Return of a County Kid Part II

Trevor Crowe (right) concentrating. The lookalike beside him is Troy Crowe.

this blog is contributed by Janet Davies

In Part I of The Tale of Trevor Crowe, we told how getting laid off by Big Industry spurred TC to start a video production company. Here’s why he brought that company home to the County.

“When I came down to the County again, I was amazed at what’s happened since I left. Seriously! Maybe everybody else knew but I didn’t. At the  EDO’s Creative Minds meetings I met lots of  young entrepreneurs who understood that a lot of County business is website-driven. People shop, plan trips and look for services online. County businesspeople get that. I saw opportunity here.”

He moved Crowe Productions from Belleville to The Headland in Picton – a sort of creative incubation space where TV producers Dave & Stacy Hatch rent out space and share facilities. Trevor incubated fast and moved to bigger space at SparkBox, owned by young entrepreneurs Chrissie Poitras and Kyle Topping. “Then we almost bought the Ideal Bike condo property, (outgrown by yet another young biz growing fast) but we realized we’re going to need even more space. So we’ll wait a bit and see what develops.”

“I wish I had more time in the day. I have lots of ideas, and there’s so much opportunity here.” Really? “Oh yes. There’s a huge transition in industry, and Transition = Opportunity. I know the manufacturing world. Small firms handle a lot of the R&D today, and they could easily be based here. Manufacturing goes overseas, which is too bad, but design and prototypes can be done anywhere. I don’t think people realize how easy it is to connect with the rest of the world.” He’s busy,  optimistic, raising a young family in a beautiful place where “everybody knows your name” – and talking global. Stay tuned for Part III of Return of a County Kid. Meanwhile, Trevor tells it himself in a 5-minute film he made soon after coming home. Rural Renaissance

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RETURN OF (ANOTHER) COUNTY KID Part 1

this blog is contributed by Janet Davies

All rural communities are sad to see their young people go away  to find work and experience the world. But here in the County young people are actually moving IN. Or coming home.  I know at least 10 young couples who have CHOSEN to live and work here.  They didn’t come looking for jobs. Most created their own, or started a business, and some are growing fast and employing other young people. Like Crowe Video Productions.

Trevor Crowe is 29, a County farm boy who left to become an engineer and work for Big Industry. He did very well until Big Industry laid him off together with 1,000  co-workers. Job security was out the window, a recession was looming, so Trevor changed direction. “I made videos on the side, mostly for our church,” he told me. “I love helping people tell their stories.” And he was good. His 20-minute documentary “Busy Dying” sold 700 copies locally. He had no job but he had talent, courage and the support of his wife, Rachel. So in Oct. 2008 they went into the videography business, working from home.

“I I started going to business networking meetings in Belleville where I discovered big demand for web videos.” Yes Virginia. The world is changing. Businesses that used to hire sign-painters now hire web designers and video-makers. On a visit back home, Trevor also discovered  exciting things had happened in the County while he had been away. What he saw impressed and surprised him – and inspired him. At a Creative Minds meeting he met a lot of other young entrepreneurs and felt the energy flow. So he took another bold step. He moved Crowe Video Productions to Prince Edward County. He’s coming home, and he’s creating jobs. Read more in Part 2 of Return of a County Kid, to be posted soon. For a taste of a Crowe production watch Closson Chase – the video playing on the screen behind them in this photo.

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Transformation of Place


Prince Edward County once relied mostly on Agriculture for it’s Economic Fortunes. As the world has changed so has Prince Edward County. This 5 minute video made it’s debut at the kick off of the Creative Places and Spaces Conference in Toronto in October 2009.

It was made by county farm boy, now video entrepreneur, Trevor Crowe and is as much his story as the County’s. The video is going to to be showcased again at Creative Cities Conference in Lexington, Kentucky. We think it does a really good job of telling our story.

Watch it and let us know what you think? Is this the kind if place you would like to live in? If it is let us know we would love to talk to you.

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