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durhamregion.com THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ AUGUST 17,2005 ♦ PAGE 7 À Clarington Community if. A weekly in-depth look at the communities that shape Clarington be , Walter Passarella/The Canadian Statesman Yvonne Maitland, owner of the Apple Blossom Shop in Orono poses with a bouquet of flowers in front of her store. She believes the Orono Community Improvement Plan will help downtown business owners improve their properties for the benefit of the whole community. Community Improvement Plan ready to roll out. . 'We're kind of a hub in a big wheel. We're central to a lot of urban centres,' - Ms. Yvonne Maitland BY JENNIFER STONE Staff writer jSfiMiilJj UJKIVY ii'Uilu i(i ,ivLl'i;iai C A' "T ;iri )(!•:: y !h:' T'i A 1 ft : yi :i • / Population (based on 2001 Census total of e to it's cen- 69,830for entire Municipality) YsY i and. "We're, ' 1,730 (2.5%) •We re cen- . i , SBi some improvements on their facades." Orono has the ability to attract visitors from a number of places, due to it's central central location, said Ms. Maitland. kind of a hub in a big wheel. We re cen- ■, , fgffiB ' irai to à lot of urban centres," she said.' ■ Projected population -^.2016 A lot of BIA events, such as the annual (based on,2016 projected,total of streetscaping and signage on municipal ORONO - The village's downtown property, businesses are getting a chance for a Most recently, flyers have been deliv- bjt of a facelift, thanks to a Municipal ered to commercial properties, to inform program currently being rolled out. business owners of the potential to ' The Orono Community Improvement. receive grants to improve their proper- Plan, planning for which began in 2003, ties, said. Faye Langmaid, Clarington's received the necessary approval from the manager of special projects. Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Hous- Work on the plan began in February Maitland, an Orono merchant who runs ing last month, which means work and 2003,- after the Orono BIA approached The Apple Blossom Shop on Main applications for grants can get under- Clarington council, asking that someway. someway. thing be done to help out the ' down- The plan will allow merchants and town, downtown business property owners to Council set aside $25,000 for this year, access Municipal grants, from money set Property owners are required to come up aside in Çlarington's budget, for signage with 50 per cent of the cost of improve- and facade improvement. As well, it will merits. . release money to be spent to improve The Municipality is looking at poten- Easter Egg hunt, Christmas tree lighting,. 101,800for Municipality) tial signage improvements, both along and others, are attracting people to the Hwy. 35/115 and in the village, "so village already, said Ms. Maitland. people know what's, available on Main Street," said Ms. Langmaid. When finished, Orono's downtown should look "a lot like it does now, but spruced up," said Ms. Langmaid. And that's good news, said Yvonne Street. "I just think it's a real advantage for anyone who owns (a downtown business) business) or landlords who feel improvements improvements could help," said Ms. Maitland, who has had her store in Orono's downtown downtown for two decades. "Some buildings really need to have- With the help of the Municipality, business business owners and residents are getting an idea of how to make the village even more attractive, she noted. "The computer imaging they've used to show us what the downtown could look like have really opened our eyes," she said. Œ! )t Canadian Statesman Next week in Clarington communities: Courtice 1,580 (1.6%) Schools Puhlir , n, ■ , . : 1 Elementary Arenas S 1 (Orono Arena) 1 ice pad Swimming Pools 1 outdoor (Orono Park Pool) Council Representation Local Ward 4 Gord Robinson Regional Wards 3 and 4 ' Charlie Trim 1 _ -- Municipality of Clarington DROP OFF OR MAIL TO: . OSHAWATHIS WEEK, 865 FAREWELL ST., OSHAWA, ON. L1H 7L5 3 DRAWTUES. A UGUST 23, 2PM • ONE BALLOT PER PERSON • WINNERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY TELEPHONE HERONGATE BARN DINNER THEATRE 2885 Altona Rd., Pickering Presents: "Shirley Valentine" by Willie Russell August 19 - September 10, Wed, & Sun, Matinees OPENING SPECIAL Great Food • Great Shows • Great Price For Reservations Call: CLIP & SAVE Sal,, Aug. 20 &I , _ . (905) 472-3085 Notvnihiiiiicr, ' www.herongate.cotn JBL JHJB ~V7 Reaching Your Goals J Freedom 55 Takes Careful Planning A Financial • That's Why We're ' Here to Help. • Individual life insurance «GICs & mutual funds • Disability insurance «Group Insurance • Business insurance • Group retirement plans •Travel insurance •Mortgages •RRIFs, LIFs & Annuities «RRSPs & RESPs QJUADRUS, Quedrue Investment Services ltd. A Flics ol the Flen Dwight and Deria Hickson financial Security and Investment KepresentalIvoh 5 King Ave,, Newcastle (905) 987-5372