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Spruce the Bruce targets identities for Ripley, Lucknow |
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The Village of Ripley should be promoted as a destination for artisans and crafters, while the Village of Lucknow should have an identity based on the traditional "General Store" atmosphere. That's the word from the "Spruce the Bruce" team which gave its report to Huron-Kinloss council at the general committee meeting last night (Nov. 1). The report stems from research and analysis of the two commercial areas of the township, as well as public input and consultation, over the past six months. Team leader Kara Van Myall was joined by Kim McPhedran and Bruce County planner Heather James in making the presentation. Van Myall said both Ripley and Lucknow have strong chambers of commerce and service clubs. In Ripley, the village benefits from a core of specialty crafting shops, a beautiful new streetscape, and the recent addition of Lewis Park. The three crafting stores provide a great starting point to build Ripley as a "crafting hub," and Ripley would benefit from a Buy Local campaign. A residents' survey was mailed out to 2,480 households in the township, with respondents asked to answer the questions regarding the village they lived closest to (Ripley or Lucknow). A total of 42 households responded to the Ripley survey, resulting in a response rate of six per cent. Of those, 28 per cent said they shop in downtown Ripley at least twice a week, compared to 70 per cent who shop in Kincardine at least two times per week. Only 30 per cent said they run quick errands in Ripley, whereas 57 per cent said they run those same errands in Kincardine. Fifty-three per cent of respondents said they work in Ripley; and 64 per cent said they rarely or never shop in Ripley. Kincardine was a more popular destination for shopping in general. Respondents said they shop out of town for better selection and better price, and because they couldn't get the products in Ripley. Van Myall said the two areas for the township to concentrate in Ripley are economic development, and marketing and promotion. "The key is to attract more business that complements what's there," she said. "You want to run the downtown like a mall. To draw people there from an hour away, you need four hours of activity for them." The Spruce the Bruce team recommended Ripley's community identity be branded as "Homemade and Hands On," stressing the artisans and crafters who offer classes in their stores. "You want people to come in and experience the craft," said Van Myall. "Make that experience tangible for the customers - sell the experience." Councillor Anne Eadie asked if the historic element of the village could be part of the plan, including Lewis Park and the Lewis Cemetery which stem from the story of the first settlers in Ripley. "That would provide other areas of interest for people to tour," said Van Myall. Councillor Don Murray said better signage is required to get people turning off Highway 86 and coming to Ripley. "You need a marketing plan in place first so those people have something to see when they get here," said Van Myall. With regards to Lucknow, she said the village has a good core of essential services, such as the grocery store, bakery, butcher, hardware, doctor, dentist, and so on, located on the main highway that leads to the lake, and excellent customer service. There is an opportunity to promote a Shop in Lucknow campaign, repair the streets, add trees, facade improvements, and fill in the empty storefronts. When surveyed, the local businesses said that people come downtown to shop for necessities. They would like to see more stores and the downtown cleaned up, but politics and a lack of funding are preventing improvement from happening, said Van Myall. Lucknow's residents' survey had 52 households respond, for a response rate of only seven per cent. Of those, 79 per cent said they shop in Lucknow at least twice a week, 72 per cent said they are running quick errands, 60 per cent are doing their grocery shopping, and 42 per cent work in downtown more than twice a week. Seventy-four per cent said they shop out of Lucknow at least once a month. Goderich was a more popular destination for clothing, furniture and automotive shopping. Most shop out of town for better selection and because products are unavailable in Lucknow. Van Myall said Lucknow needs a complete revitalization strategy for its downtown. The Spruce the Bruce team recommended the General Store identity to create a unified, traditional retail centre.
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 Other goals are to improve the physical appearance of the main street by including such things as boulevards, and attract more businesses to set up shop in Lucknow. Van Myall said the report was presented to the Lucknow Chamber of Commerce which was a bit concerned that the "general store" idea was not modern enough. She said the Amish and Mennonite communities around Lucknow have been consulted, as well as those who operate businesses in the village, for their input. Councillor Lillian Abbott said the idea can be built on and embellished, developing this type of "character" for the village. Van Myall said the impetus is not for Lucknow to become a destination, but to find a way to have traffic stop and check out the area. "Lucknow is my hometown and I would really like to see something about (hockey great) Paul Henderson included," said Murray. Van Myall noted there are a lot of attractions in Lucknow, including Music in the Fields, and Strawberry Fest, which can be incorporated into the overall "general store" theme. "There are thousands of people who drive through Lucknow every day," said mayor Mitch Twolan. "We need to get them to stop." Van Myall said she had spoken with administrator Mary Rose Walden about the idea of promoting the township as a whole, including Ripley and Lucknow, as well as other attractions. That can be explored further. Later, in council session, the municipality approved a recommendation from Walden that the township apply for the following:
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