CVADA Board Meeting Minutes - January 6th, 2024

In Attendance: 

Ron Laudadio, Nancy Power, Dale Lomond, Dion Devoe, Craig Collier, Brad Moore, Elissa Hinks, April Gillam, Tracy Keeping

Regrets: 

Amy Taylor, Francis Peddle, Lucy Poirier, Carolyn Aucoin, Shelley Gale

Ron called the meeting to order at 7:11. 

1. Board Update

1. Chris Bruce (Searston) has submitted his resignation from the CVADA. Ron thanked Chris for his commitment to the CVADA over the past years.  

2. Assets Sub-Committee 

1. Current sub-committee members are Ron, Dion, Francis.

2. Discussion surrounding the Doyles Office and Woolen Mill. The Doyles office has access to free Internet because of the tower. The committee is considering offering free WIFI services to tourists and locals pending a review of the specific details of the Xplornet contract. To do: Tracy will locate the contract and Ron will review the terms of agreement.  

3. Ron suggested the possibility of using the Doyles building to host regular community events open to give local crafters a venue to sell their wares. He made a motion to strike a “CVADA Market” subcommittee which would be responsible for organizing, planning and promoting these events. Motion made, seconded and carried. April volunteered to chair the new sub-committee. Followup: Development of a committee mandate, landscaping and clean up of building, insurance, advertising.

4. The committee discussed the need to improve the Internet service at the Wetlands Building. Ron will check with Xplornet to see what options are available to improve Internet service. 

5. Discussion surrounding snow removal at Wetlands building in relation to the events scheduled for the upcoming winter months. Motion made to accept the bid of Ryan Donaldson who offered snow removal services (parking lot and front and rear doors) for a fee of $150 per clearance. Services will be provided on an as-needed basis, and will require 24- or 48-hour advance notice.  Motion made, seconded and carried.

3. Social Sub-Committee Update 

1. Subcommittee members include Ron, Tracy and Elissa and community members Peter and Ann Brownrigg.

2. The committee is now up and running and has hosted several events including a kids birthday party, chess night and social circle. There are future events planned for January and February which are being promoted on the CVADA Facebook page and the newsletter. The committee is going to enlist the help of  “Town Criers” - local community members like hairstylists, store owners and dog groomers - who can help spread the events by word of mouth.  

3. Discussion surrounding the newsletter, the second edition of which will be released in the next week or so. There was some conversation that the newsletters may get lost if they are distributed on the same day as flier day. In addition to distribution by mail, there are currently several pick up locations, including Small Town Grocery, Gillis and Valley Pharmacy and the committee intends to add new drop off locations to increase circulation. Ron foresees developing a “newsletter sub-committee” that would be responsible for developing content and images for distribution about four times a year. 

4. Both the CVADA website and Facebook page have been seeing increased traffic, with particular interest in the Starlight Trail updates and Community Collaboration session updates. 

5. The Business Directory, under development by Lucy, is in progress and covers everything from local animal care and churches to auto repairs and banks. Ron encouraged all board members to visit the draft version and add / edit.  The final version, anticipated to be available by the spring, will be easily accessible to tourists and can also be printed to PDF.

4. Trails Sub-Committee

1. Current members include Ron and Tracy, and community members Carla Sheedy, Josh Murray, Sherry Scott, Mike Scott, Derrick White and Renee Downey.

2. Work is ongoing with the Coastangs Trail. The LTO has been submitted and pending approval. This has to be done every two years.

3. Ongoing conversations with the trail builders and funding agencies with regards to Starlight Trail expansion with an anticipated start date of spring of 2024 and a completion date of end of summer 2025.

4. Ron and Tracy will ensure CADO (Companies & Deeds Online) registration is up-to-date.  

5. Discussion surrounding a tourism document “Design Objective and Guidance” developed with input from Tourism Southwest, Tourism NL and Parks Canada. The document uses data and feedback from tourists to identify interests and trends which provide businesses with insight to make business decisions that will be appealing to tourists and locals alike.  

6. Ron proposed striking a tourism blueprint sub-committee.  Motion made, seconded and carried.  By creating a variety of subcommittees, the CVADA hopes to give local community members the opportunity to develop ideas they are passionate about and participate in the economic development of their community. This could have a positive impact given the potential for increased tourism in the area as a result of the Starlight Trail expansion.     

5. EcoMuseum Sub-Committee

1. The CVADA would like to develop an ecomuseum sub-committee, headed by community member Roshi Caputo-Nimbark.  Ecomuseums are often multi-site, interactive experiences, with the goal of preserving the history, culture, and environment of an area through things such as storytelling. There is a lot of interest from tourism-related funding agencies  in the development of such an idea. This project will be ongoing over the coming months, with an anticipated start date of the end of summer 2025. April expressed interest in participating in this sub-committee.  

6. Quarterly Collaborative Community Session 

1. The next session is to be held on Tuesday, January 30, at 6:30 at the Firehall in Codroy.

2. The event will be promoted on Facebook, in the upcoming newsletter and via our town criers. As always, the intent of the session is to allow the CVADA to act as “dot connectors” - to solicit how community members would like to see their community developed and to determine how the CVADA can help.  

3. For the benefit of new board members, Ron reviewed the interactive nature of the sessions - topics are generated in real time by attendees and then discussed in small group settings around the room. CVADA board members are present to record ideas, comments and suggestions brought forth by community members, which will be summarized at the end of  the session and made available to members of the public via the CVADA web page.  

Topics for future consideration:

• Rollovers in wreckhouse

Meeting adjourned at 9:49.