Business r r '

ölïhect¡ onsJune 2or3 Volume {, Issue !

The evolution of business

in OrangevilleRich, fertile land and an abundance of fresh, clean watermade Orangev¡lle the ideal location for early settlers to putdown roots and establish farms. ln turn, these p¡oneersprovided the foundation for orangeville's first wave ofmanufacturers as mills, tapping ¡nto a strong water supply,emerged to service the needs of the farmers. This ¡nit¡alwave of industry led to opportun¡ties for even more newbusinesses as taverns, hotels and reta¡l locations began todevelop around the rnills.

The arrival of rail service to Orangev¡lle in '1871 created adependable form of transportation for moving goods and significantly increased the capac¡tyfor businesses in Town. The lumber industry expanded dur¡ng th¡s period and as ¡nnovationdeveloped, mills were able to process material at a higher rate of speed.

By the turn of the 20th century, however, the timber supply in the area began to decline andas a result, some manufactur¡ng industr¡es left Orangeville. The loss of jobs and subsequentdecline in population resulted in the closure of a number of supporting businesses inOrangeville as well.

Town off¡c¡als realized the importance of manufacturing to the future prosperity of thecommunity and began to offer incentives to manufacturers to establ¡sh their businesses inOrangeville. These incentives spurred a second wave of manufacturing and resurrected thesuffering Town. For example, Town Council provided financial assistance wh¡ch persuadedJohn M. Dods to relocate Dod's Kn¡tt¡ng Mill from Alton to Orangeville in 19]3. The Town's¡nvestment in the business proved to be a w¡se decision. Dod's Knitting Mill went on to w¡nseveral war-time supply contracts and was widely recogn¡zed as one of the most successfulbusinesses and largest employers in Orangeville until it closed in 1957.

Today, Orangeville is a vibrant communitythat fealures a growing professional servicessector, a thriving creat¡ve cluster, and asteady manufactur¡ng sector supported by avaried commercial base. lnvestments in thedowntown core and the Town's tourismgenerators have contr¡buted to a growingtourist dest¡nation. W¡th a healthy and diver-sified business environment, the outlook forthe continued evolution of Orangevilleremains strong. Happy 150th Orangevlllel

June ro rG is"Totrrisrn'Week in Orangeville"

In a tribute to the economic impact andsocial benefits of the tourism sector inthe local commun¡ty, Councillor SylviaBradley proclaimed the week of June10 - 16 as Tour¡sm Week in Orangev¡lle.With a dedicated tourism webs¡te ¡nplace and a new V¡sitor lnformationCentre open for business, the Towncontinues to undertake initiat¡veS tosupport the growth of the tourism sectorlocally. Part¡c¡pating in the proclamat¡onwere Councillor Sylvia Bradley (centre)along with Visitor Services staff MaryCrozier, Marsha Grant, Susan Reynolds,and Ceneral Manager Marilyn Logan.

i¡ti coMPAIvY PRoFTLE im

The OrangevilleFarrners' Market

With the onslaught of Sprin& through the hot hazy days of Summerand into the crisp Fall, the Orangeville Farmers'Market is a bustlinghive of act¡vity. Located outside of Town Hall in beautiful down-town Orangeville, the market prov¡des locally grown produce,unique crafts, fresh bakecf goods, and more.

The f¡rst Farmers' Market in Orangev¡lle was founded in 1876 w¡ththe construction of Orangeville Town Hall and market. As the onlylegal place to sell meat In town from 1876 to 1890, the market wasan ¡mportant economic part of the community and evidence of thisfunction can be seen today in the large stone steer heads thatdecorate the window lintels of the old market wing at Town Hall.

The Orangeville Farmers' Market was re-established in 1991 by theTown of Orangeville under the leadership of then-Councillor andlocal business owner Janice Gooding. Mindful of the downtown asthe orig¡nal market place, the goal was to cÍeate a place forres¡dents and vis¡tors to connect with the¡r local growers andproducers while also creat¡ng a destinat¡on to help revitalize thedowntown.

W¡th a great deal of commitment and hard work, Ms. Cooding'sefforts have paid off and the Orangeville Farmers' Market hasgrown steadily through the past 22 years. Today, the OrangevilleBusiness lmprovement Area manages the market and this seasonhas 53 registered vendors, with 30 of them registered for lhe fullseason. Each week the Orangeville Farmers'Market draws in 3000-5000 people eager to find the freshest local foods, discover uniqueartisanal crafts, meet their local farmers, and interact wlth .neighbours.

The Orangev¡lle Farmers' Market continues to fulf¡ll the goalsestablished for it back in 1991. Rain or shine, from early May untlllate October, the market is a hub of activity each Saturday andcontr¡butes to the local economy. Farmers continue to sell meats,produce, and baked goods while residents and visitors continue tomake the market a destination - shopping at the market and localdowntown businesses, partic¡pating in the variety of Marketactivities featured throughout the season, and connecting w¡thfriends and neighbours.

Att htstorictmag€5 coutl5y of Duffeñn County Museum ond Archtvs

Connect with Business. Connecl with Life':;

eville Farmers' Marketuntil October e6

. Saturdays, I a.m. to

wonderftrl opportunlty to support our focal farmers. Be sure to v¡sit onJune 15 as the Farmers' Market pays trlbute to Orangeville's 150thbirthday, featuring a hlstorical dlsplay and Orangevllle 150 souvenlrsavallable for sale.

Canada Day Celebrations.July r, 6 p.*. to rO:!O p.m.Organized by the Rotary Cfub of Orangeville Hlghlandt Orangevllle'sCanada Day celebratlon and flreworks will be held at the Alder Street' Recreation Centre and feature a flreworks display at 10 p.m. Be sure tocome early to take part ln the family act¡v¡ties and get a prime spot forlhe entertalnment, showcasing some great local tafent.

Historical l{alking Tours . June 15 at ro a.m., J..ly 6at IO:!O a.m., Ii:!O p.m., 2:3O p.m., and g:!O p.m,Meet at the circle ln front of Town Hall and participate in a 45-60 m¡nutewalklng tour featurlng Orangeville's many significant archltecturalstructures and the storles behlnd them.

"' Friends of Island Lake Bass Fishing Derby.July 6 and 7Join more than 300 anglers casting their rods wlth a chance to winsome of lhe f4800 avallaþle ln cash and prizes. Thls tweday catch andrelease event features a licensefree weekend and camp¡ng is available.For more detalls and to reglster, vlslt www.credltvalleyca.ca.

Orangeville Rotary Ribfest.July Ig to 2rThe O¡angevllle Rotary Club's annual Ribfest will feature six lntemationalrlbbers competlng for prlzes and your taste buds. Wlth additlonal foodand craft vendorg a beer tenL face palntlng, a mldway, and llve musicthroughout the weekend, there ls enterta¡nment and excitement forevery age group. Admlsslon ls ffeg however donatlons to Rotary areappreclated and help support the club's many community pfojects.

SurnmerFeast 2OI3 . August Ig to September IThls event prov¡des a great opportunlty for diners to exper¡enceexceptionaf culsine. insplred by the bounty of the season. Participatingrestaurants wlll offer speclal menus at 'prix flxe' rates. Visit

for moredetalls.

Doors Open. August rf and 18

Take advantage of thls rare opportunity to see behlnd the closed doorsof public faclllties. Locatlons partlclpating in this year's event areOrangeville bwn Hafl, the Orangev¡lle Public Library WestminsteÌUnlted Church, St. Mark's Anglican Chu¡ch, and there wlll be a freeherltage walking tour taklng place in downtown Orangev¡lle. Vlsltwww.oft ¡ngevll letourlsm.ca.

!g Armstrong Street, OrangevilleGreat opportunity to own/lease successful 258-seat restaurant(I.L.B.O licensed) in the historical¡y rebuilt'Old Train Station' right in: the heart of downtown Orangeville. Located in the Central Business

- Dlstrlct, thls 6000 sq. ft. building with sunny çutdoor patios iscurentfy home to a sushi restaurant but has many permitted uses.

,.: Most chattels are included. Building available for sale at $989,000

Railway boosting econ ornyfor nlore than a centrrry

Many defining moments haveconlributed to the development ofOrangevllle, however, one of themost s¡gn¡f¡cant events was theconstruction of the ra¡f line. ln 1868,the Tcronto, Crey and Bruce Railwaybegan lo examine bullding a train linelnto OrAngeville. With advocacy fromthe community, the company movedfowvard w¡th its plans and on April 20,1871, the first train rolled ¡ntoOrangevllle. Regular service com-menced September 18,1871 with twotrains a day canylng passengers andfre¡ght from Orangeville to Toronto.

From the time the f¡rst railway survey was done in 1863 tothe end of the Toronto, Crey and Bruce's fìrst year ofoperation in town, Orangeville's population doubled tonearly 2000 residents. This rapid growth spurredbusiness development as many new ventures wereestablished, incfuding hotelt inns and tavems eager toserve employees and passengers of the rail llne.

Almost 130 years later, in 2000, the rail line was ï:;purchased by the Town of Orangeville through theOrangev¡lle Railway Development Corporation to help connectlocal industries with the CPRmainline in Mississauga,providing a reliable link to allmajor Can-Am corridors.Operated by Cando ContractingLimited, freight service runstwice weekly. ln 2004, theTown expanded its partnersh¡pwith Cando to establ¡sh theCredit Valley Explorer tour trainand build a signlficant tourismgenerator. Each year approxi-mately 12,000 visitors, 850/0from outside of the reg¡on,climb aboard the CVE to ridethe rails and take in the scenicH¡lls of Headwaters region.

- July 6Orangeville's rgoth Birthday BashDon't miss this opportunity to help Orangevillecelebrate its sesqu¡centenniall From a free breakfastand lunch to a kid's zone, heritage walking tours, artexhibi! uniquê projection show, theatrical p=roductionsof the birth of Orangevllle, and concerts, the BlrthdayBash promises someth¡ng for all ages. Visltwww.orangevlllel5O.ca for details.

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,:.and business for $15O000. Leaslng opportun¡ties also available.,,..¡tease contact Kari Clar( Realtor, R-E/MAX Real Êstate Centre lnc.,iffiBus. 519-942-8111.

Young entreprener¡rs launch their ventrresHistorically, small business has always been a Idr¡v¡ng force in the local economy. This yeafsSummer Company part¡cipants demonstrate thatthe spir¡t of entrepreneurship remains strong ¡n ourregion. Supported through a partnership betweenthe Province of Ontar¡o and the Orangeville I AreaSmall Business Enterprise Centre, our hard workingand mot¡vated sludents wlll each receive up lo$3000 and mentorship throughout the summer tostart and run lhelr own summer companies. Contactthe Orangev¡lle I Area SBEC to l¡nd out how youcan suppoft theml