Good Day,
It is amazing how one conversation can completely re-energize you. October and November are pretty administratively heavy for me – and the entire team – as we complete mid-term ministry reports and craft the 2025-2026 Business Plan. Don’t get me wrong, it is very important work and it is fun to both reflect on the success we have had while drafting a course for the future. But I don’t get as much time as I would like to talk with you, our stakeholders. This is why I was thrilled to be asked to join Diana, from the Dufferin Board of Trade (DBOT), and Sarah, from our team, to talk about an amazing training program for businesses to get micro-credentials on topics like accessibility, inclusivity and environmental sustainability.
Level Up Dufferin was developed using funds from the Tourism Relief Program and helps businesses be better prepared to cater to different types of guests and guests who appreciate (and gravitate to) businesses that are socially and environmentally responsible, LGBTQ+ Safe Spaces, Accessible, and Inclusive. Dozens and dozens of businesses in Dufferin County have taken the training and are now better serving residents and visitors to the area. The program is incredible and, in my opinion, needs to be rolled out across Central Counties and beyond. We started to chat about that and Diana was saying that their resources are already stretched very thin, something that we understand very well at Central Counties.
In fact, a good portion of our business plan focuses on programs and products like AVTR1 that can be sold both within our regional boundaries and beyond, all with the purpose of growing revenues to further support our stakeholders in the region. This alignment of purpose led to an incredible brainstorming session about different ways the Dufferin Board of Trade could roll their incredible program out to businesses, municipalities, BIAs, etc., so that more businesses have an understanding of how to make different groups of people feel welcome. It was an energizing conversation, with ideas flying every which way. The best part was nothing was dismissed, but rather built upon until we ended up with three great options that can be refined and rolled out. Each provides a new revenue source for DBOT, which will allow them to provide more support for businesses within Dufferin.
What I liked most about the conversation was it made me realize that we aren’t alone in our need to look for new ways to sustain our organization so that we can continue to deliver the same great service we are known for. Moreover, I was thrilled that another organization was starting to think about the value of their programs and products and how those could be used to support stakeholders beyond their boundaries, which in turn will further support the stakeholders within their boundaries. I am looking forward to talking with Diana again and I will be the first to let you know when this great program is available in your area.
This wave of energy continued into the weekend. Trish purchased us a mystery day from a company called Guess Where Trips. The theme she had chosen was Festive Adventure and she said our starting point was Kitchener-Waterloo, thinking it would be great to visit some places outside of our region. A few days after purchasing, an envelope arrived at the house. It contained a pre-trip booklet that told us what to expect and four sealed envelopes. We got in the Jeep at 9:30am Saturday morning, filled it with gas, stopped for a coffee and were ready to set off on our adventure. We opened the first envelope. It took us to Glen Williams, which is in Georgetown where we live, and about 5 minutes from the Timmies parking lot we were in. Well, if we had actually started in Kitchener-Waterloo, this first stop would have been about 45 minutes from the starting point. Undeterred, and honestly finding it a bit amusing, we headed into Glen Williams and did all of the stops they recommended. We bought more coffee and a couple of gifts for some family friends. Our next stop was Erin, where we enjoyed the decorated windows on Main Street and bought more gifts for the boys and their girlfriends in several of the shops. Stop three was supposed to be Elliot Tree Farm, but since we plan on going there in early December, we decided to take one of the recommended detours and ended up at Cole’s Country Market where we purchased some incredibly delicious butter tarts. Our last envelope took us to Orangeville with a recommendation to eat at the Bluebird Café. It was also the day of their pop-up Christmas market which was a bonus. Unfortunately, Bluebird Café was really busy so I asked the hostess which other restaurants she recommended. I was thrilled when she came up with two recommendations because to me that is amazing customer service. Trish and I walked down to Taphouse Craft Beer and Kitchen, where we enjoyed a great lunch and bumped into Alison Scheel, the Executive Director of the Orangeville BIA, who was grabbing a very quick lunch before getting back to organizing all of the events she was producing.
It really was an amazing day. And the fact that so many of our stakeholders are on this adventure trail is going to be great for them too. Trish and I spent several hundred dollars picking up gifts and eating delicious foods. And we were just two people. As we were leaving our first stop in Glen Williams, we saw a group of eight women getting their picture taken outside of the Market Café. They were saying they were on a mystery tour, which meant that they too were going to visit all of the places we did. I hope Guess Where Trips continues its success and puts together even more itineraries that bring people to our communities to spend time and money.
As we go into the busy holiday season, I can’t help but feel optimistic about the future of our organization and the stakeholders we support. Keep working at your business. Keep connecting with other businesses and organizations that can help you grow. Keep learning.
Have a great day!
Chuck
