Economic Development and Tourism News |
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Taste of Georgina event brings new customers to local restaurants |
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To support Georgina’s dining establishments, which have been limited to takeout or delivery, the Town launched Taste of Georgina, which runs for two weeks from Feb. 6 until Feb. 19.
What was intended to be a dine-in event has evolved into a takeout food series modelled after Toronto’s popular Winterlicious. So far, participating restaurants are pleased with the event, with some receiving between 25-35 orders from new customers within the first week. Three of the restaurants we've connected with thus far are happy with their support from the Town and the local community and will continue the program in the future.
The addition of a social media contest has increased awareness of the event locally, with many testimonials coming in from residents who are sharing their admiration for Georgina's restaurants. You can learn about participating restaurants by visiting georgina.ca/TasteofGeorgina or follow our Facebook event page to view the discussion.
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31 Georgina businesses pivot online in 2020 |
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When the pandemic hit, our office knew we needed to help businesses pivot to maintain revenue by helping them to expand business operations online. So, our team began to meet with businesses one-on-one to provide online support and promote a free provincial and federally funded program through Digital Main Street that can get businesses online and selling for free.
The program sets businesses up with someone dedicated to their project, works with them to build a website and trains them to use it, all in six weeks.
In 2020, 31 local businesses teamed up with Digital Main Street to take advantage of this program. While it may help maintain revenue during no-contact life during the pandemic, the move to digital and the convenience that more customers have now adopted is not going away. To compete, businesses will need to start thinking more about online solutions, breaking traditional ways to evolve in our new shopping climate.
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Torres Media chooses Georgina to start a new radio station |
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The new 93.7 FM station covers all of Georgina and reaches 1.7 million people from Newmarket to Orillia. |
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Mayor Margaret Quirk, Karyn Stone and Ed Torres taken in Feb. 2020. |
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Ed and Frank Torres started their company in 1991, providing a full range of radio content services to stations across Canada. Today they own and operate four radio stations – Rebel 101.7 in Ottawa, 105.5 HITS FM in northern Durham, MAX 103.1 in Valleyfield, Quebec and now K Country 93.7 FM in Georgina.
When asked why Ed chose Georgina to expand his business, he said, “Georgina is blessed with the natural beauty of Lake Simcoe and its many beaches, boating and recreational opportunities. Its proximity to Toronto makes it a natural place for growth, and Town leaders have positioned it well for the future."
Ed Torres connected with our office to share his intention of expanding to Georgina. As part of the Town’s Business Class Program, the Economic Development and Tourism office and Mayor Margaret Quirk met with Ed to discuss the opportunity. From that initial conversation, the Town assisted Torres Media with letters of recommendation, local business and government connections, site selection and communication with residents to create buzz and generate feedback on the yet-to-be-determined genre.
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Are you a local business that has opened, reopened, applied for grants or had to pivot because of COVID-19? If so, we want to hear from you. Our business success stories are featured on our Facebook account, on our blog and in some cases, in our print newsletters. Email us at ed@georgina.ca.
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Local Economic Recovery Support |
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For links to regional, provincial and federal resources, visit yorklink.ca
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PPE reimbursement application
Private or not-for-profit businesses in the hospitality and recreation sectors are eligible to apply for a grant to cover 50 per cent of PPE expenses up to a maximum of $1,000 ($2,000 total expense). Learn more.
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COVID-19 Response Fund
South Lake Futures has established the COVID-19 Response Fund to offer loans below prime rate to support businesses impacted by the pandemic. Learn more.
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Georgina COVID-19 Business Support Programs
Business support programs have been extended until the end of 2021 for Georgina businesses. The programs include grants, a development application fee rebate and a temporary patio program. Learn more.
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Property tax deferrals
The Town of Georgina is offering deferrals for the first instalment of the 2021 interim property tax bill for property owners who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn more.
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Marketing support for Georgina businesses
The Town of Georgina's Pivot Planning Squad offers no-cost marketing support for small businesses in Georgina to help pivot their operations. Request consult.
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Disclaimer: Listings are provided to the Town from brokers, real estate agents, and various real estate websites. The Town of Georgina assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of any information shown, and does not make any representation, warranties or guarantees of any kind in relation to the listings in this e-newsletter or the properties described therein. Please contact the real estate agent or other contact person identified on the listing to verify all information.
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Georgina Tourism Mastermind |
On March 1, all businesses and stakeholders who are affected by the tourism industry are invited and encouraged to share ideas, thoughts, information and feedback at an upcoming virtual gathering. Learn more and register.
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Georgina Economic Development and Tourism
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