424OFFICES YOU SeacliffeTO Dr.SERVE E. Unit 100
24 Seacliff Dr. E., #100, Leamington Leamington ON 25 Erie St. S., Wheatley 519-326-9339 410 Main St. E., Unit 5, Kingsville With additional Wheatley, 3063 Walkeroffices Rd., inWindsor Kingsville and Windsor 519-326-9339
157 Talbot St. E. Leamington
519-322-2555
www.petespaint.ca Vol. 10, Issue 32
www.hubinternational.com www.hubontario.com
Wednesday, August 28, 2019
FREE
DR. STEVE
SCHIEFER
LATE NIGHENTTS APPOINTMBL AVAILA TAEILS! CALL FOR DE
24 OAK ST. E. UNIT 3
LEAMINGTON Call to book your eye exam
519-326-8413 Serving
Harness Racing in Leamington
Authentic
Mexican
The pace around the old Leamington Racetrack was fast Sunday afternoon, August 25. It was the fourth week of a 13-week harness racing season for Lakeshore Horse Racing Association, in cooperation with the Leamington District Agricultural Society. Ten races filled the program with purses ranging from $3,800 to $6,000. The top pick of the day, “Bye Bye Daddy” (AT LEFT), proved to be worthy of another first-place finish for the second week in a row, driven by Nick Steward and trained by Michael Carther. (Southpoint Sun Photo)
Cuisine
Pollo
Tacos de Carnitas Barbacoa 1560 Cty Rd 34 RUTHVEN Mon-Sat 9am-9pm
519-325-0100
TRUSTED FOR OVER
25 YEARS
1964 Rd. 3 East, Kingsville
519-326-8551 www.tmurrexteriors.com Windows & Doors • Siding Seamless Eavestroughs Soffit • Fascia • Insulation
Council to receive report on ‘The Big Tomato’ By Bryan Jessop
LEAMINGTON – A decision on the future of what could be Leamington’s most well-known landmark is on the horizon. The municipality’s manager of economic development, tourism and special events James Cox noted that a study on the structural assessment of ‘The Big Tomato’ has been completed and will be presented to council during its regular Tuesday, Sept. 10 meeting. The report on the study as conducted by R.C. Spencer and Associates was received last week and must be presented to council before a decision is made on what to do with the deteriorating landmark. The Big Tomato was shut down as a tourism information booth earlier this year after it was deemed to be unsafe as a site for ambassadors to offer assistance to visitors of the community. The municipality and the Leamington District Chamber of Commerce — owners and operators of the tomatoshaped booth, respectively — agreed that the booth should be closed for safety reasons during a meeting held in May of this year. The fate of the structure will likely depend on the contents of the report from R.C. Spencer. Repairs were made to the Tomato’s roof in the fall of last year to address a leakage problem, but in the spring of 2019, it was discovered that rain had once again caused significant damage. “We have to reshape what we think of as our tourism base,” Leamington
CAO Peter Neufeld said during the meeting in May. “We tried to do repairs last year, but they’re obviously not taking.” Discussions in the spring were based largely on whether the building should be restored and re-opened to continue with its status as a tourist information booth or simply decommissioned and left as a visual symbol of the community’s history. Neufeld and others at the meeting, however, agreed that a detailed report on The Big Tomato’s condition is imperative before a decision is made on what to do with the building, located immediately west of the Leamington Art Centre and east of the Talbot Street West, Fox/Albert Streets intersection. “Good decisions are based on good data,” said Neufeld. “We can’t decide based on our perceptions and emotions.” Cox explained that the report from R.C. Spencer — the same company that formed Leamington’s Downtown Master Plan — is currently being reviewed in order to come up with options for council to consider for its September 10 meeting. Since the Tomato was officially closed in the spring, tourism literature typically provided at its location has been distributed to participating hotels in the area. Those at the meeting in May pointed out that much of the same information can be found online at www.onthe42.com
1 for $60 or 2 for $100
Sept. 2nd
Last day to buy Don’t miss your chance to win!
3245 County Rd. 42, Windsor Opposite the Windsor airport terminal
Crime/Trauma • Mold Catastrophic Events • Water Damage
519.966.6000 Mon-Fri: 7AM-5PM, Sat: 8AM-1PM, Sun: CLOSED
ALL
PROCEEDS SUPPORT