A restored old brick mill in the city could become on economic driver.
That was the message those attending a presentation at the Yorkton Public Library heard from speaker Royce Pettyjohn whose presentation was entitled 鈥楬eritage Led Economic Drivers for Our Community鈥�.
Pettyjohn has been involved with the decades-long effort to revitalize Maple Creek using the history of the community as a driver, including the revitalization of a number of heritage buildings.
One aspect of that economic development is tourism.
Tourists often become residents, added Pettyjohn, noting 69 per cent of residents in a community were born in a different community, and 30 per cent of those had initially visited the community as a tourist.
That means making sure tourists like what they see when they visit, and that means keeping buildings looking good, said Pettyjohn.
鈥淭hey say don鈥檛 judge a book by its cover, but people do,鈥� he said, adding it takes about 15-minutes for someone to have an opinion on a community once they are there.
One of the keys can be heritage buildings as they create a unique sense of place, said Pettyjohn.
鈥淎t one point in our history our communities were all very unique,鈥� he said, adding that is not the case now. 鈥�... We鈥檙e getting to where every place looks like every other place.鈥�
Having something unique today sets communities apart.
Pettyjohn said Destination Canada suggests tourists are looking for something that creates 鈥渁 distinct sense of place.鈥�
Pettyjohn said the old brick mill could be an element in Yorkton鈥檚 future economy too.
鈥淭o actually see the building in person ... I think it is quite iconic,鈥� he said.
While there is a cost to revitalizing historic buildings, Pettyjohn said money is not a barrier.
鈥淢oney is out there, you鈥檝e just got to find it,鈥� he said.
That said, in revitalizing a building there needs to be a vision of how that building will generate enough revenue to keep it open. That means something such as a museum, while seeming a natural fit, is not the answer as museums don鈥檛 make money, offered Pettyjohn.
That is where partnerships become critical for a project, as they can become tenants, be it other groups, or businesses.
鈥淢ake historic buildings pay for themselves,鈥� he said.
With a way to pay the bills, part of the building can be used by the community, often with a heritage aspect, said Pettyjohn.
鈥淚t needs to be a place for people and not just a place for things,鈥� he said. 鈥�... People have to be able to spend time there. Create a sense of time and place. Don鈥檛 build something that is generic.鈥�
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