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•T he IF P• H al to n H ill s •T hu rs da y, S ep te m be r 2 5, 2 01 4 20 SheridanNurseries 12266 Tenth Line | Tel: 905-873-7547 BIGGEST SALE YEAROFTHE Mark your calendar for our next weekend! Saturday, October 4th & Sunday, October 5th Georgetown location only! Safe Meeting, or exceeding the high standards of the Day Nurseries Act. Educational Exclusive "Wee Learn" program promotes learning through play for all ages. Reliable Worry free - flexible hours and RECE supported. Learn more weewatch.com Call today: 1-877-823-2621 Finn Poulstrup (left) former broker/owner of Johnson Associates, has joined the man- agement team of Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty in Georgetown after the two local real estate firms merged this past week. Poulstrup joins the Meadowtowne leadership group consisting of owner/broker Alex Ocsai, Halton & Georgetown branch manager Catherine Fox, broker/owner Gloria Riddall. Photo by Eamonn Maher Real estate merger brings two 'historic' firms together Two well-established companies in Halton Hills have joined forces in a merger that has shaken up the real es- tate landscape in the area. All 60 sales staff members of John- son Associates, an independent broker that was founded in 1967 and currently owned by local resident Finn Poulstrup, will now post their listings under the Royal LePage Meadowtowne Realty sign after the announcement was made simultaneously in both Guelph St. of- fices in Georgetown last week. "We're thrilled that all of this has evolved and we feel very complimented that Finn felt we fit in and vice-versa," said Georgetown native Gloria Riddall, who opened the Royal LePage Meadow- towne office with partner Alex Ocsai in July 2003. "These are two historic companies in this area. It was a shock to people in both offices. Their lives are changing too because their respected opponents are now part of their team. I didn't know how they'd react initially, but the news has been received with smiles." The Johnson group moves its opera- tions down the road to unite with the 52 Royal LePage sales representatives, most of whom will now be based un- der one roof at the 6,500-square-foot offices at 325 Guelph St. Meadowtowne now has branches in Georgetown, Acton, Erin, the George- town Market Place, Milton, Mississau- ga and Port Loring (near Parry Sound), with more than 300 sales and support staff. "What this means is that we'll have number-one market share in Halton Hills and Erin," said Ocsai, co-owner/ broker of Meadowtowne, who noted that the local real estate market is busi- er than it has been in many years. "There are a lot of moving parts and it'll take time for everyone to integrate together, so all the existing staff and the new staff that we're adopting are on high alert getting things smoothed out. It's going well." Riddall said that a couple of ques- tion-and-answer sessions have taken place to address concerns by the sales team. The now former Johnson Associates offices at 247 Guelph St. will be put up for re-leasing to a new tenant. Poulstrup joined Johnson Associates in 1971 as a sales rep and became its broker/owner in 1995. "I think we have basically the same philosophy about the business and how we deal with the public and are own people, and that really covers a lot of ground," he said, noting that members of the Johnson team will now have ac- cess to the technological and media re- sources of a Canada-wide brand. "I've sort of been the bearer of the Johnson Johnson Carney torch for 40 years, so it's kind a of bittersweet thing, but I think it's absolutely the right thing to do. It's a timely get-together." By EAMONN MAHER Staff Writer The Halton Hills Cooperative Pro- gram Planning Committee will be hosting a Community Open House on Saturday, Nov. 8, at the Georgetown Market Place mall from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The overall goal of this event is to highlight the many groups and or- ganizations that provide meaningful services to community members and enhance the community overall. The theme for the event this year is "Grow- ing the Halton Hills Family" and it demonstrates how citizens working to- gether can develop a strong community through support of local organizations. Registration is now open for the Community Open House. The cost is $50 for a table and groups are encour- aged to register early as space is lim- ited and availability is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Last year, more than 65 groups were able to promote their initiatives, seek new members and fos- ter relationships with hundreds of resi- dents who attended the event. For registration information and to obtain a registration package please contact Jennifer Ancona, Recreation Coordinator - Special Events & Youth Programs at 905-873-2601 ext. 2365, jennifera@haltonhills.ca. Community Open House registration begins Johnson Associates acquired by Royal LePage Meadowtowne