Chichester, a Roman town on Britain’s south coast

Chris Potter
On the Go

HUB OF ACTIVITY: Chichester’s Market Cross and pedestrian area with the cathedral spire in the background. Photo by C.F.B. Potter.

England’s small city of Chichester, the county town of West Sussex, incorporates many small villages and natural harbours within its jurisdiction.

Keen sailors will likely be aware of The Solent, a challenging stretch of water separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland, its eastern arm reaching into a number of complex shelters under the auspices of Chichester Harbour, designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (one of 15 in the UK).

The area is a haven for sailors, birders, indeed anyone who enjoys the outdoors, as well as those interested in history. Settlements existed here long before history was recorded, but it was the Romans who built Chichester, following their 1st-century occupation, and remains of their splendid palaces can be seen at nearby Fishbourne and Bignor.

As a youngster I worked in a Chichester store, and well remember the mixed reaction when a worker, digging the foundations for an extension, struck a piece of Roman mosaic floor. Fortunately for history buffs, the excavator was something of an amateur archaeologist. Unfortunately for the store owners and building contractors, his discovery brought the project to a grinding halt while museum personnel prepared the entire floor (almost 2,000 years old, beautiful to look at, and relatively undamaged) for removal to London.

I revisited the town in May, and was pleased to find it has kept its “small city” feel and elegant Georgian architecture while achieving a lively buzz (that I don’t recall existing before) through its trendy restaurants, bars, and stores.

The ancient market cross marking the meeting point of North, South, East, and West streets is now surrounded by a pedestrian zone, all the better to appreciate the tall-spired, 11th-century Gothic cathedral set in inviting grounds adjacent to the Bishop’s Palace. The cathedral is renowned for its collection of 20th-century paintings and glass, including a window by Marc Chagall. And would those clerics of times past be shocked, or filled with envy, to see their Cloisters and gardens transformed into a lively, licensed café? (Check www.chichesterweb.co.uk for more places to eat and things to do, including the Chichester Festival Theatre, where top-name actors appear in a variety of performances.)

The town boasts a couple of worthy hotels, including The Ship Hotel, an 18th-century building within the old City Walls (www.shiphotelchichester.co.uk), and The Vestry, an 11-room boutique property (www.the-vestry.com). But the best places for corporate retreats or reunions lie outside the city limits, such as The Millstream at Bosham (within Chichester Harbour boundaries) a small hotel with a big local

reputation for fine dining (www.millstream-hotel.co.uk); Poplars Farm (www.poplarsfarmhouse.co.uk), a tastefully refurbished 17th-century complex of three self-catering units sleeping eight, six, and four respectively (sharing bathrooms), whose Play Barn and collection of animals makes it also ideal for families and reunions; and the upscale Goodwood Park Hotel (www. thegoodwoodparkhotel.co.uk), part of a 12,000-acre estate encompassing two 18-hole golf courses, and adjacent to the Goodwood racetrack (thoroughbreds) and motor racing. (Links to Goodwood’s schedule of events, and more information about the area, can be found on www.visitbritain.ca.) CP

First international public transit agreement a success

BY CHERYL VIGH The Business Executive

PARTNERS: (l. to r.) Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART), Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) and Transit Windsor (TW) buses are working to provide international public transportation.  

WINDSOR-DETROIT — Whether their reasons are leisure, business or work, residents in Windsor can now utilize public transit to reach their destination in Michigan.

Following the success of a six-month pilot project, the seamless process of a single transfer system between Transit Windsor, and Michigan’s DDOT and SMART bus services will continue for passengers traveling between the border cities. In the past, people traveling between the two countries could not use transfers between the different systems.

“Because we are so connected as two cities it’s extremely necessary to provide this type of service to travel from one city to another,” says Patrick Delmore, director of operations for Transit Windsor. Passengers pay $3 for one fare and request a transfer slip when boarding the first transit bus to continue their travel on participating transit systems.

Through an international transit agreement, Transit Windsor tunnel bus travels into Detroit’s downtown core enabling passengers to connect with the main routes on DDOT and SMART bus lines. DDOT, which stands for the Detroit Department of Transportation travels within Detroit city limits and SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation) travels to suburban communities outside of the city.

Delmore says the link was never a thought until the transit companies had to work together in preparation of Detroit hosting Super Bowl XL in February 2006.

“Super Bowl was the first time we were brought together to communicate. After Super Bowl we sat down to consider what we could do to work together,” says Delmore. The challenge, he adds, is in dealing with an international border crossing. However, there is a system in place to ensure efficient travel. For example, a transit bus is not delayed if there is an issue with one passenger on board. The passenger is removed from the bus and it continues through. There is also a dedicated bus lane at the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel for entry into the U.S.

“We’re always working with Canada and the U.S. to make the system better,” says Delmore.

About 40 passengers per week are utilizing the transfer exchange. With the decision to continue the program, a marketing campaign will attempt to increase passenger use. Delmore says there are numerous opportunities. For example, a large number of Windsor residents take classes at Wayne State University in Detroit.

“Now we need to start educating tourists and other residents that maybe wouldn’t think of using public transit,” he says. Annually, the tunnel bus shuttles about 250,000 passengers to Detroit for sporting events, festivals and concerts and this new agreement will diversify the purpose of cross-border travel for Windsor’s transit system.

“We will increase our revenue for a bus that’s already going there and it’s better for the environment,” says Delmore.

The first international transit agreement of its kind is gaining recognition. In June, the Canadian Urban Transit Association presented Transit Windsor with a corporate recognition award for innovation in the transit industry. Other transit systems in Canada and the U.S. have inquired about this transfer exchange initiative.

“This is public transit being able to provide the service to make that connection to provide a destination to two cities,” says Delmore. TBE

Niagara succeeds on global stage

THOROLD — The Niagara Economic Development Corporation (NEDC) held its Annual General Meeting & Niagara Presidents Forum at the Quality Hotel Parkway Convention Centre on Wednesday May 30, 2007.

Over 190 business owners, political leaders, and community partners attended the luncheon event. They heard details about the international successes of three local companies. Denis Dyack, President, Silicon Knights Inc., St. Catharines, Tony Rodway, President, aero-safe technologies inc., Fort Erie, and Dennis Parass, President of Handling Specialty Mfg. Ltd., Grimsby spoke to the theme “How Niagara Competes and Succeeds Internationally,” as part of the first ever Niagara President’s Forum.

“The Niagara economy is going through a transformation, similar to what many other regions are experiencing around the world,” notes Peter Partington, Chairman of the Niagara Region. “The presentations highlighted today are excellent examples of local companies that are competing and thriving in the global marketplace with the right product and entrepreneurial business leadership.”

The NEDC also released its 2006 Annual Report, which summarized activities and achievements, and profiled community partners dedicated to the future prosperity of the Niagara region.

Tourism spending tops half billion dollars

LONDON — London’s hospitality industry had an outstanding 2006 according to a recent report by the Canadian Tourism Research Institute (CTRI), a division of the Conference Board of Canada. The report indicates that tourism spending in London hit a record $505.0 million dollars in 2006, an increase of $26.9 million or 5.6 percent over 2005. The report also shows that London was host to more that 1.5 million visitors in 2006, up more than 48,000 from a year earlier. The CTRI study shows that U.S. visitors to London actually dropped by 3.1 percent but this decrease was more than offset by increases of visitors from other parts of Canada, which increased by 4.0 percent and by International visitors that grew by 9.0 percent.

This increase in visitor spending was impressively reflected in London’s hotel revenue, which grew by 6.3 percent to $78.0 million dollars and spending in restaurants, which grew by 5.4 percent to $78.1 million. Visitor spending in retail stores was measured at $102.8 million, an increase of 4.0 percent over 2005.

The purpose of the study was to measure the impact of tourism spending in London during 2006.

PROMOTING TOURISM: (l. to r.) Frank Vismeg, Managing Director of Hilton Garden Inns and Hampton Inn by Hilton, John Winston, General Manager Tourism London, Stacy King, Manager and Lorrie Ball, Guest Services Supervisor of Hampton Inn by Hilton, London.

Export Trends & Tips for small business

Getting into India at the ground level

BY TOBY HERSCOVITCH Export Development Canada

Infrastructure is the first frontier where a country’s growth and development are most evident — whether it’s better roads, more power plants, new modes of transportation, or the bustle of new construction. For India, growing economically at an average of eight percent annually, economists, businesses and media are proclaiming that the country needs more infrastructure investment to sustain this pace.

Who better than Canadian companies to pitch in? Many are world-beaters when it comes to infrastructure development, whether in engineering and construction, telecommunications, power or waste and water management. This includes many medium-sized or smaller enterprises, which can play a direct role in India or an indirect one by supplying the mega firms.

The Indian government already has an ambitious plan to spend USD 150 billion over five years (since 2006) to develop world-class infrastructure — $75 billion in the power sector, $25 billion in telecom and $50 billion in airports, seaports and roads.

Where are the opportunities?

Opportunities abound in transportation, urban transit, airports and ports, power, water management and telecom.

The projects involved offer a mix of opportunities for engineering, construction, machinery and equipment, aerospace, automotive and maintenance suppliers. One hundred percent foreign direct investment is permitted in most of the projects. All this is good news for Canadian companies and investors.

Furthermore, the keys to success in India may be simpler than you think. For Canadian investors and suppliers, research has shown that two attributes are vital: the ability to develop long-term relationships in India and the confidence to take more risk. A few years ago, the Asia Pacific Foundation did a comprehensive study on perceptions, by 250 Indian decision-makers, of foreign businesses from Canada, the U.S., Australia, Japan, Singapore and the UK.

A full 92 percent of the Indian respondents ranked one attribute as the most important by far to doing business in India —“commitment to developing a long-term relationship.” This speaks volumes to the importance of trust in a business relationship and the time it takes to build it.

Taking calculated risks

The survey also showed that Indians have not, in the past, perceived Canadians to be as entrepreneurial as business people in the U.S. or some other major economies. In other words, it is not enough to have peak skills and technology — more Canadian firms have to take the kind of calculated business risks that demonstrate their dynamism, if they want to compete globally. Canadians don’t have to take on the risks alone. This is where EDC comes in.

In 2005, EDC recognized that much more trade had to take place between Canadian and Indian companies and EDC had to be there 24/7 to help make it happen. It analyzed market growth and its clients‚ capabilities in India and then posted its first permanent representative there, in New
Delhi. This year, EDC is posting a second representative to India, in Mumbai, the commercial capital.

(Toby Herscovitch is senior advisor, Public Affairs, at EDC.)