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PAGE 8, WHITÉY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY. APRIL 1. 1987 whitbybusiness Whitby Lanes development opens By DONNA DONALDSON Developments are going up everywhere in Whitby - even lanes. The Wagner Development Group, which consists of Steve Wagner and his family has completed their latest project, Whitby Lanes - a row of boutiques situated in laneway at 153 Brock St. N. "Whitby Lanes was a tough one. it was a small lot.and there wasn't enough space to work on. We kind of came up with something in the lanes that backed onto the Perry st. parking lot," said Wagner, a Scarborough resident.- Wagner's brother, Ferdinand, is an architect and designed Whitby Lanes. Steve Wagner does research, and plans carefully before putting his buildings up. "You have to have foresight - you cant just build for now "h( snid. Wagner said it costs "big money" for land these days. You can make money and you can lose it, he said of development. "We spent a little extra on it, but it's, worth it," said Wagner. He believes there is more than just money involved in his business. "Our reputation is good and I want to keep it. Whatever you put up, you have to have the com- munity in mind, and have good co- operation with the Town." Wagner has "high hopes" for the boutiques. He already has more than half of the boutiques rented and expects they'll go well. Some of the shops already rented include a luggage store, jewelry shop and picture frame store, and there is a business supply store and children's wear store now open. Office supply store operators like location One of the first shops to open in Whitby Lanes is L & G Office Sup- plies, owned ·by Lorraine and Gerald Lynch (L&G) of Oshawa. "It's a big step," said Lorraine Lynch. "We were operating the business,out of our home, and it was going really well, although we weren't getting the walk traffic." Lynch has worked for an office supply store in Oshawa for eight years and "enjoyed" meeting the public and decided to open their own store. She feels boutiques will go over well. "The shops are cute, and the location is good. With the nice weather starting, all kinds of people will be out walking." The store offers office and school supplies, business forms, stationery and, new and used office furniture. Anything not available in the store they will order. They also have catalogues available for their customers. Lynch said there was a lot of preparation getting the store opened. "My two childreni (Michael 14, Jennifer 10) are really excited about it. They think it's great! The March break they spent with me getting the store ready, instead of being with their friends," siad Lyn- ch. Lynch's husband has another oc- cupation, but has been busy . delivering flyers and making deliveries for the business. "He's behind me 100 per cent," said Lynch. Eventually they would like to make the store their full-time oc- cupation and make their home in Whitby. First business for partners Ann Perrie is convinced that small, specialty stores in a boutique development are the way to go in business today. So she and Lil Wright, both natives of Scotland, set up shop in the Wagner boutiques off Brock St. N. to sel children's wear under the name Hansel & Gretel. "I guess I could have picked an easier occupation, but it's ex- citing," said Perrie on the eve of the opening last Saturday of her store. She and husband Donald, a Lasco Steel employee who assisted in set- SEE PAGE 15 "Whitby Lanes is a good location because it's in the downtown core. I expect a lot of walking traffic," said Wagner. "There should be more fill-ins In the downtown area, the more the botter so people can have specialty shops and walk around." Wagner has been building in Whitby for about 14 years. The Scotia Bank and Whitby Corporate Centre are two of his buildings.. In 1970-71, Wagner first located land in Whitby, he started to "fool around" with it and found himself "stuck on" Whitby. 'Our head office is in Whitby and I hope I will be here for many years to corne," hesaid. When asked if Whitby was ready for boutiques like this he said, "When you do something right, or something good, anytime is the right time." Cullen may expand By MIKE JOHNSTON An expanded Cullen Garçiens will open its doors to the public on April 16, the seventh year for the popular Whitby attraction. Employees at the Gardens have been kept busy over the winter months, with the addition of a 39,000-sq. ft. restaurant and a new miniature resort, increasing the size of the -Gardens by one-third. Cullen Gardens owned by Len Cullen, now covers 22 acres of land at its Taunton Rd. location. The resort, called Cottage Coun- try, is a miniature representation of resorts in Central Ontario, with a miniature of the Windamere House in the Muskokas as the main attrac- tion. The new restaurant, the second at the Gardens, is called 'The Gar- den Gate' and will seat 300. While Cullen Gardens opens April 16, the restaurant and Cottage Country will not open until May 2. Among the guests that day will be Lieutenant Governor Lincoln Alexander, Minister of Tourism and Recreation John Eakins and local municipal and provincial government representatives. During the day, admittance to the Gardens will be free until 4 p.m. The lieutenant governor will also hit the recently moved Lynde House with a hammer, as a ceremonial start of restoration to a 19th century period house. Shonnette Brown, public relations director, says the house will be open for 1988. It is possible that members of the Lynde family, from as far away as Vancouver and Ottawa, will be on hand for the ceremony. "They have been sent in- vitation," says Brown. Another house recently moved to Cullen Gardens was the Polly House. Brown said that house, along with others she would not identify, will be placed to the west of Cullen Gar- dens to eventually create a link between Cullen Gardens and Weall and Cullen Garden Centre. There are also plans for expan- sion to the south of Taunton Rd. Brown would not give details of plans but said the cost could be in the neighborhood of $4 million. "This place will never stop ex- panding," she said. Last year, Cullen Gardens at- tracted 316,000 visitors. There were 1,500 group tours. This year, with increased adver- tising and more attractions, those numbers are expected to go up. A new venture for Cullen Gar- dens in 1987 will be television ad- vertising. Brown said the Gardens will also be taking "more than a passing interest" in the tourist market in Quebec this year. She said Quebec travelers usually head south towards the warm weather. This year, however, she said there is more in- terest in travelling east and west. Already on the schedule is an Australian tour in July. She also said that staff at the Gardens were constantly directing visitors to hotels in either Oshawa or Scarborough since Whitby has had no hotel. Now that plans are underway for a hotel at the corner of Thickson Rd. and 401, Brown says, the hotel can only help Cullen Gardens as SEE PAGE 15 Àdý-4qApril 7, 1987 E GRANDOPENING j PETERVINCENT '- Formerly of Elegance Hair Design Eis pleased to announce the opening of his new salon THE PERFECT TOUCH He Welcomes Clients Old & New APRIL SPECIAL 20% OFF ALL HAIR SERVICES THE PERFECT TOUCH HAIR DESIGN 105 MARY ST. NORTH, OSHAWA 436-7711 AN EARLY BIRD buys several tickets line-up, which wound through the for the annual Cystic Fibrosis 50's and arena, began to form at 3:30 a.m. The 60"s dance. Some 1100 tickets went on dance, which kicks off Cystic Fibrosis sale at 9 a.m. last Saturday at Iroquois month in May, is to be held April 25. Park arena but sold out quickiy. The