocation and/or retention

and determine where assistance can be provided;

2. To determine the issues concerning the local

businesses and develop strategies to address these

concerns and assist in new growth and expansion of

Elgin’s businesses;

3. To involve the community in economic development

by becoming part of the process to improve business

growth in the area and in individual sectors.

A total of 11 businesses involved in the Energy and

Environment sector were surveyed for this program. The

key themes that came from this program included:

• Elgin has a positive local business environment.

• Many businesses are locally owned and operated.

Additional succession planning support could be

provided to ensure the continued operation of these

businesses in Elgin County.

• Businesses surveyed are very positive about their

future with eight businesses (73%) planning expansion

or renovation.

• Further workforce planning and skills development

needs to take place.

• The County may be well served to seek alternative

solutions to extending water/sewer services throughout

the County.

Please visit www.progressivebynature.com or contact

the Elgin County Economic Development Department for

a copy of the full report.

Energy and Environment Sector BR&E

s t r a t e g i c s t u d i e s

Number of Businesses Surveyed: Number of Years in Business

Less than 1 year 1-2 years 3-10 years 11-25 years 26-35 years 35+ years

0 2 4 0 3 2

The Elgin Workforce Development CommitteeElgin County Economic Development is a member

of the Elgin Workforce Development Committee.

This committee is comprised of the Elgin Middlesex

Oxford Workforce Planning and Development

Board, representatives from several Ontario

Ministries and local organizations concerned with

economic and labour force development in Elgin

and St. Thomas. The committee was formed to

address two workforce strategy goals:

1. To collectively create a policy framework and

a community infrastructure that supports

improvements in both quality and quantity of the

labour supply pool.

2. To ensure that Elgin-St. Thomas has the

workforce it needs to achieve its economic

development goals.

The Committee has achieved its key priorities as

laid out in the initial Elgin & St. Thomas Labour Force

Development Strategy (2011) and has outlined new

priorities in an updated 2012 document including;

1. Create opportunities to retain our youth, attract

skilled workers, and increase the participation

of underrepresented groups.

2. Increase educational attainment through

lifelong learning.

3. Provide support to entrepreneurs and small

business operations.

4. Maximize labour market by creating a

collaborative environment between business,

government, health and education.

The document can be found online at:

http://www.stthomaschamber.on.ca/doc/

Elgin2012LabourForceStrategy.pdf

Ambassador of the YearElgin County is pleased to announce that Adrian Peters

owner of A&M Sounds is Elgin County’s Ambassador of

the Year for 2012.

This award is based on points that are given to Elgin County

Ambassadors for a variety of items including attendance

at quarterly meetings, recruiting new members, promoting

Elgin County at external events, and providing Elgin County

Economic Development with business leads.

Peters has been a regular attendee and active participant

at Ambassador Meetings in 2012. He promoted Elgin as

an exhibitor at the London Wine & Food Show last year as

part of the Elgin County Display. He is a great supporter

of Economic Development & Tourism in the area and has

helped Elgin recruit new businesses to join the display for

the upcoming 2013 London Wine & Food Show.

Elgin County would like to congratulate Peters for

receiving this award and thank him for his commitment.

Local Immigration PartnershipThe St. Thomas-Elgin Local Immigration Partnership (ST-

ELIP) is a collaborative community initiative funded by

Citizenship and Immigration Canada to strengthen the

role of local agencies, stakeholders, and service provider

organizations in serving and integrating immigrants in

Elgin County. It is composed of representatives from

community organizations who participate in planning

and coordination to enhance the delivery of integration

services to all immigrants. Elgin County Economic

Development is a member of the ST-ELIP Council.

In 2012 ST-ELIP completed the St. Thomas - Elgin Local

Immigration Partnership Settlement Strategy. A copy of

this strategy can be found online at:

http://www.ywcastthomaselgin.org/wp-content/

uploads/2012/05/STEILPreport.pdf

“Ambassadors

promote

Elgin County in their

day-to-day business dealings”

s t r a t e g i c P a r t n e r s h i P s

FreshFest 2012In August of 2012 Elgin County presented FreshFest a

local food celebration that paired local farmers and the

food they grow with local chefs to create unique local

dishes. The goal of the event was to create awareness

about Elgin County food.

Attendees were able to sample these dishes with

a glass of wine or a pint of local beer while enjoying

live music from the talented local band Sonic Buddha.

Pairing workshops with local food experts were offered

on topics including: beer & cheese pairings, grilled

cheese gone gourmet and wine & cheese pairings

using Lunnvale Farm’s sheep cheese.

A total of 17 vendors exhibited a vast array of delicious

local products to the 295 guests that took part in

the event.

Elgin County Conference Series The Elgin County Conference Series presented three

seminars in 2012: The Power of Solar, E-marketing

and Growing Your Agribusiness. These one-day seminars

provided information on topics that are of interest to

local businesses.

The Power of Solar was held in March and gave home,

business, and farm owners the opportunity to learn more

about harnessing the power of the sun through solar

panels. E-marketing was held in June and gave businesses

an opportunity to increase web recognition and to

develop professional e-marketing skills. In November Elgin

County hosted Growing Your Agribusiness, a seminar to

help businesses gain the skills and tools they need to

successfully operate and grow an agribusiness.

Elgin County has hosted six seminars since 2010 with

over 400 attendees in total participating in these events.

ElginLiciousSavour Elgin hosted the first annual ElginLicious event

Oct. 12 -21, 2012. The objective of the ElginLicious

event was to generate interest and business among

visitors and local residents at a time when Elgin’s

culinary attractions usually see reduced customer

traffic as the busy summer season ends.

ElginLicious was an opportunity to take advantage of

the area’s restaurants, wineries, specialty food shops

and agri-tourism destinations at three great price

points. Special promotions ran at $10, $15 and $25 at

participating Savour Elgin businesses.

ElginLicious was unique to all other “licious” events in

that it was not exclusive to just restaurants offering

three course menus, but included culinary experiences

of all types.

s u c c e s s f u l e v e n t s

Project OjibwaOn November 20, 2012 after three years of careful

planning, the HMCS Ojibwa arrived in the Port Burwell

harbour. She began her journey in the spring of 2012

making the long trip from Halifax, Nova Scotia to

Hamilton, Ontario. Work on the Ojibwa was completed

at the Heddle Marine shipyard in Hamilton before she

traveled by barge through the Welland Canal, into Lake

Erie and on to her final destination in Port Burwell.

The Ojibwa is set to be the centrepiece of a new branch

of the Elgin Military Museum dedicated to preserving

Canada’s Naval History. The Ojibwa will open to the

public in 2013 for guided tours. Special programs will

be developed that will give the public the opportunity

to learn about the unique role that cold war subs

played in Canada and NATO’s history. The Museum of

Naval History will be built adjacent to the Ojibwa and

will open in 2014. The museum will include exhibit

space, classroom and meeting facilities, a gift shop, a

restaurant and a lounge.

The project is estimated to cost over $6 million and

expects to attract approximately 80,000 to 100,000

visitors each year.

St. Joseph Health Care London’s Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health CareIn 2012, much of the construction on the new Southwest

Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care, part of the St.

Joseph’s Health Care London family, was completed. The

facility is scheduled to open in the summer of 2013 and will

be 233,640 sq. ft.

The Central Elgin site will provide specialized inpatient

and outpatient services, including assessment, treatment,

outreach and support services to individuals with a mental

illness who have come into contact with the criminal justice

system.

In addition to the health care benefits, the building project

is also providing a boost to the regional economy with an

estimated 300 workers on site daily during the facility’s

construction. The building will also carry with it the Gold

Standard LEED designation for Leadership in Energy and

Environmental Design.

d e v e l o P M e n t s

h e r i t a g e g u i d eIn November 2012, Elgin County Economic

Development released the Elgin County

Heritage Guide to promote heritage tourism

and attract visitors and residents to

experience historic places in Elgin County and

St. Thomas.

With the current trend towards more experiential

holidays the guide showcases the area’s rich

history and encourage travelers to visit historic

places and events. The guide was launched in

2012 to take advantage of the popularity of the

War of 1812 activities that will be taking place

across the province for the next several years.

Interest in Canada’s heritage places is growing.

As a result, tourists are becoming increasingly

drawn to these heritage places and therefore

communities that promote heritage can

create tourist destinations. Heritage Tourism

enthusiasts tend to stay longer, spend more

money and participate in multiple heritage-

related activities while on trips.

The guide includes museum listings, heritage

walking tours, events, heritage buildings and

attractions, historical plaques and information

on barn quilt tours in the area. The guide is

available at the Elgin – St. Thomas tourism

office (450 Sunset Dr., St. Thomas) and

a digital copy of the guide is available at

elgintourist.com/heritage.

“Interest in Canada’s

heritage places is growing and

communities that promote heritage

can create tourist destinations”

s u c c e s s s t o r i e sConcreations Concrete StatuaryConcreations Concrete Statuary offers unique, hand

cast and hand finished outdoor ornaments, with

statues varying from functional to fun. These delightful

garden ornaments include animals, stepping stones,

and masks that are sure to make any garden or patio

come alive.

Andy DeVries, a self-taught craftsperson, is the

creative mind behind each piece at Concreations.

His work is a labour of love and he spends a great

deal of time making sure each piece is one-of-a-kind.

Visitors to his working studio can see for themselves

how DeVries casts garden ornaments in concrete and

finishes each statue with stains and varnish to achieve

an antique, weathered look.

DeVries’ career as a concrete artist began when his

son purchased him a mold for a concrete alligator

statue as a retirement project. What started as a

hobby making gifts for friends and family quickly

became a successful business as demand for the

statues increased. The business further took off when

he began to sell his creations at the Western Fair

Farmers’ Market over five years ago.

Recently DeVries brought Concreations home to

central Elgin County, opening a new rustic barn store

on his own property. DeVries relishes the opportunity

to work from the comfort of his own home and his

customers have enthusiastically accepted the new

location as well. Concreations has become quite

the tourist destination for art lovers who enjoy a day

out in the country, away from the hustle and bustle of

city life.

s u c c e s s s t o r i e sAlternative renewable energy sources such as

wind, sunlight, biomass and geothermal heat, have

gained provincial, national and global support

in recent years. In September 2012 Fanshawe

College launched the Renewable Energies

Technician Program in response to the increasing

need for quality trained personnel in the Renewable

Energy sector. This program is unique to the Elgin

– St. Thomas Campus and will teach students the

skills they need to enter the renewable energies

field as employees or entrepreneurs.

The program is focused primarily on the practical

application of renewable energy. It provides

students with knowledge in the relevant electrical,

electronic and mechanical disciplines and gives

them a solid foundation in the science, design and

installation techniques required to work with a

number of emerging renewable energy solutions.

Students will learn about solar energy, wind

turbines, biomass energy and geothermal energy

systems. They will also learn about best industry practices

of health, safety and environmental conservation.

Students will leave the program with the ability to perform

site assessments for wind and photovoltaic energy

projects and to integrate new technologies with current

existing energy sources. They will also possess in-depth

working knowledge of current practices in the installation,

commissioning and routine maintenance and repair of

photovoltaic and wind turbine generating systems.

Graduates can seek employment from owners of

renewable energy projects such as wind and solar farms

as well as by third party contractors/manufacturers/

providers and installers and maintainers of these projects.

Other employment opportunities may exist in sales and

marketing, project site assessment, energy consulting

and regulatory functions.

For more information about the Renewable Energies

Technician Program please visit www.fanshawec.ca/

ret1s/1213.

Dutton Farm & AutoIn 2012, Dutton Farm & Auto opened a new larger location

at 271 Currie Road in Dutton. The business has been open

since 1990 as an auto parts supplier through Dutton

Building products but has now segregated and moved into

a new 6,500 sq. ft. facility.

Dutton Farm & Auto will continue to supply parts but will

also be an auto repair shop for cars, trucks and agricultural

vehicles doing everything from glass work, to upholstery

and auto detailing. They also maintain their own fleet of

tow trucks that service the Dutton, West Lorne, Rodney,

Strathroy, Glencoe and Komoka areas as well as snow plows

for the winter season in Dutton, West Lorne and Iona areas.

The expansion was a considerable undertaking but owner

Robin Willson was eager to get back to his roots in auto

repair. A consultant was hired to develop the business plan

and financial forecasts and lenders were sought. At the

project’s inception, lending partners included Libro Credit

Union and the Elgin Business Resource Centre. Dutton

Farm and Auto now partners with United Communities

Credit Union.

Fanshawe College’s Renewable Energies Technician Program

Ferguson Bros. of St. Thomas Ltd.Ferguson Bros. of St. Thomas Ltd. has been in business

in Central Elgin (Yarmouth Township) since 1964. They

specialize in growing (with contracted growers) and

processing coloured beans such as Dark and Light Red

Kidneys, White Kidneys and Cranberry Beans.

The coloured bean seeds that Ferguson Bros. plant

are from the United States. The beans are planted

from late May to mid June and normal harvest will run

from early September to the end of October. Growing

coloured beans is a specialized crop and growers

spend a lot time and effort during growing season to

monitor progress, but of course, Mother Nature is the

ultimate controller.

At harvest beans are delivered to Ferguson’s to be

cleaned, dried and processed. Beans will be packed in

55 lb, 100 lb or 2000 lb bags for customers.

Ferguson’s customers are located worldwide –

Canada, US, Japan, Croatia, South Africa, Spain to

mention a few. Janet Bolin Author of The Threadville MysteriesElgin County author Janet Bolin spent most of her life

in Toronto but has also lived in Pennsylvania, Michigan,

New York, and France. She now spends most of her

time at her home near Port Burwell.

Bolin has published short stories and humourous

essays in literary journals and her work has been read

aloud on nationally broadcast radio programs; however,

she is best known as an author of mystery novels.

Bolin writes the Threadville Mystery series for Penguin

Group (USA) Inc. The Threadville Mysteries focus on the

small lakeside village of Threadville and resident Willow

Vanderling, the owner of the village machine embroidery

shop, and her penchant for solving murder cases.

Bolin’s first novel, Dire Threads, was on the Barnes

and Noble Paperback Mystery bestselling list in its

first week, and was nominated for an Agatha Award

for best first novel and also for the Bony Blithe, The

Bloody Words Light Mystery Award. Her second book,

Threaded for Trouble, also made the Barnes and Noble

Paperback Mystery bestselling list in its first week.

Bolin’s third book, Thread and Buried, will come out in

June 2013, and Penguin has asked her to write books

four and five in the Threadville Mystery series. These

novels are expected to be released in 2014 and 2015.

Additionally Bolin will be one of four featured authors

at the August 2013 Scene of the Crime mystery

convention on Wolfe Island, near Kingston in the

Thousand Islands.

e B r cIn 2012, the County of Elgin fully funded a one-year

pilot project to operate a satellite office of the

Elgin Business Resource Centre (EBRC). The office

is located at the Elgin Innovation Centre in Aylmer,

and services Elgin County residents.

The EBRC is a community based- not-for-profit

organization that supports local business

communities and encourages entrepreneurship

and economic growth through access to capital,

business services and project support.

The EBRC satellite office is dedicated to helping

business owners and entrepreneurs succeed in

the ever-changing business market. The office offers

assistance to those looking to open a business, formulate

a business plan, or make changes to an existing business.

There is a strong demand for the services that the EBRC

provides for Elgin County residents. By supporting the

development of an EBRC satellite office in Aylmer, the

County ensures that new and existing business in Elgin

will have greater access to support services to help them

thrive and grow.

“It is of particular importance in these challenging

economic times that the County continues to undertake

programs and initiatives to support and cultivate local

business development and entrepreneurship,” said 2012

Elgin County Warden Bill Walters. “This is another example

of the County’s Economic Development department

forming partnerships that will enhance economic growth.”

The County of Elgin has partnered successfully with the

EBRC in the past on several initiatives including the Elgin St.

Thomas Small Business Enterprise Centre, the Innovation

Centre for Entrepreneurs, the Youth Entrepreneurship

Program and the Elgin Arts Trail.

Since it opened in March of 2012, the Aylmer office of the

Elgin Business Resource Centre hhas helped to start 13

businesses, expanded four existing ones and has helped to

create 38 new jobs in Elgin County.

“This is another

example of

the County forming

partnerships

that will enhance

economic

development”

Businesses Started

13Businesses Expanded

4Jobs Created

38Loan Inquiries

12

EBRC Aylmer 2012 Statistics

The Municipality of BayhamThe Municipality of Bayham undertook several

infrastructure and facility improvement projects

in 2012. In order to meet the current and future

needs of the community a new fire hall opened

at the south end of the Municipality in early

2012. Renovations are also underway at both the

Straffordville Library and at the Community Centre

in Vienna.

Many roads in the Municipality have had work done

including re-surfacing and culvert replacements.

Additionally, a new water source and system

improvements are underway for the residents

in Richmond.

The Municipality has made changes to its zoning

by-law to provide greater flexibility for “value-

added” in the agriculture sector in order to reflect

current trends in production. Bayham’s council has

committed to support a new pilot Alternative Land

Use Services (ALUS) program for three years. This

program will benefit local farmers and all those

affected by the area’s waterways.

The Municipality entered into a partnership with

the Township of Malahide and the Municipality of

Central Elgin to implement improvements to its

waste management program. The Municipality

will also share the cost of its Fire Chief with

Southwest Oxford.

Discussions are on-going regarding the potential for the

divestiture of the Port Burwell harbour and enhancements

have been made to signage on the beach and benches

installed on the pier.

The Town of AylmerAylmer has seen some strong economic growth in all

sectors (industrial, commercial and residential) in 2012.

East Elgin Medical Facility is expanding and the family

health team continues to recruit exceptional health

providers so that the Town may increase its services to

new and existing patients. As a result, it is in the process

of increasing its facility space and will be making some

changes in 2012.

New phases of Bradley Park are being developed by Doug

Tarry Limited and the Jane Street Subdivision is being

developed by Ora et Labora Enterprises Incorporated.

Additionally a new adult-lifestyle community complex for

adults (ideally 55 Plus) and independent retirees at the

corner of John Street South and Sydenham Street West

is under construction.

John Street North has seen some significant commercial

and industrial growth with the recent development and

opening of the Mennonite Savings and Credit Union and

continued interest and activity at the Elgin Innovation

Centre. New industrial interests continue in this building

which has a million square feet of available leased

space. Supporting these entrepreneurs at this location

is the Elgin Business Resource Centre which assists new

interests as they walk through the doors. Continue to

keep an eye on the most northerly point of John Street

North industrial park for new developments in the works

and expanded facilities of existing and thriving business

already located in that area.

The Township of MalahideThe Township of Malahide has undertaken several exciting

initiatives in 2012. The Township introduced a new recycling

program that came into effect on June 1, 2012. Residents

were provided with a larger Blue Box and recycling is

now collected on a weekly basis. Additionally the list of

acceptable recyclable materials has been expanded to

provide improved diversion from landfills and to help reduce

waste disposal costs.

The Township is also in the process of completing an

Integrated Community Sustainability Plan which has been

branded “Cultivating Malahide: Planting the Seeds Together

for Our Future.” Resident input was gathered using surveys

and the final plan is scheduled to be presented in the

summer of 2013.

The Township has completed a five-year review of its

Official Plan and has submitted to the Province for approval.

it is also continuing a major re-construction project on

Vienna Line.

M u n i c i P a l u P d a t e s

The Municipality of Central ElginCentral Elgin continues to pursue its vision of

transforming Port Stanley Harbour into a vibrant

waterfront that will attract residents and visitors. The

Municipality initiated a Harbour Economic Development

Strategy with the objective of identifying economic

development opportunities to make the harbour

self-sustaining for the long term. After the recent

acquisition of the Lakes Terminals property, the

Municipality is now the owner of all the lands along

the Harbour West Pier. These lands could in the short

term, generate revenue from paid parking. In the long

term they could be redeveloped in conjunction with

the overall harbour redevelopment plans. Additionally

the Municipality made improvements to the façade of

the Dominion of Canada Warehouse building to allow

its use for special events during the summer and

extended the walkway link between Main Beach and

the West Pier, adding benches and planting trees.

In 2012 Central Elgin replaced all existing streetlights

in the Municipality with new energy efficient LED

fixtures. The Municipality will see a cost savings

from reduced energy and maintenance costs of over

$1 million over the next 20 years.

A Waste Management Master Plan was completed

in partnership with the Municipality of Bayham and

the Township of Aylmer. This resulted in an enhanced

recycling program and seasonal roadside yard

waste collection at a reduced cost to the taxpayers of

Central Elgin.

The Township of SouthwoldThe Township of Southwold has committed to replacing all

existing streetlights with energy efficient LED lights. This

project began in Fingal and following positive feedback

from residents, council has decided to move forward

with the project in all residential areas of the Township.

The project is scheduled to be completed in the spring

of 2013.

It was evident that the retaining wall in the Kettle Creek

along Robert’s Line was in significant need of repair and

stabilization. The Township of Southwold, in cooperation

with the Kettle Creek Conservation Authority, undertook

to stabilize the wall to prevent a potential collapse into

the creek. The wall itself was repaired along with the road

behind the wall and Robert’s Line is once again open to

public traffic.

The Township of Southwold provides line painting services

to several of the lower tier municipalities across the

County. In early 2012, Southwold upgraded the line painting

truck and paint equipment to meet the new standards

for the use of water-borne paint as stipulated by the

Ministry of the Environment. The Township is conscious of

the environmental effects of its activities and strives to

mitigate its environmental footprint where possible.

The Municipality of Dutton-DunwichThe Municipality of Dutton-Dunwich has had consistent

housing starts in 2012 and a new housing development

will begin construction in the spring of 2013.

The Municipality is currently undergoing a re-branding

process that will include the use of social media to

communicate with the public.

In 2012, after 33 years of municipal service Dutton-

Dunwich Chief Administrative Officer Ken Loveland

retired. The position has been filled by Laurie

Spence-Bannerman who has been involved in several

Economic Development initiatives including looking at

opportunities for main street Dutton.

The Municipality of West ElginIn 2012 the Municipality of West Elgin began the

process of creating a secondary plan regarding the

development of lands around Port Glasgow.

It includes a detailed look at the potential development

area around Port Glasgow and covers issues such as

vehicular circulation, lands for public use, demographic

characteristics, and future development around

Haven’s Lake Road.

The plan will go to the West Elgin Council for approval

in early 2013. If approved, all future changes in use,

developments and redevelopments of individual

parcels of land will be done in accordance with the

stated vision, goals, objectives and policies of the

secondary Plan.

The Municipality also completed a $1.8 million project

to refurbish the waterlines on Graham Road.

The County of Elgin’s

Economic Development goals

encourage prosperity

and opportunity

for its businesses

and residents.

Elgin County Economic Development | 450 Sunset Dr., St. Thomas, ON N5R 5V1 | 519-631- 1460 ext. 168

info@elgin-county.on.ca | www.progressivebynature.com