A New Brand for Chester?

A few years ago, Roger Brooks, an expert in the fields of tourism and destination marketing, was hired by Tourism Nova Scotia to do an assessment of the communities along the Bluenose Coast, from Peggy's Cove to Bridgewater. A Nova Scotia firm was engaged to implement some of his recommendations, such as way-finding signage, maps and brochures.

In 2015, this same firm was the choice of the Municipality of the District of Chester to develop a brand, image and implementation strategy for the municipality. The first options presented bore a remarkable resemblance to the suggestions made by Roger Brooks and did not capture the uniqueness of our large and diverse community. Subsequent options incorporated land and sea but the use of clip art graphics, in my opinion, failed to reflect the creative spirit of so many people in our communities and their fine artisanal and artistic talents.

What really bothers me is Council and the selection team gave the $24,000 fee to someone who, until the pushback from the populace, didn't have to come up with a concept, who didn't have to consult extensively with the stakeholders about who we are and what we represent, and who probably already has a 'treasure chest' full of promotional photos from previous work for Bluenose Coast. And, Council has fully endorsed this expenditure of our money, because they were elected to make decisions on our behalf.

On May 27, we were told the new graphic will not replace the existing crest - it will be used to promote and represent our municipality to the global community - all the more reason to present ourselves as having some sophistication!

We have been given the option to select one of two logos selected by Council. This is not a plebiscite, mind you. Council will make the decision. I have not voted, nor will I. This is not apathy on my part. I have chosen not to engage and I will not substantiate Council's poor choice for our community by casting my ballot. I will be voting in October, though.

Nancy E. Hatch

Chester, Nova Scotia