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'No-show'- by Itéeo A BLAC.K rabbit at Windreach Farin, hani Region paid a visit recently. Aàshburn, was the objeet of attention With Patrick and Jason are respite from Patrick (left) and Jason (riht staff Michelle Schwartz (second as Famiiy Respite Services of -Dur- from Jeft) and Jennifer Adai&~ By Mike Kowalski Durham Region officiais were blasted by councilior Joe Drumm Monday night for not attendinq a meeting to discuss a major in- dustrial park planned for Whitby. A public meeting was held during Mondays planning and development committee meeting to hear proposais from the Region for thîe 185-acre Lynde Shores Business Park. There were no representatives from Durham's planning or economic development depart- ments at the meting "I have to sn;I'm ticked off with these guys said Drumrn, a r nal couneio. r9e worked our butts off on this it's probabiy the biggest blck,,-ôo,î,industrial, subdivision weve seen'in some tie,»said Drumm. 'The Region thiîks so much of it that they decided to stay away.» Durham is seeldng a change in the eisting institutionai zoning to a prestige industrial categy, te allow fr development ote Me-t ai governinent owns the site but as part of an agree- ment announced earlier this year Durham wiii develop and market the industrial Park. However, Whitby must make the appropriate zoning change. Drumni, a member' of, the Regi-on's planni-ng commit.éé, sid hewil raise the matter at a future meeting of. that commit- tee. Councillor Dennid Fox, te asked if a Region representative wiil be k* attendance when the application -neît -cornes before committee. SE PAGE 26 Downtown Whitby: Some1 see a rosy future By Mike Kowaiski if downtown.,Whitby isdying, the problem is flot reflected ini statistics which list the number of new business starta during the past four years. According to figures supplied by AI Kent, vice-chairman of the Downtown Business Improve- ment Area (DBIA), it may be a littie premature to start writing obituaries for downtown Whitby. In 1986 there were 270 businesses located in the DBIA's geographie area, including retail outiets, and services such as banks and professional offices. Since that time there were 191 ONTRI [EIIE [.IEN'1M Party leaders corne to Whitby Ontarlo Premier David Peter- new business starts' combined with 58 closures, bringing the inumber of member businesses ini rthe DBIA te 403. D Within the sanie period the number of people employed ini 1the downtown has grown to, 2e,131 from 1,735. .Kent believes the figures L speak for themselves" and is confident about the downtown's prospects. 'Tmn involved personaliy in the downtown, I've got three. 1businesses here. I wouldn't do so iif I was not optiniistic,» says Kent. Kent says some Whitby resi- detsm not have a true pc ture of what the downtown is al about. "A lot of people don't under- stand what t he downtown is, it's notjust the four corners." To fight. this misconception, the DBA is preparing adirec tory.listing the various types of services and retail outiets found downtown. The brochure will be distributed to homes in Whitby. Kent sy Whitby residents "The oniy thing were missing is a shoe store, eI have just as much or more te offer as the Oshawa Centre.» Kent says the downtewn may have an unfavorable image in some people's minds due te the higher turnover of businesses. 'The probiem we're faced with is the downtown has an easier rentai situation. People who want te try something wiil often set up shop downtown rather than in amali. "Then when- their business fails, we're left with an empty store on the main street.» But Kent says this has become less of a probiem in recent years as the downtown is attracting the type of businesses that wii staY for lyears te come such as the Pearson Lanes developmýent. Kent says the current econo- miecdlimate is hurting everyone, not just downtown merchants. «Generaliy, business is fiat. But considering the boom pears we came through, we were due to have a flattening-out period. If interest rates ease up, things wouid pick up qute nicely.» Dagmar ?eler wishes she could share Kent's optimism, but does not hold out much hope for the downtown's future. Together with her husband Winrich. the Wellers moved their Candidtes surveyed about housin«g nds tive leaderML ke HarrJis il- wuu Ug u oLna opOJOWting areByMike Kowaiski identified by the Ontario Mins- tiv i~dr ikerrswil isigotona od hig Local provincial election candi- try of Housing as an area with a make campaign apperance i He says downtown stores offer dates o V ar e bing asked whether critical shortage of affordable Whitby during the nextwek as wide a selection of producta as more affordable housing is housing,» chairman Barbara Peterson wiil address a lunch those located in shopping mails needed in Durham Region. Black states in a press release. meeting of the Whitby Chamber and personalized service. Candidates in the rieprovi- Since the province piays a of Commerce on Friday, at Hey- «W ave as many parking cial ridings covering Durham major role in providing housn, denshore Pavilion. "paces as the Oshawa Centre. pRj<>1n wilr be subject to a survey the committee wants te know the Harris will aiso speak te a They're not ail in one spot and on housing needs. candidates' position on various chaniber lunch meeting on A.ug. not ail free, but most are free"for The survey is being under- toics, said lack. 21, again at Heydenshore. three hours.» taken by the Durhamn Regional - Lunch be'rins at 11:45 a.m. Kent says downtown shops es toe rmanent Housing diiite questionnare, scbth cn- both days. rickets are $20) for offer «unique" items than cannot Commnittee. dias te theyfe dings chamber members and $25 for always be found in shopping The committee is comprsdOfaas w hether they fee baicnt non-members. malls. pruredof affrdabis housigalissarbasi Ïkesare avallable at the «Every mail in the country is a Dam esns, ch rscandservic human rîght. chaniber office and must ha pr clone of the others, you'll get the rothousing suppotrsddia h e re ome wlea; wih Oshawa, Mark-a- d hffdeoleaehmls;wa chased prior te the avents. For sanie selection in he' Mak citeovixgo oa- a ra te0huigcii" further information oel 68 'pi pPikrigt 4506. isteresad items. cS PG9 Toronto-based furniture business te Whitby aimost three years But since then the Wellers have become dfisllusioned. SEE PAGEi Ctillen----- hotel on hold See page9 Protestors picket picniLc See page 12 ,~ ~, _______