Long-simmering tensions came to a boil during Tuesday’s meeting of the Thorold Business Improvement Association (BIA) — as Serge Carpino was re-elected chair of the downtown organization.
Carpino and his former vice-chair, Marsha Coppola, have been at odds for quite some time, and the election for chairperson only exacerbated those tensions.
Both Coppola, who owns Da Bath Bomb on Front St., and Carpino, who owns Canal City Realty on Regent St., had thrown their names in the ring in hopes of leading the BIA over the next four years.
During Tuesday’s meeting, which was held at JC Patissier on Front St., Coppola explained why she could no longer work under Carpino.
“The last four years have been horrible doing everything while Serge took the photos,” she said. “I physically gave up so many thousands of hours to do the BIA and he would show up for the photos. It was hurtful because I felt like it was all on me to do everything.”
Coppola said there were no functional subcommittees during Carpino’s tenure as chair, “except for the car show which was a boys club and they did whatever they wanted.”
If elected, Carpino vowed to breathe new life into the association’s beautification and marketing subcommittees.
“I’m here to do whatever you guys want,” he told BIA members. “I don’t have a hidden agenda. I don’t know what I can tell you except that I want to lead and I want to be involved. I’m here to do whatever this committee wants. End of story.”
Other business owners at the meeting voiced their disappointment with the toxic situation.
“I don’t want to move forward with anything that’s this tense,” said Laurie-Anne Lamothe, who owns the Yoga Centre of Niagara on Front St. “I’m just heartbroken. There’s reparations that need to happen. I’m sad, really sad.”
Lamothe wondered if the city clerk, Matthew Trennum, could come in to remedy the situation. Other BIA members pushed for a vote.
“I came here to vote because this is torture,” said Councillor Ken Sentance. “This does not help the BIA. I am really sorry it has come to this.”
Both Councillors Ken Sentance and Mike De Divitiis cast their vote for Carpino. So did the former owner of Riganelli’s Bakery, Nick Dell’Omo, and One Earth store owner Terri-Lynn Woodhouse.
Both Lamothe and Angie Coates, who owns Angie O'H Antiques on Front St., voted for Coppola, while Stephanie Gondek, who owns The Burgh on Albert St. W, abstained.
After the vote, Coppola said she would resign from the BIA and focus her efforts on the city’s Tourism Board.
To fill the void she leaves behind, Lamothe has stepped up as vice-chair of the association.
“I am a peacemaker at the core of who I am,” Lamothe told ThoroldToday, after the vote. “There’s great stuff that we can move forward on but we have to be able to treat everybody equally, look at all business in Thorold as the same, and work together.”
Carpino is elated to serve another four years, in what he says will be his last term.
“I’m excited,” he said after the meeting. “There are still many things that I want to do as chair. Now we need a template and direction from the committee. I don’t make the decisions. We’re a collective, we’ll decide.”
With the toxic situation hopefully resolved, Carpino hopes to make a fresh start for the BIA.
“My position now is to eliminate the negatives, accentuate the positives and move forward,” he said. “Either you’re with us or you’re against us. The proof of the pudding is where they put their faith and they put their faith in me.”
