'It brings us into our future': Stouffville to unveil new look after branding project

Not all councillors happy with new logo, Ward 4 Coun. Rick Upton likened it to Disneyworld

Yorkregion.com
March 11, 2021
Simon Martin

The blue and yellow WS logo for Whitchurch Stouffville is set to slowly disappear. Stouffville council endorsed a new logo and branding March 2 that will roll out across the municipality in the coming years.

The new logo has the vein structure of a leaf, split in to six sections with different bright colours.

The logo was well received by the majority of council members.

“It brings us into our future,” Mayor Iain Lovatt said. “I’ve never been a fan of the WS that looks like a swan.”

Lovatt said the new logo is a mosaic of diversity and as the town becomes more diverse, it becomes more beautiful.

Ward 5 Coun. Richard Bartley was wowed by the design.

“I look at the colour and that symbol,” he said. “What comes to mind for me, I’m thinking: ‘Wow, I’m included; I’m welcome; I’m wanted it here.’”

“You have hit right on the nose. This is just perfect,” added Ward 2 Coun. Maurice Smith.

Not every member of council was elated with the new logo. It was simply too flamboyant for Ward 4 Coun. Rick Upton. “I don’t feel like those six colours represent Stouffville in any way,” he said. “It’s Markham, maybe. It’s Disneyworld; it’s something, but it's not the green community of Stouffville.”

Ward 6 Coun. Sue Sherban also said she preferred basic and simple.

As part of the 2019 Capital Budget, town council approved $50,000 to go toward a new branding initiative. Phase 1 of the initiative was completed in December 2019 with a council decision that the municipality be branded as the Town of Stouffville, dropping Whitchurch from the branding of the town. At the time, staff undertook a lengthy public survey on the topic that received 3,247 usable responses. The numbers were largely in favour of the name change.

According to the staff report, 74.5 per cent of respondents preferred changing the name, while 21.7 per cent favoured keeping it as Whitchurch-Stouffville.

There was some public dissent at the time.

“I was disappointed there wasn’t a third option: the Town of Whitchurch,” Fred Robbins said. “I think a lot of people need to be educated more on the history we have in our community as Whitchurch.”

“I’m wondering why was this proposed,” resident Diane Ward said. “We have a name that many are very proud of. Why are we changing it?”

Town staff hired Trajectory Brands as the project consultant to conduct phases 2, 3 and 4.

An online survey was launched at the beginning of October that asked their opinion of the three design concepts, the three draft Pillars, the community characters and the brand story. The survey ran for three weeks with 381 respondents.

The three pillars of the town’s brand are natural fit, creatively minded, and powered by neighbours.

The brand story that was developed as part of the project reads as follows: “Stouffville offers a natural fit for residents, businesses and visitors who value our special fusion of green spaces, rich heritage, community connections and enterprising creativity. Straddling the ecologically sensitive Oak Ridges Moraine, we’re committed to sustainable futures for our urban, suburban and rural communities while being strong stewards of our immense natural assets. Our 15 hamlets are home turf to creatively minded sparks in business, culture and society. We’re all neighbours here ... committed to growing as a inclusive locale that embraces diversity and runs on the kind of positive energy that welcomes and supports families and communities of all types. We are powered by neighbours ... Stouffville.”

Lovatt was proud of the brand story that was developed. “It nails who we think Stouffville is going to be,” he said.

Town communications director Glenn Jackson said the new logo is being rolled out over a fairly long period to reduce costs. “We have a number of things changing and the vast majority of them do not cost anything,” he said.