When I think of Niverville, I think of tremendous opportunity.
Back in 1995 when I was elected mayor, we had a population of 1,400 people. We had three housing developments, and one developer had just walked away. Another wasn’t far from handing in his keys as well. Our housing agreements were particularly onerous on developers in a stagnant market.
Upon closer investigation, the market wasn’t the only issue. Rather, as council we needed to embrace some uncomfortable change. We had to make it possible for developers to see a return on their investment.
In many ways, the Niverville of today is lightyears from the community I grew up in and was the mayor of from 1995 to 2002. The mayors and councils both before and after have made important contributions, and we’re still in the process of developing a vibrant and sustainable community.
Today we face a great challenge. Our residential growth in the past 20 years is unsustainable if we don’t also grow the business community, and it is in this area that we need to challenge our thinking. It has been said that it is insanity to continue doing things the same way and expect a different result. As residents, businesses, and members of council, how do we need to change our thinking to make sure we bring about a different result?
Niverville needs to move forward at a basic level when it comes to core retail services. Though our population is nearly 5,000, the past 15 to 20 years has seen the addition of very little new retail. As someone who has sought to bring new retail services to Niverville for the past decade, it’s important to note that we are considered by many to be unfriendly to new business. Businesspeople, including those who might have an interest in investing here, have significant confidence issues. Some have already walked away and others are considering that option. I know it because I have heard from them personally.
The question is this: have we settled into bedroom community mode?
Unless our businesses become destinations for the people who already live here, we won’t see Main Street grow to its fullest potential. The bottom line is that if we don’t see a shift in our tax base, if the business community doesn’t share a greater portion of the tax burden, we won’t be able to provide the quality of services our residents have come to expect.
A population of 5,000 translates into around 1,800 housing units. In Manitoba, the average household expenses ranges from $70,000 to $75,000 per year. This includes all expenses related to running a household, including housing and transportation. The total amount spent for Niverville is in the range of $130 million, or about $72,000 per household. Locally we are not capitalizing on it. We may be missing an opportunity here.
Our proximity to Winnipeg is our greatest gift, yet it remains our greatest weakness. We will never compel people to shop here out of guilt. They will come only if we offer more of what they’re looking for.
More people have moved here in the past 15 years than were here when the residential boom began. It is awesome to see the investments that these 3,000-plus people have made to Niverville. We owe them a great debt of gratitude. But how can we benefit more from the gifts and talents that they bring? How can we become more inclusive? From a business perspective, what changes do we need to make in our models to encourage them to do more retail shopping in the community they call home?
For the Chamber of Commerce, this means defining with greater clarity the value we bring. What is our purpose, and how do we need to change and adapt to different times?
To our present council, who ran on a platform of business growth in the past election, how will you adapt to bring about the growth we all know is crucial to our long-term success?
The present council does not appear to have engaged with the local Chamber and the business community. The recent announcement of a tax incentive for business appears to have been made without any consultation with the Chamber and business community. This is unfortunate, in that it appears that council is making assumptions about what the business community needs rather than directly consulting with them.
The Chamber has stepped up to be a voice for the business community, and that is a very good thing. I am hopeful that a new partnership can be forged in which our council embraces the Chamber as an ally with an ear to listen.
The challenge is for all of us—town council, Chamber of Commerce, businesses, and residents of Niverville. Are we ready to look for some new ways of doing things? When I think of Niverville, what do I see? Many new opportunities, but one thing that is assured is that we will need to embrace change.
