Recommendations for Howick Township
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University of Guelph Recommendations for Howick Township Rural Planning and Development Project Group Miriam Bart, Jessica He, Alexander Petric, Nicholas Sully 3-10-2017 Contents 1. Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1 2. History of Howick ........................................................................................................ 2 3. Reflections on Howick Township ................................................................................ 4 Strengths ............................................................................................................................ 4 Weaknesses........................................................................................................................ 5 Opportunities ..................................................................................................................... 6 Threats ............................................................................................................................... 8 4. Waterfront Improvement Recommendations ............................................................. 10 Background...................................................................................................................... 10 Waterway Improvement Opportunities in Howick Township ........................................ 11 Central Business Area Waterway Improvement ............................................................. 13 Design Principles ............................................................................................................. 18 5. Signage Recommendations......................................................................................... 20 What is Wayfinding? ....................................................................................................... 20 Need for Wayfinding ....................................................................................................... 20 Wayfinding in Howick Township ................................................................................... 21 Appendix A: Terms of Reference........................................................................................ 25 Appendix B: Fordwich Reflections ..................................................................................... 28 Strengths .......................................................................................................................... 28 Weaknesses...................................................................................................................... 28 Opportunities ................................................................................................................... 28 Threats ............................................................................................................................. 29 Appendix C: Gorrie Reflections .......................................................................................... 30 Strengths .......................................................................................................................... 30 Weaknesses...................................................................................................................... 30 Opportunities ................................................................................................................... 30 Threats ............................................................................................................................. 31 Appendix D: Wroxeter Reflections ..................................................................................... 32 Strengths .......................................................................................................................... 32 Weaknesses...................................................................................................................... 32 Opportunities ................................................................................................................... 32 Threats ............................................................................................................................. 32 Appendix E: Economic Development Tools ....................................................................... 33 OMAFRA – Rural Economic Development Fund .......................................................... 33 OMAFRA – Southwestern Ontario Development Fund ................................................. 33 FedDev – Investing in Regional Diversification ............................................................. 34 Canadian Heritage – Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage ...................... 34 Canadian Heritage – Cultural Spaces Fund ..................................................................... 34 Table of Figures Figure 1: Signage in Fergus, Ontario (Fergus Attractions, 2017) ......................................... 6 Figure 2:Maitland River and Trails in Huron County ......................................................... 11 Figure 3: Possible Waterway Trail in Howick .................................................................... 12 Figure 4: Fordwich Settlement Area ................................................................................... 14 Figure 5: Gorrie Settlement Area ........................................................................................ 16 Figure 6: Wroxeter Settlement Area .................................................................................... 18 Figure 7: Harriston Road Westbound Gateway................................................................... 21 Figure 8: Harriston Road Eastbound Gateway .................................................................... 22 Figure 9: Village and Gorrie Conservation Area Wayfinding Signs .................................. 23 Figure 10: Fordwich Diner Business Directory Map .......................................................... 24 1. Introduction The following report contains recommendations for the revitalization of three villages in Howick Township. This report is produced by four Master of Science (Planning) students at the University of Guelph who are completing the objectives set out in the Terms of Reference (Appendix A). The Township has legitimate authority by the Province of Ontario under the Planning Act, 1990, and is subject to the Province’s authority. Howick is a constituent of the County of Huron. The County holds approval authority for matters related to the Township’s Official Plan. Most other authorities, including the authority to develop Official Plans, is devolved from the County to the Township. It is by this authority from the Province and the County that the Township of Howick has completed a Strategic Plan in 2012 and another Strategic Plan in 2015 for Economic Development (EDSP) in the Township (Howick Township, 2012a; Howick Township, 2015). These documents were created to guide the growth of the Township by prioritizing promotion of Howick outside its borders, economic development, infrastructure improvement, and communication with stakeholders over the following 5 to 10 years. The EDSP identifies the need to foster vibrant Central Business Areas in the three villages of Howick: Wroxeter, Gorrie, and Fordwich. The authors intend for this report to provide guidance for the Township in this endeavour. 1 2. History of Howick The area that is now Howick was traditionally the territory of several First Nations, including the Neutrals, Ojibwas, Mississaugas, Chippewas, and Saugeens. Through British purchase of the area between the 1820s and the 1840s, the area became part of the Queen’s Bush. In the 1850s, the villages of Fordwich, Gorrie, and Wroxeter were founded along the Maitland River. These developed over time and were bolstered by the construction of the Toronto Grey & Bruce railway which ran through the villages. Like much of southwestern Ontario, the local economy was mainly oriented toward agriculture, basic manufacturing, and trades work. Bountiful land and work attracted newcomers to the villages, mainly from the British Isles (Lingerfelt & Versteeg, 1996). As road construction became more commonplace and more advanced in the 20th century, goods became easier to move and railways fell in stature in Canada. Changes in the Canadian and global economy led to greater job specialization and the loss of local business. Many residents began to move to larger cities for increased services and quality of life. Thus began a slow decline in the villages of Howick. Wroxeter in particular dwindled in population, to the point that it was declared a ghost town. The residents that remained refused to accept this fate and came together to revive the main street and invest in public works and signage. More recently, in an attempt to attract new residents, converted a number of storefronts on Wroxeter’s main street were converted to residences. However, this has reduced the amount of available business space in the village. The village of Gorrie also saw a decline in population, though some residents remain in two settlements on the north and south sides of town. However, many businesses in the Central Business Area area have closed. Fordwich, relative to the two other villages, has been rather resilient in retaining residents and businesses, such as a diner and a general store. Today, the three villages remain part of the Township of Howick and share a community centre near the