Main Street Manuals
These handbooks detail the main street process and project communities’ experiences through case studies and practical tips compiled in 1998. We welcome comments and contributions of new material. Program manuals are also available in printed versions.
The links below provide both complete PDF versions of the printed documents and excerpts that are easier to scan and download. Please note that some of these files are quite large.
Program Manual
- Complete document
- Program overview
- Main Street process
- Community eligibility criteria
- Application process
- Community agreements
- Funding policies and guidelines
- Eligibility criteria for building rehabilitation projects
- Role of the Main Street Coordinator
- Role of the Main Street Advisory Board
- Role of the Standing Committees
- Building rehabilitation process
Coordinator Manual
- Complete document
- Organization: the Resource Team Report
- Organization: Wrap-up workshops and report
- Design section
- Marketing: Plaques
- Marketing: Business directories
- Economic Development section
Coordinator Manual Appendices
- Complete document
- Insurance and liability
- Project bylaws: Drumheller example
- Ensuring building owners understand the rehabilitation process
- Tracking rehabilitation project costs
- Project binder components
- Project public notices and advertisements
- Tips on interviews and dealing with the media
- Annual report format
- Annual report examples (old): Inglewood; Ponoka
- Project recapitulation report: Vermilion example
- Organizing project Kick-Off events
- Resource Team Session guidelines
- Project Wrap-Up overview
- Business Revitalization Zones (BRZs)
- Sample surveys
- Contracts and letters of agreement, including:
Design Guidelines Template
- Complete document
- The historic district and its character
- Variety of architectural styles on main street
- Character-defining materials and features
- Rehabilitation project planning
- General standards for heritage building conservation
- Signs
- Facade accessories (complete section) includes:
- Materials, including:
- New construction in the historic area
- Glossary
Signs Manual
- Complete document
- Historical perspective on main street signs
- Fundamentals of effective sign design
- Guidelines by sign type
- Step-by-step guide to designing effective signs
School Manual
Case Studies Manual
- Complete document
- Organization
- Design
- Algar Building rehabilitation, Ponoka
- Brass and Davies Block rehabilitation, Nanton
- CPR Caboose rehabilitation, North Railway Exchange
- Capitol Theatre rehabilitation, Ponoka
- Community Rest Room rehabilitation, Ponoka
- Design Guidelines Template adaptation, Ponoka
- Douglas Meats building rehabilitation, North Railway Exchange
- Happy’s Family Restaurant and Whistle Stop Café enhancements, North Railway Exchange
- McWilliams and Long Building restoration, Vermilion
- Meat Market enhancement, Ponoka
- Marketing
- Economic Development
The program manuals are a compilation of project community experience.