The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

I am mchned to disagree with the tone ind contents of your last week's editorial Stup La Whmmg " It is unfair and rather unkind to smile at the expense of a urvarxmnm business house of Waterloo ~.v.‘1 is Laban} Brewery and to equate It A $11 Wutvrior/s Sounds of Summer. which _ t 'hrurddv make-shift "business." At 1 mums!” nur Inca! busmesses deserve m» unkmd words but some understanding. k Waterloo Chromcle We can't afford to undermine local business Display Advertising: Maureen McNab Teresa Hemmer Gerry Mattrce Don Scenes Deborah Cranéall Reporters: Pete Cudhea 15mm ed Koren Adderley D Retailers available News Editor: 1le'adee Mdrtcrsk Gwen an attitude like that, it's no wonder the retail ir suffering There's no doubt the recession and cross-border has had an effect, but the keys to surviving these tough times are competitive pricing, aggressive and innovative n and customer Mfrvl0e, It's certainly an interesting way to potential customers. There was only one thing missing - a presence from the businesses of Uptown. Despite the fact that the BIA had spent thousands of dollars to hold and promote the dance, all but a handful of stores outside Waterloo Town Square were closed. Instead of using the opportunity to introduce their businesses to the crowd. the merchants shut down and went home _ as usual. They threw a party, but didn't bother attending, It was an unusual sight Itt Uptown Waterloo last Friday night, King Street was closed from Erb Street to Bridgeport Road, and the parking Iota were rtlled as an estimated 7,000 people converged on Waterloo'; core for the Uptown Waterloo Buslnesa Improvement Area's annual Mreet dance, As a party, it was an unq the crowd had a great tlme PAGE M . 1ifijiiiE Lost opportunity President: Pa ul Winkler The fairway Group Incorporated 215 Fairway Rd S, Kitchener, On: must be available to the customer when the Chiiriiick WATERLOO CHRONICLE. WEDNESDAY. JUNE IS published every Wednesday by was an unqualified success. The music Waterloo Town Square I Km: St, South, Sunre 20l Waterloo, Ontario NC'; up: lephnne ' No __ --e_r_ "m... vvlucl auupymg keys to surviving these tough economic Publisher. 'e Rick Campbell Circulation: Mary Baycroit Jerry F nscher Ray Lakhrn Anita Auermgg 886-1830 8Bh-3011 88h 9 38.3 C irculation Manager: , reg Casssdy Major Accounts: Blll Karges - V =-=G=...2-.P,.'Y Subscnpuon rates Mo yearly m Canada. $70 yearly outside Canada ' (IST. do business- ignore 7,000 and innovative marketing W. .-_u.. um. v. nun-saw“. 0n the same token, Councillor Robert Brown's attitude and his indifference towards Labatt's Brewery appear to be deplorable and reflect his ulser1sitivity to local businesses and lack of maturity. It may be recalled that only a few months ago Mr, Brown antagonized a group of Water. loo retail businesses when he openly supported a week-long sale of posters and art prints at Waterloo university by a Toronto wholesaler. Sounds of Summer IS a rltree-day festival designed to maintain the local traditlon; It IS not an ongoing business Festivals are sympathy and support from the public to withstand the rough tide of recesswn. cs, Al . retail industry ls was good and customer is 26, 1991 shopfing E YOU With all the constitutional diffitulties Canada is facing, will Canada Day have special meaning for you this year. for fun in the sun and can be organized without twisting necks, Efficient planning and management of this festival did not necessarily require the participation of an outsider but just a bit of dedication, imagination and hard work. At the very outset Mr, Brown and his paraphernalia ought to have realized that at this time funding would be a bottleneck and could have explored alternative funding sources. improvised, modi@d the program and squeezed the budget to make both ends meet, At this moment the local businesses expect at least some gestures, if not genuine help, from their elected ofncials, it “I think so. I think this is the time Canadians should put their money where their mouths are and be proud of our country because, despite all our problem lately, we have a lot to be proud of." Catherine Chivers, Kitchener "----"'_" “I think} "Yes, I think it will. I've lived here all my live and I think Canada is a special, unique country and Canada Day is a day to think about and remember that," Chris Sullivan Waterloo t! -it , ir)', is quite understandable that Sounds of Summer may be the most appropriate moment for show business, gaining quick publicity and exhibiting cosmetic ac. complishments for the upcoming election, but the bottom line is: Waterloo businesses need genuine public servants, not show-biz opportunists. Letters Welcome "Yes, I think so. It means a lotto me every year. I live in a country where I'm free to do what I want, to go to school and get an education without some of the problems other countries have." "Yes. Being from the States, it means quite a lot to me Canadians need to be more up on themselves, more proud of their country and Canada Day is the day they should feel the proudest." Kyenta Goodgerlfill Waterloo Tina Santos Kitchener H. Pal Waterloo