You don't get a second chance
- Details
- Published on Saturday, May 30, 2015
By Vern May
Minnedosa & Area Community Development Corporation
It’s well accepted that one doesn’t get a second chance to make a first impression. When you find yourself preparing for that critical meeting, it can be very stressful. The butterflies churn in your stomach and your heart races. Maybe you call up a close friend for a trusted last minute reassurance. What you want and need most at this moment is their honest gut reaction.
On a personal level, you can probably think of your short list of consultants who will get the call, but what if you need input on your business and your community?
Sometimes when we’re auditing our own community, we can’t be entirely objective. We know the history, so some things will stand out to us as an eyesore while we may disregard others. Because of our personal relationships in the community, it can sometimes be difficult to be brutally honest. Coming from us, fellow residents and business people, our constructive criticism is more likely to slice really close to a nerve.Fortunately, there is help available.
First Impressions Community Exchange program is administered through Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) office and is a free program which allows rural communities to tap into support to help rate how well our town presents to first time visitors, as well as focus on areas for development and improvement.The program pairs communities of similar size and challenges, with each town sending a delegation to spend a day in the exchange community and assess their impressions based on a series of criteria as rated in the provided work book. Once the visits have been completed, the groups each visit the exchange community again to meet with key stakeholders and present their findings.The resulting report, prepared by engaged community leaders, becomes a framework for discussion locally about which pieces of that feedback can be followed up on, as well as other areas that may require exploration.
Two communities that were paired last year were Souris and Minnedosa. Among the areas for improvement discussed, Minnedosa identified that Souris could use better signage to direct visitors to their business district and that that town did not have a clearly identified industrial park. Inversely, Souris identified for Minnedosa that because they lacked visibility from the highway, improved roadside signage and a stronger social media presence might help to generate more awareness and curiosity about the town. Both sides were pleased with the outcome and used the reports to spur discussion for their ongoing economic development strategies.
Communities interested in participating in the program can contact Jill Falloon in Brandon at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Let’s continue the conversation and explore the possibilities that exist; email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 204-867-3885. The best things around that I have ever seen, came from small towns and big dreams.
