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The Citizen, 1987-11-18, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1987. Lessons learned can help Blyth, Brussels Continued from Page 5 growth. One is the service sector. The hospital, the nursing home, the lawyers, dentists, chiroprac­ tors and accountants mean a good deal of employment. Seaforth has been fighting hard to attract a pants manufacturer, putting out survey to see what number of possible employees might beavailablem the surround­ ing area. But in the end, the hope for immediate employment comes back to main street. Research shows that one third of jobs in the town are already on the main street. If three or four new stores could be recruited and each provide jobs for three or four people, it could create 15 or more jobs, he said. The final step is the most visible action: the redesigning of the buildings and the downtown area. Mr. Lemon has been putting a lot of research into discovering what the buildings used to look like. Seaforth has a tremendous re­ source of historic photographs which show what the buildings looked like before recent moder­ nizations. In the office of the project on the second floor of Seaforth's town hall are a number of sketches made to show building ow ners how attractive their build­ ings would be if they are restored and how to go about it. These designs will be given to the owners and discussed with them but the final decision is up to the owner. In the meantime the initiative in giving the downtown a different look is being taken by the town council. Seaforth recently received a provincial Pride grant of$ 130,000 which must be matched by the town council. The council has committed 5200,000 of the 5260,000 to main street improve­ ments. The first step in restoring the Victorian beauty has already been taken. This Friday will be the official ribbon cutting for the new front porch on the town hall, reconstructed the way it was originally by design work by Chris Borgal from old photographs. But in theend itisthepeople, not the buildings who will determine the success of the program. The challenge, Mr. Lemon says, is the change the way the business community operates. They have been 80 individual businesses and it takes a long time and a lot of effort to build a team spirit. He points to other communities where you can walk into any store or business and people will talk about what they’re going to do to make it a better town. But if the 80 individual businesses can be persuaded to pull together Brussels band in Wingham parade The Brussels Legion Pipe Band has confirmed that it will march in the Wingham Optimists Club Santa Claus parade next Saturday, November 21. Five other bands have indicated they will alsoattend the event - F.E. Madill Secondary School Band, the Lucknow Central School Band, the Palmerston Army Cadet Band, and both the Wingham and Listowel Salvation Army Bands. The Wingham Canadettes major­ ettes will lead the parade. Another highlight of the parade will be the performance of the Ontario Provincial Police Colour Party. The parade will include floats, clowns, horses, and of course, Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus. It gets underway at 1 p.m. they should be able to effect Seaforth's position in the market place and if they can do that, they can start “a spiral upwards" in the fortunes of the community. Once that spiral begins it snowballs, he says. Property values increase, the ability to attract new business increases, particularly in the retail sector. It’s a lot easier to convince someone to set up a badly-needed service in town if they see things going ahead, he said and when holes in the kinds of service the community offers are filled, then the town can capture more of the dollars in the primary area. Seaforth is beginning some retail recruitment. Three new businesses have located on the main street in the last year. "The bottom line," he says, "is that the three years are really just to put the ideas in place and get a few things accomplished. It’s really a long­ term effort and hopefully the community will carry it on (after the three-year program ends)”. The lessons learned in Seaforth and the other Main Street program towns can be applied to towns like Brusselsand Blyth aswell, hesays. The four basic steps Heritage Canada has developed will work in nearly any community. He points to the village of St. George (about the same size as Brussels and Blythjwhichwasonthebrinkof obscurity with an 80 per cent vacancy rate in main street stores, that has bounced back to the point it has a zero vacancy rate and new stores are being built. What it needs, he says, is for someone to take on the leadership role, to get the community working together to solve its problems: the catalyst could be enthusiastic business people, municipal em­ ployees or a senior citizen. In many ways a local person would be better at getting things rolling than the main street co-ordinator who is an outsider, he says. At any rate, what’s needed is to get the community working together to solve its problems, something towns of any size can do. Salute to comrades Russell Wilson, Blyth’sonly World War One veteran, salutes after placing the Blyth Legion's wreath at the Remembrance Day cere­ mony at Blyth Memorial Hall Wednesday. Local political fi­ gures, Legion members, Girl Guides and Brownies and Cubs and Beavers took part in the ceremony. THE RENT REVIEW GUIDELINE FOR 1988 IS 4.7 PER CENT Ministry of Housing Ontario Hon. Chaviva Hosek The rent review guideline for next year has been calculated at 4.7 per cent. This is the amount by which a landlord can increase the maximum rent for a unit during 1988 without approval from the Ministry of Housing. The rent for a unit can be increased only once in a 12-month period. The 4.7 per cent guideline applies to all private rental units in the province for rent increases that take effect from .January 1, 1988 to December 31, 1988. The 1987 guideline of 5.2 per cent continues to apply to rent increases which take effect on or before December 31,1987. It is illegal for a landlord to increase the maximum rent above the guideline without applying to the Ministry of Housing for rent review to justify the increase. In cases where a landlord does apply for an increase above the guideline, tenants can examine the application and make their own submissions before a decision is reached. For more information about the 1988 guideline, please contact your local rent review office listed in the Government of Ontario blue pages of your phone book under the Ministry of Housing. If long distance, ask the operator for Zenith 96000. BLOOD DONOR CLINIC at Central Huron Secondary School Clinton on Wednesday, November 25, 1987 From 1:30to4:30and 6:00 to 8:30