Aurora Strategic Plan, Plant The Innovation Seed, Promote Business Growth

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Aurora Strategic Plan, Plant The Innovation Seed, Promote Business Growth

Nov 4, 2011
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Aurora, Community, Culture, Inventions, Solutions, Technology, Town of Aurora
4 Comments
Aurora Strategic Plan for 2031 is a very nice concept. I think it is really good to plan for the future or to have long term goals. However, I just hope that we do not go under the spell of writing this great list of things to do and never achieve them.

Mural, Wellington Street


What I have seen for now, the Aurora Strategic Plan is just a shell design, no substance yet. String of words do sound very flowery for now, but will they bloom like that 20 years from now in 2031. My suggestion – have few solid ideas and keep them simple.

It is nice to see that Town of Aurora is getting local public involved. Since this is a strategic plan, I think information should be conveyed in the same manner. I don’t need to see draft material. Current draft presented is a typical process outline. Do we need to see this? I don’t know, seems incomplete and not professional. Even the forums are not taken seriously by the residents.

I don’t know may be I just have different or odd way of thinking, but I don’t understand why do we need separate website just for the strategic plan. It should have been part of the current Aurora site. It is nice that communication department is trying to communicate every detail but why spend extra taxpayers money on such. Why are we branding the Aurora Strategic Plan? I cannot see the purpose.

If the Aurora Strategic Plan team thinks that more and complicated is better, boy they are wrong. Even websites need to be strategically planned to convey the information.

Mural, Wellington Street


The Aurora Strategic Plan execution gives me something to think about though. So once in the blue moon I will be presenting some ideas I have.

Well, 20 years is lot of years. In 20 years you can get nice grown tree, therefore, this may be the time to plant the seeds. I am not really talking about growing real trees here, but this will be a topic of mine later because we definitely need more shade trees.

We need to plant the innovation seed. We need the schools, businesses and town to be involved in more scientific and engineering fields. Let me explain as simple as possible.

Mural, Canada Arm, Wellington Street


Science and engineering fairs sponsored by the local businesses and the Town of Aurora for the Aurora schools.

Sometimes we underestimate young minds and little initiation for innovation from businesses would help to surface some great ideas students may have and give economic benefit to everyone.

This is my train of thoughts.

  • Town of Aurora and local businesses together collaborate and organizes annual science and engineering fair.
  • Students from Aurora schools pick a business to work with.
  • A project idea is assigned to student(s) by the business.
  • End result new product, enhanced product, efficient process etc – project ideas can be endless.
  • Participating students are rewarded for their accomplishments.
  • Since the business provides all the tools for the student(s) to work with, business owns the idea.
  • If the idea is sound, then it is implemented.
  • Business grows. Student(s) may have future summer jobs or full time jobs with that company.
  • Business grows, Town of Aurora is happy.

    • There is no restrictions, Town of Aurora can participate with their projects too.

    I think these are self explanatory steps to drive more business or business growth. We need business that will stay. I was driving on the Industrial Parkway the other day and there are just too many signs for lease. Just too many buildings empty.

    So I thought I will present one of my crazy ideas to push the business growth forward. I like long therm growth and this process may be something good to start today.

    Mural, Wellington Street


    This may also be good for students and their future. Start early introduction to real work, keep them out of trouble. Kids always look for challenge why not give them more.

    We do it with art, why not do the same with the science. Something to think about.

    Mural, Wellington Street


    About the Author

    Anna Lozyk Romeo

    I am living in Aurora and this is my photo journal blog. A picture says 1000 words - but not always, so I write. You don't have to travel 1000 miles to find a treasure - all I have to do is zoom through my lens and I will find it for you here in Aurora.

    Comments:

    1. Christopher Watts said:
      November 5, 2011 at 12:07

      Anna,

      I agree with what you have laid out, and will forward it to some of the councillors that are on the steering committee for the Strategic Plan.

      I share the same reservations, and from sitting in on one of these meetings I can confirm the lack of engagement is frightening.

      When you compare the bungling the town of Aurora has done to what they are doing in King : http://sustainableking.com/

      It’s amazing that they were able to get 100 people out, have food and prizes, activities and gather valuable feedback, most likely for less than the $75,000 Aurora council has spent on the consultants it has hired for our Strategic Plan, who so far have held few meetings, none of them well attended, none of them with any engagement and still no vision statement.

      On one hand it’s sad that we incur such an expense for a job that staff could do, but is spared from due to the guise of “impartiality” yet on the other I’m not convinced that the feeble communications department at the town could do much better.

      I hope that there are some concilors that step up to the plate with this and prevent it from becoming the disaster the 2006 plan was.

    2. Anna Lozyk Romeo said:
      November 9, 2011 at 00:19

      Hi Chris, thank you sharing your thoughts and glad to hear that we are on the same side.
      I am little disappointed with the current outcome, but I am sure that your inputs and suggestions will keep the plan going.
      I believe in the long term change, and we want to have results in 20 years we must act now.
      I think King had the right idea. Aurora should have done the same little more strategically too,
      we walk, we shop, we live, some of us work, we enjoy Aurora, the input should be ours.
      Thanks again,
      Anna :)

    3. Marvin said:
      November 9, 2011 at 00:22

      Wow, surprising that Aurora (between Newmarket and Richmond Hill, right?) has so many empty storefronts. It seemed that all of Toronto was still going gangbusters in April when I was there.

      I think it’s a good idea to co-opt students to intern at area businesses. The question would be, would the students regard this just as a “show up and get credit” kind of thing, or would they actually be motivated to invest time and creativity in the business. I know what the answer would be in the US ;-) but maybe it would work better in your area.

    4. Anna Lozyk Romeo said:
      November 9, 2011 at 00:44

      Hey Marvin, you seems to know a lot about my area, lol.
      I think it is good idea because I did my engineering thesis like that in university and it worked.
      I have no idea if the company ever build the real size drill rig from our prototype, lol, but some other students had guaranteed jobs and excellent results.
      This is just going one level down, to high school. Kids are smart, we underestimate them.
      I know what you mean for the credit, but if you get many students involved,
      statistically there should be some kind of result. And if not then it will keep them busy,
      and prepared for the future.
      Thanks for dropping by Aurora again.
      Anna :)