Town of Collingwood’s Economic Support & Recovery Task Force

April 15, 2020
Category: 
Business Buzz, Council
Business Recovery

On Wednesday, April 15, 2020, Mayor Saunderson kicked off the Economic Support & Recovery Task Force. This group of private and public leaders have been assembled by Town of Collingwood Council and Staff to be the eyes and ears of key business challenges and urgent needs, be advocates and promoters of the resources the Town and its partners are providing, be ambassadors for the needs of the Town’s businesses with other levels of government, and be advisors on the architecture of Collingwood’s economic recovery plan once the COVID-19 crisis passes.

The Task Force is an ad hoc group with a responsibility to report back to the Strategic Initiatives Standing Committee of Council. The Task Force will have regular working meetings to help shape the content of these reports that then will be presented publically at standing committee meetings. With 4 members of Council, the CAO, and nine public voting members, the Task Force represents a strong cross-section of smaller and larger employers, both in the downtown and other employment areas.

Town of Collingwood Council & Staff

  • Mayor Saunderson
  • Deputy Mayor Hull
  • Councillor Jeffery
  • Councillor Doherty
  • CAO Fareed Amin

Collingwood Business and Organizations

  • Jon Gillham - Digital business owner
  • Anthony Griffiths - MacLean Engineering
  • Larry Law - Living Water Resort
  • Lynn Hynd - Georgian College, South Georgian Bay
  • Foster Williams - Strategic Consultant
  • Katherine Gyles - Parkbridge Lifestyle Communities
  • Rick Lex - Property owner and developer in Downtown Collingwood
  • Kathie Ondercin - Owner of Play It Again Sports and the Uniform Factory
  • Brandon Houston - Digital Marketing Business Leader and The Foundry Co-working Space owner

One of the first things the Task Force is tackling focuses on quickly identifying key issues and setting clear short, medium, and long term measureable impacts the group’s efforts will focus on. To get this done within the week, the Task Force decided to appoint Foster Williams as vice chair. His extensive strategic consulting and business turnaround experience will be an asset in ensuring work happens between the meetings in order to ensure options are evaluated efficiently.

“I am excited about the diversity, experience, and energy of the members of the Task Force. We have some clear action items that the Task Force will be working on and hopes to report to the Strategic Initiatives Committee very soon. We got a great start and have lots to work on providing recommendations on ways to support our local economy and protect local jobs and businesses through this crisis.” commented Mayor Saunderson at the end of the kickoff meeting.

For more information on efforts to date that help Collingwood’s business community, the Town has set up a dedicated portal at www.collingwood.ca/recovery