Espanola is open for business, and Anna Frattini is optimistic that upcoming changes to the town's image will drive that message home, enticing more businesses to set up shop in the North Shore community.
The economic development officer said plans are underway to expand the town's industrial park with another 15 acres of property serviced with hydro, natural gas, water, sewer and stormwater services, along with a paved access road coming into the park.
There are up to 100 acres of available property at the park, which means lots of room to develop parking, storage, or whatever any interested business might need.
Funding applications have been submitted to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. (NOHFC) and FedNor, and approval could come as early as fall.
The town is currently working on engineering design and capacity assessment so that when funding comes through, it will be ready to dive in.
“With funding from the government and putting in a bit of investment of our own, we're hoping to expand the park so that we have available, shovel-ready land for businesses to move in quickly,” Frattini said.
The expansion is well-timed. With some Northern communities facing difficulties in providing serviced land, Frattini said Espanola is in a position to help businesses find space to set up shop.
“It's an opportunity for us, and we understand that businesses are having problems, so it's a way to help businesses meet their needs,” she said, noting that she's been working with a number of businesses who've expressed interest in relocating to the park.
The industrial park expansion is one of several initiatives the town has undertaken over the last year to boost the business presence in the community.
Earlier this year, the town applied for and received a grant from the LaCloche-Manitoulin Business Assistance Corp. (LAMBAC) to help a business set up in the downtown core. Both new and existing businesses were eligible to apply under the downtown revival incentive plan, and the winning business received $4,000 to put towards their venture.
The initiative wasn't designed to make or break a business, Frattini noted, but to help a business owner fix up the building, buy extra equipment, or otherwise help with the success of their venture.
“We found that there were a lot of vacancies downtown, so this was a way to revive it to an extent,” Frattini said.
The downtown will now house a new photography business that specializes in portraits, and one less storefront will remain empty.
Espanola's virtual image is also receiving a facelift, with plans in place to revamp its well-known logo and online presence.
Developed in 2005, the Espanola marketing campaign, with its “Not just a fine paper town” motto and accompanying descriptors — enchanting, economical, entertaining, energetic, exciting — has been successful, but hasn't fully met the town's mandate of diversification.
After recently revisiting the community's strategic plan, which outlines the town's growth over the next five to 10 years, council and staff decided a change was in order.
“The current 'fine paper town' theme didn't really tie in with the strategy and where we were going with respect to diversification,” Frattini explained. “But at the same time, the 'e' itself was something that is still relevant.”
Symbolic of a rising sun sitting atop watery curves representing the community's pillars of growth, tourism and retail, the stylized 'e' has become synonymous with Espanola and the image it wants to project.
The new logo won't stray far from its current model, but the logo will employ a stronger, easier-to-read font, incorporate 'Ontario, Canada' to better place the town for those unfamiliar with its location and eliminate the 'fine paper town' descriptor.
“We understand the mill is an important part of the economy and we don't want ever to forget that,” Frattini emphasized. “They're still our major employer and they're supportive in the community, but we just think it doesn't apply to the main theme.”
Along with a new logo, Espanola will get a revamped website that will have a crisper, cleaner look and be easier to navigate. The current site has plenty of helpful information, but needs to be presented in a more user-friendly way, Frattini said.
By creating a stronger presence, the town is optimistic it can attract new interests to the community, fulfilling its goal to expand to a more diversified market.
“Everything will tie in together,” she said. “They're all the things we need to attract investment and promote the community.”
