Saugeen Shores is using a grant to help create a business support centre in the former visitor’s centre in Port Elgin.
The Town says the centre on Goderich Street will help integrate new businesses into Saugeen Shores and support existing and expanding enterprises, and serve as a business incubator.
With a few Town staff members on site, it will have in-person support for community partners and entrepreneurs. The idea is to have it serve as a space for entrepreneurs to meet with partner organizations, like County staff, chambers and Business Improvement Areas (BIAs).
It will have desk space for start-ups and home businesses, a conference room available for rent and it will also showcase information on business support programs.
Mayor Luke Charbonneau says, “This new Centre makes it easier for local enterprises to access Town staff when they need us,” adding, “It is one more way that we are effectively managing growth for our community: by helping Saugeen Shores’ businesses expand and thrive.”
There was some discussion about a desire to attract more retail businesses to the downtown. While most store fronts are full, many are varying kinds of offices and businesses that aren’t retail.
“What we need to do is incubate retailers. We need to find ways to encourage and motivate people to get into the retail trade and then they will start retail businesses,” says Charbonneau.
A couple of council members asked about no longer having a visitor and tourism centre in the building. Economic Development Officer Heather Hyde noted, staff would be on hand to answer the occasional question a visitor might have. The Chamber of Commerce is also in the same building and has information about local attractions.
“We are going to be rolling out a campaign as part of the transformation and the redevelopment of the space to educate the community on the new activities that will be taking place there,” says Hyde.
Staff also noted the Town now has a Community Development Officer who will present a plan that would include tourism in 2024 budget discussions.
Hyde explained, “Tourism is still a very large focus for economic development. We just recognize that the way visitors are accessing information has changed. So we no longer feel that there’s a need for physical visitor centre information. So you won’t see it the way it’s traditionally been. Having said that, we are looking at ways to support visitors and the information that they are looking for both online and physically. It just might not be out of the tourism visitor centres that you’ve typically seen in the community in Southampton and Port Elgin.”
The space will be redeveloped using $25,600 in funding through the Rural Economic Development program from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).
Huron-Bruce MPP and Agriculture Minister Lisa Thompson says in a statement, “Saugeen Shores is home to a number of impressive businesses, and through this centre, I appreciate the valuable tools and resources that will be available to further support business and investment throughout the municipality – as well as opening the door to attract new ventures.”
The Centre is set to open in early 2025.