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TIMES -ADVOCATE
Exeter, Ontario, Canada
Wednesday, April 13, 2005
x.25 (includes GST)
With tempatures rising over the weekend, local residents were outside enjoying
the sun with Dylan and Dominick Masse testing the rides atVictoria Park Saturday
while (below) Christopher and Phil Blyde with Patricia Stewart dropped lines at
Morrison Dam Sunday. (photos/Pat Bolen)
Lots of activity among
downtown businesses
By Scott Nixon Armstrong said.
"What's wrong? There's not a damn
thing wrong."
BIA chairperson Betty Thomson said
there are many positives happening
downtown. She said there are new busi-
nesses coming to town and pointed to
The Gossiping Goose's movement to a
larger location as a positive.
"I'm not concerned," she said of some
recent closures. "It's just a change, a
cycle we're going through. In the future
I'm sure there will be more new busi-
nesses moving in."
Thomson said Exeter has gone through
such cycles in the past and by
the summer she expects "a
lot of those places will be
filled again and things will be
booming."
Speaking of the north end
expansion, Thomson said
local residents will continue
to support the small down-
town businesses for the
friendly atmosphere.
"The clientele that we get in
from London and the big
cities certainly aren't coming
to Exeter to shop at
Shoppers," she added.
"They're coming into Exeter
to shop the unique stores that
we have downtown."
She said the big box stores are more
for tourists driving through town on their
way to Grand Bend.
South Huron Chamber of Commerce
president Kelly Maidens admits he is
concerned about some of the closures in
Exeter's downtown, although he agrees
with Armstrong that it doesn't represent
a decline in the business community.
Maidens said it's important to find busi-
nesses to replace the ones leaving and
make sure Exeter's downtown is vibrant.
"If our downtown goes, what kind of
economic development will we have in
the future?"
While the Chamber is more concerned
with the overall growth of the municipal-
ity and not just the downtown, Maidens
said this is an issue the Chamber, the
BIA and the municipality can work on
together.
One idea Maidens proposed to increase
shopping in the downtown core was for
businesses to remain open Friday nights.
See ACTIVITY page 2
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
EXETER — There has been a flurry of
activity in Exeter's business community
in the last few weeks.
There is a large hole at the corner of
Main and Sanders streets after the move
of Shoppers Drug Mart to the north end
and the closure of Pizza Delight. At about
the same time, El Veracruz closed, as did
Country Health Foods. Before & After
and Frayne's General Store, farther
north on Main Street, are both closing
this month.
SAAN, meanwhile, will re-
open, while a new business is
opening in the former Jervis
Photo building. Also in the
good news category, The
Gossiping Goose is moving
across the street to a larger
location in the former El
Veracruz.
The Times -Advocate
reported in January on talks
to move the Huron
Employment Resource Centre
and the Adult Learning
Centre to the former
Shoppers site. Susan McKee
of the Avon Maitland District
School Board confirmed
Monday that talks are continuing and
she expects to know soon whether or not
the move will be made.
In the meantime, as is common in
small towns, Exeter's rumour -mill has
been in full swing about various other
businesses in town.
Coun. Pete Armstrong, who represents
the municipality on Exeter's Business
Improvement Association (BIA), says it's
important to separate fact from fiction.
He said the recent closures aren't signs
of a downturn in Exeter's business com-
munity.
"If people are closing for personal rea-
sons ... whether it's to retire, and they
have every right to ... or if they are
moving from the town for personal rea-
sons, you can not expect them to keep a
store open. In all the rumours that I've
heard out there, none of them are relat-
ed to the way the corporation (South
Huron) is rum"
"I don't see any business that is leaving
because of the community. I have heard
nothing of that — it's all personal,"
"If our
downto
what kin
economi
develop
we have
future?"
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BSRA water report presented to council
By Pat Bolen
TIMES -ADVOCATE STAFF
VARNA — "The quality of E. coli is nastier than 10
years ago and has acquired immunity from antibi-
otics. They are more resistant than 10 years ago."
This was one of the conclusions presented to
Bluewater council Monday night by members of the
Bluewater Shoreline Ratepayers Association (BSRA).
BSRA president John Gillespie, Bob Slow and Gary
Palmateer and Dr. Sofi Verhille from GAP
EnviroMicrobial Services, an environmental microbi-
ology laboratory, presented the findings of a study
conducted on sources of contamination along the
lakeshore over the last year.
The study involved the continuation of water test-
ing along the lakeshore as well as DNA finger print
analysis to determine where E. coli was coming
from.
Slow said 34 per cent of the beaches tested failed to
meet provincial standards and that ravines were the
real problem, failing 90 per cent of the time.
According to Slow, the DNA testing has allowed
mapping of hot spots of contamination back to indi-
vidual landowners.
He said this hasn't been done because prior to the
study, landowners were assured of confidentiality.
While Slow said landowners were in favour of the
study being done, many were skeptical anything
would be done to fix the problems.
Asked if any conclusions could be drawn, Gillespie
said the testing confirmed there are three sources on
contamination, which are faulty septic systems, agri-
cultural sources and the Zurich pumphouse and
Lagoon.
"If you find funds to upgrade the lagoons, you elim-
inate them as a source of contamination," said
Gillespie.
See WATER page 2