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Positive impact on business By SHELLY SANDERS GREER Special to the North News The verdict is unanimous. The new Upper Middle Road Bridge can only have a positive impact on local retail businesses. "It can only be benâ€" eficial because it will open up the area and it gives more people access to our centre," says Carol Hyams, general manager, Oakville Place. "It will defiâ€" nitely bring in more people from Glen Abbey and since we are a familyâ€"oriâ€" ented centre and Glen Abbey is a family area, it is perfect for us. I‘m looking forward to the opening of the bridge." Frank Smith, dealer for the Canadian Tire store on Kerr Street agrees. "For our location it will mean a lot of business by bringing people from the northeast part of town. We‘re predicting a 10% increase in business and have geared up for this with extra fall and Christmas buying. This bridge will sort of bring everyâ€" one together and we welcome our new neighbors." "With a more direct route, we feel the bridge will make getting to Oakville Place and Sears much easiâ€" er," says Chuck Loewen, manger of Sears in Oakville Place. "Until now, people have had to take the Queen Elizabeth Way and once they‘re on the road, they tend to go to Burlington and Mississauga malls." In anticipaâ€" tion of the bridge‘s opening, Loewen says Sears has done some additional advertising and they‘ve sponsored the Glen Abbey Summerfest for the first time to increase the awareness of Sears within this community. "We‘re hoping this bridge will drive more traffic in front of our store," says Lester Gracez, store manâ€" ager for the Canadian Tire at Upper Oakville Shopping Centre. "We‘ve increased out inventory with the hopes that someone on the other side of the bridge will come in to buy it." "This bridge will make it easier for everyone to get around," says Randy Lalonde, chairman of the Shop Oakville Committee for the Oakville Chamber of Commerce and owner of Blazer for Men at the Oakville Town Centre I. "With the bridge, people north of the Queen Elizabeth Way can expect to take up to 10 minutes off of e )11 ROYAL LePAGE e ) NT 1111 Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Broker Sales Representative (24 hour pager) any local trip. And services like dry cleaners who pick up and deliver as well as pizza places that deliver will also benefit." Lalonde believes the bridge will affect people‘s decision regarding what is most convenient. "There are many people in River Oaks who don‘t even know the stores in our centre. I think more people will now venture over because of this bridge." "From our standpoint, it will defiâ€" nitely be a plus to the Abbey Plaza. We‘re a full service strip mall," says Mile Volpe at Not Just Flicks at the Abbey Plaza, Upper Middle Road and Third Line. "We‘ve all been here for three years. We‘ve waited for that bridge. We‘re very anxious to serve those people living in River Oaks, College Park and Iroquois Ridge. it will be up to the merchants to run some flyers to let people know we‘re here. Any retail outlet needs continuâ€" ous traffic. We will begin to be busy Bring this ad with you and DROP IN ON YOUR WAY THROUGH GLEN ABBEY AND MEET THE FRIENDLIEST BREW TEAM IN TOWN. VLAD, JOCK, STEVE, CINDY, STEVE , JOHN AND BRETT. W ingred C-‘-n;nn Dm once the bridge opens and we see West Oak Trails fully developed." To help increase the awareness of the Upper Oakville Shopping Centre, owner Terrence Tyers says he has been placing extra ads in local papers to help entice new shoppers to take a look. "More and more people will see how much easier it is to get to the eastern side of the Sixteen Mile Creek," he adds. "There‘s been a psyâ€" chological barrier in the past and we think that with this new bridge, this barrier will be overcome." Says Brent Kearse, executive director of business development for Halton Region: "There could be some economic benefits because of the accessibility of Glen Abbey and River Oaks. I know that I live in Glen Abbey and it will make travelling to Oakville Place a lot easier. I think it will also make the transportation of goods easier. I think you will see more subtle differences.." ingredients made in the cleanest of kettles. At Ein _ Stein Brew House, we don‘t skimp on our formulas or keep them a secret, and our record for cleanliness speaks for itself. Make your own comparison and you‘ll see why Ein Stein Brew House is Oakville‘s most preferred. FErom the Brew Team EIN STEIN BREW HOUSE 1e MOSQ’ Great Beer comes from great recipes and abundant 4b0 the fi’iendliest The Smithâ€"Triller Viaduct in June: only two inches separate the twoâ€"lane spans. (Photo by Peter McCusker)