Various topics discussed at Rosthern Merchants’ meeting
Members of the Rosthern business community turned out for a merchant’s meeting looking at a number of topics of concern.
By Rod Andrews
A breakfast meeting of Rosthern’s merchants held Monday, January 25, touched on a number of topics to keep a strong and viable business base in the community.
Sponsored by the Rosthern Economic Development Committee, members of the business community heard brief presentations relating to continued promotion of the businesses in town.
A questionnaire was circulated seeking input from the merchants as to whether they would support the initiatives the REDC feels would be beneficial in the promotion of Rosthern locally and further afield.
Committee member Ruth Fisher said a major town promotional feature, the Main Street banners, which are hung on light standards during the summer months, are in need of replacement.
Fisher said they have been used for upwards of eight years, with a life expectancy of four years.
“Whoever sponsored the banners sure got their money’s worth,” said Fisher, pointing out that it will now cost around $400 to sponsor one of the new banners.
Those at the meeting were told the banners are put up in the spring and taken down when the Christmas decorations go up before the festive season. This year, however, the Winter Olympic Games Torch Run banners replaced the Christmas decorations.
Councillor Don Greve, chairman of the REDC, was asked what was happening with the Torch Run banners, and he said they might be auctioned off by the town to help recover the town’s cost to purchase them, and indicated they would be “great souvenirs”.
Greve told merchants that the REDC is looking at expanding another major promotional feature of the Rosthern business community, the Highway #11 signage corridor.
The signs have been taken down until twinning of Highway #11 is completed and paved through Rosthern.
Some of the signs will need to be replaced or repaired before being reinstalled.
Greve said not only will signs return on the east side of the highway for northbound traffic to see, the committee is also looking at a corridor on the west side of Highway #11, for southbound traffic to see.
He said “negotiations” for a southbound signage corridor are still in the works.
Greve indicated that the signs have an important role to play in promoting Rosthern.
“The town has been recognized by the Department of Highways for the signs
as our signage corridor is a template other communities ave followed,” Greve added.
Town Administrator Nicole Lerat said the town gets good response from attending the Homestyles Show in Saskatoon, which will be held March 18 to 21, with upwards of 1,000 people “visiting” the booth last year.
Lerat said the booth provides information about the Rosthern community and business community to those interested in moving here.
She said volunteers are needed to help man the booth again this year.
When people do move to Rosthern, Lerat said they are given a “bag of coupons” and other information about the town as a welcoming gift.
To date town office staff have assembled several batches of goodies to be handed out with the bag including pins, bookmarks, gift items and many coupons from town merchants.
Lerat said the town is working on a new welcome package and invited merchants to supply coupons or any other item for the new baskets.
Greve told merchants that in the past the town had both an economic development committee and tourism committee that has now been reorganized and merged to form the REDC.
Through the town, the committee is involved with the Saskatoon Regional Economic Development Authority, which provides support for attracting development and other programs for local businesses.
Greve told merchants that SREDA has a program that can help business owners find buyers for their businesses when they are ready to retire.
He pointed out that through the business succession plan, there is a way to help businesses remain in small towns.
Under the Saskatchewan Business Succession initiative, there is a pool of qualified prospective buyers who are interested in purchasing Saskatchewan businesses that could be a benefit to merchants who are looking at future options for their businesses.
Greve said one major initiative that the town does not have, which is needed, is a chamber of commerce or related business organization.
He pointed out that this has to be developed at the initiative of the business community, not the economic development committee.
One of the questions asked on the merchant questionnaire was if a Rosthern chamber of commerce could be “an effective way to promote the interests of merchants?” while the other was if merchants would be interested in becoming a member of such an organization.
The merchants also heard a presentation by Jason Skotheim of Horizon Pet Nutrition, which included theories on community growth and stability and state of the Rosthern manufacturing business, which can be seen in another article in today’s paper.
There have been a number of merchant meetings held since 2005.
In the past topics discussed at the meetings have included growth and building of the town, twinning of Highway #11 and expansion of the town business industrial base.
