Rues principales FoundationLed by the Rues principale Foundation, a revitalization effort began in March 2003 with the support of the Chamber of commerce, the City of Chandler, DEC Canada, the SADC, the CLD, and the MRC du Rocher-Percé. A management committee made up of individuals who wanted to create an attractive and dynamic milieu, continue to strive, finding new ways to concert their efforts and discover harmonious and sustainable development strategies. Their action plan suggests different interventions that will recover the appearance, the animation and promotion, the organization and the commercial development of the city. Different accomplishments have been achieved by involving the citizens in the elaboration of a common vision of the future that is based on their pride, their strength, and their will to go forward and to improve their quality of life.
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Evaluation of activities and accomplishments
Calendar of activities A pamphlet was created, with the help of the Secretary of economic development for the City of Chandler, in order to inform the citizens and visitors about the sports, cultural and social activities taking place in our region. 2000 copies were distributed in businesses, service areas, restaurants, motels, gas stations and tourist information offices. Everybody involved seemed to appreciate this information guide, it was therefore convened that a summer and winter edition would be created yearly. This project brought to light the importance of transmitting information to our community. As a result, a list of restaurants and accommodations has been added to the pamphlet. Sidewalk sale Every year, a dozen businesses from the downtown area organize a three day sidewalk sale. People gather around to take advantage of the outstanding sales and to enjoy the summer's fresh air. In order to encourage participation, Rue principale took it upon itself to widely publicize this event. Christmas decorationsEnchanted by the holiday spirit, a group of volunteers, as well as the Club Horticole, decided to decorate the downtown area. The local retailers participated in this initiative by purchasing 67 sets of lights. The Commercial Street was bejeweled with 22 magnificent arrangements adorned with Santas and pine branches. On a sunny Saturday morning of November, a team of 10 volunteers decorated the street over a distance of 2 km. Drivers and pedestrians went out of their way to admire the beauty and magic of Christmas. We requested that the decorations be preserved until Chandler en Fêtes in the month of February. This activity was repeated again this year… Welcome signs In light of the Coupe Desjardins event held in March 2003, signs were placed at strategic locations to welcome visitors arriving from the Magdalen Islands on the “Vacancier” ferry. Through this activity, Rue principales wanted to show the true nature of Gaspesian hospitality.
Logo creation In order to promote the mission of Rue principales, the management committee suggested finding a suitable logo through a contest. An art teacher at the Polyvalente Mgr. Sévigny (Chandler highschool) integrated this contest in her art class. This endeavor gave birth to a multitude of exciting ideas. The committee then sat back and admired the images depicted by the students. The students were asked, in groups of 2, to illustrate their vision of the city and to write a short text supporting it. The winners were given a prize and had the chance to see their picture in the local newspaper. Their logo became the official image of Rue principale.
St-Jean decorations St-Jean festivities cannot take place without the presence of flower arrangements and decorations displaying our national colors. The Chamber of Commerce and Rue principales coordinators amused themselves by decorating the city for the event. Public marketFollowing 18 months of preparations, the Chandler public market finally came to light. The Chamber of Commerce and Rues principales associated themselves to conceive this project. The City of Chandler, the SADC and the CLD participated in the achievement of this event. The ZEC des Anses and Solidarité-Jeunesse offered significant help mounting the tent and stands. The activity was held Labour Day week-end and included 10 local exhibitors. Biological products, medicinal plants and herbs, honey, maple-syrup, jam and meat enticed the taste buds of everybody who attended. 350 people graced us with their presence and took advantage of this occasion to refill their pantries with locally produced goods. The Lac Vachon site was the ideal location for this affair. In the future, we will consider tying-in other cultural activities in order to charm people who seek this type of grass-root community event.
“Mystery-window” contest In a joint effort to encourage local purchasing, the Chamber of commerce and Rues principales added a new trick up their sleeve. Surrounded by magnificent Christmas decorations, local products were placed in a vacant window downtown. Citizens were then asked to guess the total cost of the items. 22 retailers actively participated in this event by donating items. Furthermore, the community also joined in by submitting their bids. On the local radio's morning show, the winner was revealed, and brought home the 1860$ worth of presents in the window.
City Hall renovations Plans to renovate City Hall were already stirring before the involvement of Rue principale. However, the plan suggested by the Foundation was adopted and gave way to the restored structure we have today. In order to allow the local population to admire the new attire of City Hall, an open-house was organized at the unveiling of the Rue principale Foundation's summative evaluation. The SADC's renovation program In order to support local businesses, the SADC implemented a measure that aims at assisting entrepreneurs who want to give their business a facelift. Managed by the Rue principales committee, this program offers 500$ to elaborate a renovation plan or improve outdoor signs. 3 entrepreneurs have already applied for the renovation plan subsidy, and 3 others applied to improve their commercial image. Furthermore, a guide was created to assist business owners in the elaboration of publicity and commercial signs. The guide raises awareness and informs retailers about the importance of a positive corporate image.
Street furniture During the summer, 20 benches and 8 waste baskets were fabricated for the downtown area. The street furniture will be placed in strategic locations around the city. The furniture has already been implanted in certain locations, such as the elementary school, the Parc des Souvenirs and the Royal bank. Pedestrians enjoy the convenience of these locally fabricated creations. Come spring, the benches and waste baskets should all be in place, at the same time as the redevelopment of Hotel de Ville Avenue. To complete the plan, Morris columns will be built.. Redevelopment of the City Hall parking lot Despite the fact that a study concluded that there was enough parking space in Chandler's downtown area, renovations will take place to make this zone safer and more functional. A detailed sketch of all desired modifications has been elaborated with the help of the Physical intervention sub-committee. Renovations began in October and should come to term this spring.
Signs A project has been submitted to improve the signs in Chandler. After a few training sessions and various meetings on the topic, a global signaling plan was elaborated to improve the attractiveness and visibility of the signs. |
