Increasing the population of St. Stephen is one of the important mandates of Future St. Stephen. Why? Because the community needs to grow. According to 2016 census, St. Stephen shrunk by close to 400 people over the previous 4 years. That was the common theme in New Brunswick, so we are not alone. However if we simply accept that, then things like the recreational facilities we have, the desire for more infrastructure improvements, more amenities for us to enjoy – they simply will not happen because tax dollars collected by the Town will shrink; retail dollars will shrink and stores will close; restaurants will not be as successful as they need to be. So the community decided to reverse that trend and I believe it is working. We have many new residents and more expressing an interest in our area.
There is a very active marketing program underway to attract folks to move here in retirement or for entrepreneurial interests. We have a lot to offer. But how do we make sure it continues? One important way is to let them know who we are – a friendly community that is comfortable with diversity; a community that wants and needs new residents. Our Marketing program has gathered a lot of interest with videos and newsletters being regularly sent out to those interested. What if they were to receive a friendly phone call or email from someone who lives here? Not a high pressure sales job, but just an acknowledgement of their interest in St. Stephen and whether they need any more information that we can provide. We need your help. Our Marketing company can provide all of the background info and how we should make those calls, but we need volunteers to actually make them. Perhaps it is just a single contact or maybe it becomes a new lifelong friend. Imagine if you had an interest in moving to a certain place and you got that call. Would it not set us apart from the others – as it should. Our videos are attracting attention because they are unscripted, true stories shared by real people, not actors. That is what we need from the personal contacts.
If you are interested in helping out, please contact me at the email address below.
New to Town: Chase the Ace – A great fundraiser for a great organization – Fundy Region Transition House. Thanks to everyone for all the support. A great boost to our community with lots of people getting out socializing, spending money in local businesses, and bringing in busloads of people from outside the community. Thanks to Dooleys for being the focal point.
Andrea and Dwayne McCaffrey are the new owners of Mayfield Gardens and wish to continue with customer service as their top focus. They will be bringing in some new products so make sure you get out to see them – now open. Good luck and happy gardening.