Wingham Business Improvement Area

The Wingham Business Improvement Area (BIA) held their 2026 Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Thursday, February 19 in the lounge at the Columbus Centre.

Chair, Dave Tiffin, welcomed members and guests. The 2025 AGM minutes were passed as written and Tiffin reviewed the achievements of the BIA over the past year. These included:

1. BIA Bucks community cash program going online.  Orders taken electronically and businesses reimbursed through e-transfer. Libro Credit Union is a great partner in this.
2. Installation of 2^nd LED sign, by the former train station began and will be completed in 2026
3. Hydro and supports added to street lights north of train station to allow for snowflake lights and flags/banners.
4. Financial support the July 1^st fireworks and bringing the marching band in for the Lions Santa Claus parade
5. Ongoing Curb Appeal projects along Josephine St. It was noted that 14 projects, of various sizes, were completed in 2025.
6. Initiated paid advertising on the LED sign by Tim Hortons. Ads placed will also appear on the 2nd sign to be installed.

Doug Kuyvenhoven, Treasurer and lead on the Curb Appeal projects, showed several before and after pictures of the work completed along Josephine St to make it “the best looking business area in the county”.

Kuyvenhoven then reviewed the 2025 financial statements and presented the 2026 budget. Both were passed unanimously.

The goals of the BIA for 2026 were outlined by Chair Tiffin. These include:

1. Continued Curb Appeal work throughout the year.
2. Try to work with businesses for efficient, cost effective recycling after the provincially mandated changes as of Jan. 1/26.
3. Install snow flake lights and flag/banners north of train tracks from Works Dept to Riverview restaurant.
4. Develop a security camera program with businesses that links to OPP Camsafe.
   • BIA to subsidize security camera installation for Josephine St coverage
5. Develop a tourism website for Wingham and surrounding area and promote Town Hall Theatre. The BIA sees tourism promotion as lacking in North Huron.
6. Complete the installation of second LED light by former train station.

Each year the BIA also recognizes certain achievements of the past year. These may include new businesses opened the previous year, civic improvement, volunteer(s) of the year and life achievements. This year the certificates went to:

Lifetime Achievement Award:

1. Charlotte Kikkert & Alecia Dietner – The 2 Step
2. Mark Foxton & Lisa Hearnden – Foxton Fuels Limited.

Volunteer of the Year:

1. Tharon Riley

New Businesses:

1. Agilec
2. Melanie’s Oasis
3. Echoes of Glow
4. The Q Fish and Chips
5. Tito’s Pizza & Wings

The goal of a BIA is to make the main business core as attractive as possible to the businesses and patrons alike. After this fall’s municipal elections the BIA Board needs to be re-elected. The composition is between 5-8 members plus a North Huron council representative. There can be a maximum of 2 Associate Members on the Board. An associate is a paid member business that is outside the main business core. For any questions related to the Wingham BIA you can email chair@winghambia.ca

The pictures below, courtesy of Cory Bilyea Wingham, Advance Times show presentation of the financials, lifetime achievement recipients Mark Foxton & Lisa Hearnden, new business owner Doug Borowski and volunteer Tharon Riley.

  Congratulations to our Wingham Winter Wonderland Winners! 🎉
1️⃣ $1,000 in BIA Bucks – Katelyn Hastings
2️⃣ $500 in BIA Bucks – Gwyn Hall
3️⃣ $250 in BIA Bucks – Sam Hewitt
4️⃣ $150 in BIA Bucks – Lorraine Poulin
5️⃣ $100 in BIA Bucks – Willow Curtis
A huge thank-you to Christine’s Clothes Closet along with other Wingham retailers for helping make this a wonderful Christmas promotion ❤️
And most importantly, thank YOU for shopping local and supporting our community! 🎁🌟BIA Bucks keep shopping dollars in the Wingham business community.

The Christmas season is in full swing in Wingham. On Nov. 14 the lights in Cruickshank Park were turned on, music is on the streets and earlier this week volunteers placed the Christmas greenery and bows in the business flower boxes. Thanks to all involved in bringing the spirit of the season to Wingham. REMEMBER: BIA Bucks are on sale at a 10% discount until Dec. 24 and can be purchased online at https://winghambia.ca/bia-bucks/ These coupons keep shopping local and support our businesses.

On Thursday, Sept. 18 members of the Vance Committee were honoured to participate in the ribbon cutting at the refurbished tennis and pickle ball courts in Wingham. This project was initiated by a grant request to the Vance Fund and with North Huron’s assistance the work was completed this summer. The courts look great in the Madill school colours. In the photo are Lions Club President, Bert Askes, committee members Carol Philips and Lisa Hearnden, Wingham BIA Chair Dave Tiffin, North Huron Reeve Paul Heffer, North Huron Asset Management Coordinator Francene Frances, North Huron CAO Nelson Santos, tennis and pickle ball members Karen Ruttan and Rob Hutichson.

The Vance Fund provides annual funding to recreational, educational, medical and Christian churches from the annual growth in the fund created by Leland and Thora Vance and managed by the Waterloo Foundation.

On Thursday, Feb. 20/25, the Wingham Business Improvement Area (BIA) held their 2025 Annual General Meeting in the lounge at the Wingham Columbus Centre.

Chair Dave Tiffin called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Tiffin reviewed the minutes of the 2024 AGM which were passed without change. Tiffin then gave a report of BIA activities in 2024. Doug Kuyvenhoven presented a slide show of work done by the Curb Appeal subcommittee of the BIA. This report can be viewed below.

The Treasurer presented the 2024 financial statements which were passed and then moved on to the proposed budget for 2025. The budget was passed, without change, after a few questions were answered.

North Huron Council rep to the BIA, Mitch Wright, then gave an update from Council. Chair Tiffin then outlined the goals of the Wingham BIA for 2025, which is available below.

The BIA awards certificates for certain achievements annually. This year recipients of the Civic Improvement certificate were Stapleton Interiors for accessibility work done on their business entrance, and to Frosty Queen for the upgrades done on their facade. Two new businesses in 2024 were also recognized – The Candy Corner and I Want That Bag. Finally, the volunteer of the year went to Joe & Heidi Carter for their work on leading the 2024 Homecoming event and for also taking on the leadership of the Festival of Lanterns event held each October.

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Wingham BIA Completed Initiatives of 2024

1. The Curb Appeal subcommittee under direction of Doug Kuyvenhoven performed the usual maintenance along Josephine St of clearing weeds and painting touch ups on a regular basis.
   1. Major project was the painting of the fire hydrants, not only on Josephine St, but townwide.  We have a terrific group of volunteers.
   1. Looked after ordering and installing the flower boxes at businesses along Josephine St.
2. Refurbished the 2 Welcome to Wingham signs at each end of town.
3. Transformed Wingham BIA Bucks into an online purchasing format.  Continue to work with Libro on distribution and redemption of coupons and the new process is working well.
   • Program has been very successful and keeps shopping dollars in Wingham.
     • Have had other communities show interest into how our program works.
4. We continue to see ongoing demand for postings on the LED sign by Tim Hortons.  Have also had requests from other centres as to how this project was planned and completed.
5. Chair and Treasurer attended the Ontario BIA conference in Mississauga in April.
   • We don’t attend every year, but a good resource periodically.
6. Assisted the Alice Munro Library financially with a display case honouring Ms. Munro’s achievements. 
7. The new benches along Josephine St. were installed early in the year.  Very positive feedback received.
8. Proposed to Council in 2023 that the section of the park between Patrick and John St by the splashpad be renamed Vance Park in honour of Leland and Thora Vance for their generous, ongoing donation to the town. 
   1. Although not in the BIA core we feel the Vance’s should be recognized for their contribution to the business community and Wingham overall
   . This is a work in progress determining signage etc.
9. Continued to support the Lions Club Santa Claus parade by paying the insurance costs and bringing in the Seaforth marching band.  Also paid insurance for July 1^st fireworks.
10. We had hoped to have oversight of the Town Hall Theatre, and promote Wingham, but that has gone a different direction and a 3^rd party agreement is still in process.
11. Our plan for video surveillance along Josephine St was not met with open arms by some senior town staff, but is still in the works.

     In closing I’d like to thank the Board for their work throughout the year.  Wingham BIA Board is totally volunteer with no paid staff.  We are in the approximate 10% of Ontario BIAs that are all volunteer.

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Wingham BIA 2025 Goals

• Installation of hydro and banner holders on poles north of the train station.  This will allow for hanging of Christmas lights and banners to the north end of the BIA area.
• Continue the scheduled roundtable calls with other HC BIAs and HC Ec Dev for information sharing.  Also attend OBIAA zoom calls on Tuesdays when possible.
  • OBIAA calls have been good source of information
  • Will keep notices of programs and training on the BIA FB page.
• Curb appeal projects will be ongoing under direction of Doug Kuyvenhoven
• Continue work with staff on installing video surveillance cameras.
• Work with municipality on efficient charging stations for Wingham in a beneficial location.
• Hope to work closely with Theatre 3^rd party manager to see more quality shows at the theatre, bringing people from out of town to our business area.
  • Ties in with plans to increase tourism locally.
• Want to see more initiatives on promoting Wingham as a tourist stop through Theatre performances, Driftscape software application, efficient charging stations.

Wingham BIA Bucks (formerly Community Cash) can now be purchased online

Any business or individual can purchase BIA Bucks. Each booklet contains $200 of BIA Bucks in a mix of $20s and $10s. BIA Bucks are great for gift certificates as they aren’t limited to any particular store or business.

To purchase booklet(s) of BIA Bucks a person or business simply needs to go to https://winghambia.ca/bia-bucks/ and fill in and submit the order form on that page.

They will receive a confirmation email instructing them to pay for their BIA Bucks order by sending an eTransfer to biabucks@winghambia.ca

Once payment has been made, they will receive an email instructing them to pick up their BIA Bucks at the Libro Credit Union in Wingham.

The receptionist at the Libro Credit Union will ask the individual picking up the BIA Bucks to provide a photo ID and once confirmed will give them the booklet(s) of BIA Bucks that they purchased.

The BIA Bucks program is great for local businesses. There was over $14,000 of BIA Bucks purchased in 2023. That $14,000 can only be spent in Wingham with BIA member businesses thereby driving business to your doors.

Feel free to email chair@winghambia.ca if you have any questions about the BIA Bucks program.

The Leland and Thora Vance Fund, held at Waterloo Region Community Foundation (WRCF), is open for applications and will close on September 30, 2024 at 9am EST. Approximately $220,000 will be distributed this year to support capital projects at eligible organizations that are located in and serve Wingham residents. This is for recreation and christian churches. The education and medical portions have been allocated.

Information to assist you in your application is located here – https://www.wrcf.ca/vancefund (Including PDF’s of the Funding Guidelines, Application, Evaluation form, and a sample budget template you can use.)

Many of the questions are like the ones we’ve answered in previous years, so if you’ve applied before and would like a PDF copy of your application – we would be happy to provide it to make the process a bit easier for you.

If you want to discuss a potential project/initiative, or need any support in applying – please feel free to reach out to me via email blessing@wrcf.ca phone number below, and I would be happy to assist you.

Blessing Akpan
Director, Community Impact
Waterloo Region Community Foundation
(519) 725-1806 x 206

The Wingham Homecoming is rapidly approaching. The final schedule of events are now available here in PDF format and can be downloaded or printed. Downloading is recommended rather than Preview.

Wishing everyone a happy and safe Homecoming 2024.

One of the Wingham BIA projects for 2024 is the setup of internet wifi connectivity along the main business core of Josephine St. This was passed at the Annual General Meeting in February 2024.

Reasoning for this is to make internet access quick and easy for visitors to Wingham who want to see what the town has to offer – businesses, restaurants, historical sites, things to do. Some plans are still in their infancy, but the hardware is being tested.

Some concerns have been raised about people sitting along Josephine St and staying on free wifi all day, possibly tying up parking spots. The BIA Board is planning on restricting the internet access so that things like streaming videos won’t be allowed. Time restrictions online will also be implemented. As for parking, if a vehicle is habitually taking up a parking spot, contact Wingham Town Hall and submit a complaint through their website at https://www.northhuron.ca/en/municipal-government/report-a-concern.aspx

The article below is posted with the permission of the Wingham Advance Times. We appreciate them allowing us to post this to our website and also thank A-T reporter Cory Bilyea for reporting our position.