Public private partnership boosts Welland

A Welland city staff member and a member of the Welland Downtown Business Improvement Association will be joint presenters at the 2017 Parks and Recreation Ontario Educational Forum in Hunstville next week. Sarah Ane, Welland’s community development coordinator, and Stephanie Hicks, the BIA’s executive director, will talk about the socioeconomic benefits of public-private partnerships. A release from the city, said it and BIA began a partnership in 2016 when they joined resources to host Canada Day celebrations in the downtown core. The partnership blossomed to other projects, and initiated a relationship based on similar community goals. As presenters, Ane and Hicks will promote a partnership framework and the advantages of municipalities collaborating with the private community. Ane said partnering with the BIA introduced a new vibrancy in the downtown core and helped to engage residential and business communities. “We want to highlight the positive relationship we are building with the Downtown BIA and the incredible things we have been able to accomplish together. We’re proud to be sharing this expanding relationship with municipalities across the province, and hope they will look at it as a model of what the recreation and business communities can accomplish together,” said Ane, in the release. Hicks said she’s excited to set an example and demonstrate a successful community partnership model. “We are beaming with excitement to be able to share our journey alongside our municipality, and lead the way in showing other municipalities that great things can occur when you work and build together by leveraging each other’s strengths for the good of the community,” said Hicks.