Collingwood's Town Council approves new official plan
On Monday, Collingwood’s town council amended their official plan that requires ground floor space in the historic downtown area to be retail only.
“Some of the retailers I spoke to talk about the fact that when you don’t have consistent retail down a street, sometimes the shoppers, and we do have a lot of tourists as well, they can’t see that it’s worth walking an extra block,” said Yvonne Hamlin, Collingwood mayor.
While stakeholders said they see the value in businesses like law and accounting offices, they prefer them to be on side streets or other levels.
They’ve also seen the difference firsthand in a real estate office that replaced a local restaurant.
“It’s a great investment that this company has made in our downtown, and they’ve worked very well in updating the property and making that investment, but that use is certainly missed by the community as well as the business owners,” said Susan Nicholson with the Collingwood BIA.
Next year, Collingwood will engage in a downtown visioning study. Mayor Hamlin said if the results reveal this is the wrong decision, they will gladly revisit it.
The BIA said they also realize that Collingwood’s heritage buildings present accessibility issues for offices not on the ground floor.
“That’s something from a provincial perspective that we hope there will be support across the province for historic downtowns like ours to provide funding for commercial property owners to make their second and third floors accessible,” said Nicholson.
In order for the amendment to the town’s official plan to move forward, it needs to be approved by the County of Simcoe. A process Mayor Hamlin hopes can be done in the next six months.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
WATCH LIVE Trudeau offering Canadians a temporary tax break on toys, takeout, snacks and more heading into holidays
Canadians will receive a temporary tax break on essential items, children's clothing and diapers, restaurant and pre-prepared meals and common stocking stuffers, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday. Trudeau also announced a new $250 rebate that will land in spring 2025.
Ontario man agrees to remove backyard hockey rink
A Markham hockey buff who built a massive backyard ice rink without permissions or permits has reluctantly agreed to remove the sprawling surface, following a years-long dispute with the city and his neighbours.
Parole board 'working' to have Bernardo victims' families attend hearing in-person
The Parole Board of Canada says it is now working to allow victims' families to attend Paul Bernardo's parole hearing and deliver their victim impact statements in person.
Canadian painting found in barn, purchased for US$50 sells for hundreds of thousands at auction
An Emily Carr painting that sold for US$50 at an estate sale has fetched C$290,000 at a Toronto auction.
'Ding-dong-ditch' prank leads to kidnapping, assault charges for Que. couple
A Saint-Sauveur couple was back in court on Wednesday, accused of attacking a teenager over a prank.
Volcano on Iceland's Reykjanes Peninsula erupts for the 7th time in a year
A volcano in southwestern Iceland that has roared back to life after eight centuries of silence has erupted for the seventh time since December, sending molten lava flowing towards the Blue Lagoon spa, a major tourist attraction.
Arrest warrant issued for suspect charged in Toronto airport gold heist
Peel police say a bench warrant has been issued for the arrest of one of the suspects charged in connection with the gold heist at Pearson International Airport last year.
2 arrested during Greenpeace protest outside Stornoway residence in Ottawa
Two people have been arrested following a protest outside Stornoway, the official residence of Canada's leader of the Opposition.
1991-2024 Sea Bears player Chad Posthumus dies at 33
Sea Bears centre Chad Posthumus has died at age 33.