Thursday, January 15, 2009
PARIC Meeting Part 1
Bear with me as this is all new to me! Basically I'm going to outline the important points the best I can with as much detail possible in ONE large post. After the meeting I'll narrow it down into a few individual posts - that way people can comment on individual issues after the meeting. This will be the easiest and less messy way to get through this for this initial meeting. Hopefully this is "acceptable" to those of you tuned in :)
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Idea #1: An artist community. Developing Port Alberni as Tofino and Ucluelet have developed.
ReplyDeletecomments:
ReplyDeleteusing home based businesses, and making use of tourist maps and GPS as a way of developing tourism in our community.
Projected more than just to people driving through on their way to the West Coast, projected to Germany, Russia, Italy, Spain etc.
Developing the festival of lights as the biggest on Vancouver Island. Utilizing mill/train/people/station/hotels in town (The Barclay, Hospitality)
Package deals through the hotels. Shuttle to station, go up to mill - singing and entertainment, crafters 10 days in a row! Evenings and full weekends. Perhaps incorporating Stealth's brewery.
A wealth of people in the community that are not working full time jobs who have particular talents, finding ways to incorporate their talents into our economy.
ReplyDeletePromoting an event far enough in advance that gives these people time to plan to have enough inventory to support the Festival.
Idea #2: Alternate Transportation
ReplyDeleteConverting vehicles to steam/electric power.
Getting licensing to drive these vehicles in town.
Having a Transport Expo exhibiting the environmentally friendly vehicles.
Setting up "refill stations" to replace the interchangeable battery packs.
Meshing the vehicle show with "Thunder in the Valley" and "Show and Shine".
Create a municipal events calendar: Everything all on the same day (Thunder in the Valley and Show and Shine, Dance etc). Try to spread out?
Linking the municipal events calendar to realty sites, city site, travel agencies.
ReplyDeleteFiguring out "What brings people to Port Alberni?" And Marketing it!
Idea #3:
ReplyDeleteTall Ships: Perhaps an annual pirate festival (a play on popular medival groups). Keep interest in tall ships up!
Artist retreats: Spending a week/weekend trying different techniques with a group of like minded people.
I'm here! My iPhone died on me! I'm at my PC now! This is grrrrrrrrreat! So glad to see it happening. Ok I'll get caught up and jump on in.
ReplyDeleteIdea #4: Using our natural resources to keep people (locals and tourists): eg.Mt. Arrowsmith, better marketing of what there is to do.
ReplyDeleteLove the Artist Retreat - exand...photographers...maybe hotels B&B's could band together, offer a great rate..there is a private tour bus service...he could take photographers around etc.
ReplyDeleteAnyone in the room a hotlieir or B&B owner?
ReplyDeleteNatter's! you are doing grrrrreat!
ReplyDeleteIdea #5: Canned water to sell for emergency (and possibly non-emergency) purposes (eg. Military, Reserves, Red Cross)
ReplyDeleteUsing cans, easier to remove waste from sites. Perhaps packaging cans in wood boxes that can be burned.
Exporting water.
No Hotelier's or B&B owners. However I know both the manager at the Barclay as well as the new manager at the Hospitality myself and will definitely pass it on to them and invite them to the next meeting.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nat! and tell them I'm here in Vic for postering and giving out to my customers...so will other reps in my company...100's of businesses can get the message from me!
ReplyDeleteIdea #6:
ReplyDeleteMicrobrewery, great market in Port Alberni, over 19 demographic spends $1,081 a year on beer. Changing labels with seasons. New types of beer with different seasons. Using beer to market Port Alberni outside of the area.
From ChrisAles We have the Waterbombers here... we should, on May long weekend when millions are passing through and the fire season hasn't started up yet, have a big Water Bomber airshow with a little forest fire prevention and lumberjacks thrown in of course. Invite water bombers and helicopters of all types, have the local brigade do demonstrations and everything out at the airport. Could be a lot of fun and attract lots of people.
ReplyDeleteI like Chris's idea! jump on the back on all those folks coming thru on that weekend!
ReplyDeleteLove number 6! and could tie in with a beer festival?
ReplyDeletewow! lots of action here!
ReplyDeleteIdea #7:
ReplyDeleteAttracting retirees. All year round money, boomers are coming - still relatively cheap here and they'll spend their taxes here and go south for 1/2 the year.
Make sure we appeal to these people. And VALUE these people. Appreciate the wisdom they bring. Use the Golf Course as an attraction, cultural facilities. Restaurant catering to elderly - gluten free, diabetic, vegetarian, perhaps a grocery store to provide ingredients to make more healthful foods.
ALSO: Attract the youth! Drive in, drags out taylor flats, youth restaurant - something like the cafe from "Friends" but attached to a sit down restaurant, perhaps with "to go" containers.
Idea 7 - many lessons can be learned from Tofino & Ucluelet on those counts. Look at what is in those communities in terms of restaurants and youth etc.
ReplyDeleteHey Nats they telling me to shut up yet?! lol
ReplyDeletenot yet :)
ReplyDeleteIdea #8: tourist boat/ferry from Victoria to Port Alberni. In conjunction with hotels. Lady Rose likely no longer active, Francis Barclay likely a no go as well.
ReplyDeleteIdea #9: a food festival. but idea switched over to fast - very little feedback.
ReplyDeleteAny ideas on industry? big industry? little industry?
ReplyDeleteIdea #10: Beautification of the town
ReplyDeleteone suggestion: wild west theme. Carriage rides from hotels to train station. Cons: horses not supposed to go over 1% incline.
Creating a beach and/or outdoor pool. Indoor tropical beach/waterpark. Could encompass anything - arcades, hotels, tropical resort! Market it for winter.
No specific talk about "industry", but mostly a focus on tourism.
ReplyDeleteCan you ask?
ReplyDeleteremember this is ideas...big open silly crazy no-box ideas
ReplyDeleteIdea #11: Using college services to provide support for small businesses. Accounting, graphic design, etc. Perhaps using students.
ReplyDeleteThat's 10 so far . . . any more? Pen
ReplyDeleteSomebody needs to design women's gum-boots with a wedge/heel or something! How about a Gum-boot design house/factory?
ReplyDeleteoh and the tatoo parlors should create a port alberni tatoo one we can call our own! lol
ReplyDeletehow about those little street vendor thingys...selling 'lumber-flap-jacks'...and Smittys
ReplyDeletecomment on the boomers . . . diverse skills coming in with the retirees. Should be tapped as a 'new resource'! Pen
ReplyDeleteI think a geo-cache contest with a real treasure to be found should be developed...play the game over 12 months...people would come from all over the world for that...extra chances if you stay the weekend etc.
ReplyDeleteSusan? r we alone here? LOL, Pen
ReplyDeletePen is onto something there for sure!
ReplyDeleteIdea #12: Creating a Port Alberni Barter system:trading services for services/goods online.
ReplyDeleteIdea #13: Supporting small, local manufacturers.
Idea #14: Marketing our cities facilities, Hospital - working on bringing in more facilities - perhaps a Vancouver Island Geriatric/Psychiatric center. Keeping people who need hospital care on vancouver island, as opposed to shipping them to Vancouver.
Hey, let's get Phil from Amazing Race to make GeoCa$h into a reality show! Pen
ReplyDeletePen...yes its me! and no we aren't alone...there are a number of folks 'watching' not posting and a few others posting...one person can't post, having 'puter issues I'm posting for him.
ReplyDeleteFrom ChrisAles....
ReplyDeleteIndustry Idea. (sort of)
We need to start thinking Alternative Energy... talk to NIC about setting up a School of Alternative Energy here in Port Alberni. Courses exploring and eventually installing, maintaining and managing Offshore and Onshore Wind, Wave, Tidal, Solar (PV and Concentrator), and Geothermal (as in generating steam from hot rocks underground, rather than Heat Pumps).
Also, in preparation for the rail line to come back... a local school for railroading!
ah, another one beaten by the verification vicissitude, I betcha
ReplyDeleteohhhh I really like Chris's idea...I don't think such a school is in Canada...yet.
ReplyDeleteHOWL!!!!!!! good one Pen and yes you got it.
ReplyDeleteYes! Phil from Amazing Race! woohoo!
ReplyDeleteNats are our ideas getting onto the flip chart there?
ReplyDeleteA website for the Geo Cache . . . profiles of contestants, maybe youtubish vids of the event, pick your winner fantasy with prizes offered? Pen
ReplyDeleteoh yes...pull in technology and the world will watch...Port Alberni the next 'hit' but on internet not teevee...there are the young'ns.
ReplyDeleteSusan I emailed my idea outline to Poss for this meeting, to go in the package for distribution. I hope you did too. Pen
ReplyDeleteIdea for next meeting: Get a map of Port Alberni and start at one point and move to the other side discussing the pros and cons of each area.
ReplyDeleteMeeting is not over yet! We're sort of all over the place, so sorry haha.
ugh, I have to get off the computer now. Eyes won't handle any more...will check when feeling better for the rest.
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone for doing this! Pen
hmmm...no reply, has the meeting ended and nobody told us? lol
ReplyDeleteIdeas are definitely getting onto the flip chart
ReplyDeletethanks for joining Pen! have a good night.
ReplyDeleteahhh ok, great thanks Nat!
ReplyDeleteFrom ChirsAles:
ReplyDeleteAnother idea (from a friend of mine who also grew up here but is too much of a chicken to post it himself :P )
"I wonder if there is any market for small conference facilities in wilderness type settings. 2 or 3 facilities capable of handline 3-400 people each
one near china creek
one at sproat lake
and one out beaver creek on the railway
but with the feature being eco-type activities outside of the conference time"
And also:
"the other idea i always liked was the cities in the US that created technology parks and offered existing tech companies to move with the promise of no property tax for 10 years
cost money to get going, but it brings in young, well paid and educated people"
Chris..two great ideas!
ReplyDeleteopps forgot a line:
ReplyDelete(chrisale says: Good way to redevelop one of the "brown field" sites... on 3rd, or along Johnson or Gertrude)
We are right now deciding on a name for the group. Any suggestions?
ReplyDeleteFrom ChrisAles
ReplyDeleteAlberni Valley Ideas for the Future "AVIF"
Committee for a New Beginning in Alberni (CNBA)
Alberni Optomists Club? :)
ReplyDeleteor,
Port Alberni Positive thinkers club?
or,
Alberni Movers and Shakers? LOL
The Super Alberni Group
ReplyDeleteThe Alberni For People Group
ReplyDeleteSAG? hmmm..... LOL
ReplyDeleteOutside The Box Bunch
ReplyDeleteLOL yah didn't see that...SAG lol
ReplyDeleteOK! Meeting is over. I wanted to just end with a couple of quotes that Keith had stated the meeting with.
ReplyDelete"Relationships last way beyond just projects, or things that you're building"
and
"community problems have community solutions"
Hope you bloggers can come next time! And I hope I was able to cover the basics quick enough. I know I missed a couple things, but should be able to get them covered in the next meeting.
THANK YOU!
natters
You did a great job Natters! Thank you! without you we could not have participated.
ReplyDeletexoxoxo
Thank you again to alberni.ca for letting us bridge-the-gap!
ReplyDeleteNatters you did a great job blogging and keeping the group informed of the online participation! Thanks for stepping up to do this.
ReplyDeleteSee you in 2 weeks. :)
Sweetbub
wow! So sorry that I missed that one! I've made sure the next meeting is on my calendar! Great ideas!!!! I guess I have the next two weeks to write done any I might come up with. Thanks to everyone who made this such a great success!!!
ReplyDelete...hugs! pipsquack