Downtown Simcoe is the heart of Norfolk County.
It is our largest urban centre, home to County Hall, local businesses, community events, and many of the services residents rely on every day. It should be a place that reflects the pride we have in our community and gives people a reason to spend time there.
In 2019, Norfolk County completed the Downtown Simcoe Secondary Plan. The document contains many thoughtful ideas for strengthening the downtown through improved public spaces, housing opportunities, streetscapes, business development, and better connections throughout the core.
If you have never read the plan, I encourage you to do so. It contains many ideas that remain relevant today and provides a strong foundation for future discussions about downtown Simcoe.
One thing I believe is important to recognize is that downtown Simcoe should not be trying to compete with Highway 3.
Car dealerships, large retailers, and big-box stores require large parcels of land, highway visibility, convenient truck access, and extensive parking. Highway commercial areas are the appropriate location for those businesses, and they remain an important part of Norfolk County's economy.
Downtown serves a different purpose.
It should be the place where people gather, meet friends for lunch, enjoy local restaurants and shops, attend community events, browse unique businesses, and experience the character that only a traditional downtown can offer.
One of downtown Simcoe's greatest assets has been flowing through it all along.
The Lynn River winds through the heart of downtown alongside beautiful parks, mature trees, historic buildings, and welcoming public spaces. Many communities would welcome the opportunity to have natural features like these at the centre of their downtown.
We already do.
Downtown Simcoe does not need to reinvent itself. It needs to build on the strengths that have been here for generations.
One message I continue to hear from residents is that they want more reasons to spend time downtown. More activity. More destinations. More opportunities to support local businesses. More reasons to walk, stay a little longer, and come back again.
Those are conversations worth having.
Norfolk County already has a vision for downtown Simcoe. The question is not whether we need another plan.
The question is how we take the best ideas that already exist, adapt them to today's realities, establish clear priorities, and most importantly, deliver results.
Over the coming weeks, I will be taking a closer look at several of the ideas contained within the Downtown Simcoe Secondary Plan. Some deserve to move forward. Some may need to evolve. Others may no longer make sense.
You can read the complete Downtown Simcoe Secondary Plan here.
Before we talk about solutions, I would like to hear from you.
If you could make one practical change that would encourage you to spend more time in downtown Simcoe, what would it be?
Together, we can build a stronger downtown, and a stronger downtown helps build a stronger Norfolk County.