Survey Results
| |
Home>Kincardine>2008>July
by
Fred Kirby July
2, 2008
Change or
die! That is my advice to the merchants and other enterprises on Queen
Street. Merchants should not expect to compete with box stores; they
cannot. Nor is there any point in complaining about box stores in
Kincardine. They are a fact of life.
Downtown Kincardine must become unique. One person suggested the area
could be designated as “Heritage Kincardine by the Water.” I suggest this
area should include those portions of Queen Street and Huron Terrace
between Broadway Street and the Penetangore River and Princes Street on
the east side with the lakeshore defining the west side. The Theatre Arts
building and the Annex (former post office) would anchor the south end.
The Heritage Committee will have their work cut out designating all those
houses on Princes Street that qualify and having Council follow through. I
will write of the ‘why’ in a later column on what could become Heritage
Kincardine. It is sufficient now to say that designation and change is
necessary, not only to save the street in the long run, but to define the
east side of the heritage area. There are commercial buildings on Queen
Street that may also qualify for heritage designation. The heritage aspect
of change is relatively easy since heritage folk have a strong commitment
to the subject.
My next recommendation will be much more difficult to implement because it
is unlikely that there will be consensus among the players who have to be
involved. Queen Street from Lambton to Harbour should be closed to
automobile and truck traffic - summer, fall, winter, and spring. The area
should become a plaza for walkers and shoppers. Let it be a place for
folks to sit, have an ice cream, and visit or stroll while looking at the
outdoor displays of goods and art. Let the flowers bloom.
Those landlords who cannot see the future need to take an honest look at
their property. Do shoppers, citizens and visitors go away talking about
the smartness and uniqueness of your property? Will it attract merchants
who want to offer quality merchandise and excellent service? Next week I
will write of the role the Annex (the heritage post office) can play. It
is an important part of Heritage Kincardine by the Water. It will call for
Council members to put their parochialism behind them by acknowledgment of
the importance of the town core to the municipality.
Fortunately there are businessmen and businesswomen who realize what is
required for a revitalized core and I can only trust they will take the
lead in developing Heritage Kincardine by the Water.
July 16, 2008
There are
times when I could swear I am walking along Main Street in Gopher Prairie
having a heart-to-heart chat with Sinclair Lewis but then the sweet sound
of the pipes wafting down Queen Street will bring me back. From now until
I witness less complacency and greater creativity, Queen Street becomes
Kincardine’s own “Main Street”.
It is true that throughout history, towns have experienced their
individual metamorphoses. They do survive but not always in the form
citizens may desire. I have seen banks, majestic with their iconic columns
sitting empty except for a pizza sign and weeds growing out of cracks in
once elegant steps. Yes, they continue to exist but would you want to live
there?
Our Main Street does have some fine shops and restaurants. JB’s, Baxter
Row’s Corabelle’s, and Mac G’s come to mind as decent shops for women.
Seven Waves with its attractive decor and special line of Danish clothes
is a fine addition. The Scottish Shop carries a unique line of food and
all things Scottish. It makes a unique contribution to Heritage
Kincardine. The restaurant scene has improved greatly on our Main Street.
The Watercress offers a pleasing breakfast where you can actually eat an
egg perfectly cooked just the way you want and you enjoy a delicious lunch
with friends. I cannot comment on Pelican’s Roost at this point; I have
had enjoyable evenings over meals there in the past and understand it is
currently undergoing renovations. The Tramonto, offering authentic Italian
cuisine is the latest addition and where I experienced an evening of
dining easily comparative to most of the finer restaurants in Toronto.
There is a pharmacy on Main Street offering extraordinarily friendly and
helpful service. Condor is a book store chock full with hidden treasures
and if the book is recently published, Fincher will get it for you quicker
than box stores I tried in the past.
There are other stores that add nothing to the attractiveness of our Main
Street. In fact, they are a distraction calling for attention by the
Municipality, Chamber of Commerce, or the BIA. When a landlord wants his
tenant to pay for upgrading the landlord’s building it smacks of Gopher
Prairie. When a building is left empty and allowed to deteriorate for a
tax advantage it suggests negligence by the municipality and complacency
by the business community.
I do not remember saying we should attract exotic shops unless the
uninitiated consider Fast Forward with its wide range of quality TV and
radio equipment at competitive prices “exotic” or an European appliance
store selling European appliances exotic?
Our plastic-covered Council is suited more to Gopher Prairie than meeting
the 21st century demands on Kincardine. Heritage Kincardine by the Water
will never become a reality so long as there are merchants, businesses,
and landlords who prefer Main Street in Gopher Prairie.
|
