>NRP, MTO conduct truck inspections in Grimsby, multiple charges laid, Pg 3 > High water levels effect GAMRU season Pg. 5 > Two dates left for Grimsby walking tours Pg. 8 > Downtown merchants need you Pg. 10 Thursday, August 3, 2017 Vol. 6 Issue 13
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Downtown Grimsby suffers fire hangover On-street parking open regularly By Mike Williscraft NewsNow Anyone who is a regular visitor to downtown Grimsby will know the great feeling achieved when you find a parking spot right in front of the shop you are about to visit. Regulars will have noticed a difference in recent weeks as onstreet parking is much easier these days. Bryan Macaulay, one of Main Street’s longest serving merchants setting up shop with his Village Studio in 1993, has seen downtown at its best and worst over the years. “You just have to look out at the street at any time of day, every day. It is not uncommon right now to see 10 or more spots open for some length of time,” said Macaulay. “That is the first indicator. I am sure the Farmers Market getting pushed down the street will have impacted some more than others, but this goes far beyond that. This is a daily issue.” The issue Macaulay
speaks of is the partial Main Street road closure which has been in place since the July 6 fire, which claimed four businesses and an apartment on its way to causing $2 millionplus in damages. Mary Jo Clements is at the opposite end of the retailer scale with her practically “new born” store The Happy Baby, which opened in December 2015. Clements, too, has felt similar foot traffic reductions. “While the loss of the market and festivals certainly has a significant role, I agree that it’s definitely the overall loss of traffic downtown due to the road closer and perceived inconvenience of coming downtown that’s hitting us the hardest,” said Clements. “Traffic is down everyday not just market days, and that has a direct impact on sales as I can’t sell to people who aren’t here. Small businesses can be made or broken on very small numbers and even a few hundred dollars difference See CLOSE, Page 2
Let there be light
Volunteer Brodie Down affixes a price tag to a light fixture at the newly opened Habitat For Humanity ReStore, located at 185 South Service Road, Grimsby. For full details, please turn to Page 6. Williscraft - Photo