In the spirit of the season, Thorold business leaders met at Bezo’s Restaurant Thursday night to reflect on 2018 and share success strategies for 2019.
Sue Morin of Venture Niagara invited business owners to take advantage of their business loan program, and to contact her with suggestions for improving Thorold’s business community as a whole.
“We saved the Port Robinson ferry,” she said, citing additional “changes for the positive” which included landscaping and trimming overgrown trees surrounding the tourism centre at Lock 7. “Now we can see the canal.”
The event was co-hosted by Venture Niagara and the Niagara Centre Board of Trade (NCBOTAC).
“Tonight is our fourth annual tourism Christmas social to recognize how important our partners are to business and to encourage fellowship for years to come” said Morin, “not just for tonight. We’re a team. We’re a family, so let’s work together.”
One of her challenges, she added, is “How do we send people from the Lock 7 Information Centre into (downtown) Thorold? You are part of the solution, so we will look into that in 2019. We want to work with you and we will concentrate on heritage tourism. I look forward to working with the new Council.”
Speaking on behalf of NCBOTAC, John D’Amico stated, “We are now part of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. In 2019, we hope to have even more functions.”
City councillor Fred Neale said that the newly elected council will spearhead significant streetscaping downtown over the next two-year period.
“There’s going to be big changes. The streets are going to be dug up and there’s going to be new things happening, so be part of it,” Neale urged business owners. “We need partnerships for growing Thorold.”
