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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A ug us t 27 ,2 02 0 | 2 Ying Yang Chartered Professional Accountant Member of Canadian Tax Foundation (647) 989-1276 Oakville Office: (289) 291-3924 Toronto Offiffice: (647) 255-8049 yy@yangaccounting.ca For an affordable solution to your Business and Individual tax difficulties … Make an Appointment Today for a Free Confidential Consultation CRACRACRACRA PPPPrroblobleems?ms? Individual, Corporati &on & Trust Payrayroll, HST includiudingng Overseas & O& Offffshorshore Tax Issueax Issues Yang Tang Tang Tang ax Resolsolution completed between Allan Street and Dunn Street while the area be- tween Allan and Reynolds streets is nearing completion with paving taking place ahead of schedule. Between Reynolds Street and Trafalgar Road construction work- ers are pouring cement for side- walks and installing granite pavers. Between Trafalgar Road and Dunn Street tree cells are being added, and the installation of a storm sewer on Trafalgar Road from Lakeshore Road to Church Street is underway. Temporary measures installed during Phase 1 of the Lakeshore Road reconstruction project (Navy Street to Dunn Street) have also been upgraded with the asphalt in the boulevards removed and re- placed with granite pavers and bol- lards. "In the coming weeks residents can expect to see: benches and bike racks installed between Navy and Dunn; fences coming down on a portion of road between Allan and Reynolds, and the area opening to pedestrians," said Stephen. "Between Reynolds and Dunn, construction of the new road and sidewalks will continue, followed by the installation of the granite pavers. At Trafalgar and Church and Trafalgar and Randall, work will begin on replacing the tempo- rary traffic signals with permanent signals." Not long after this interview, fencing on Lakeshore Road from Allan Street to Reynolds Street was removed. Stephen noted that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the project schedule and staging plan has been continually monitored and adjust- ed to keep focus on critical items. She said in spring the timing for some tasks was adjusted to take ad- vantage of the lower traffic vol- umes. "For example, work at the Allan Street intersection was originally scheduled to be completed in phas- es- a closure of the intersection in the spring, and further lane clo- sures and detours in the summer," said Stephen. "We adjusted the work plan so all this work was completed in the spring and the intersection was opened ahead of schedule." So far, however, none of this has translated into an earlier comple- tion date with work on the street still expected to wrap up in mid-No- vember. Many merchants in the down- town are hoping the construction can be finished sooner, noting it has been keeping customers out of the area since Phase 1 began in April 2019. Amanda Kay, manager at the Mendocino women's clothing store, said the roadwork has definitely impacted her business recalling just the other day a customer had attempted to come to her store and then had given up because it was too much of a hassle to get around the construction. "It's just seems like forever that Lakeshore has been under con- struction," she said. Kay said she is currently seeing a steady flow of customers, but not- ed that is likely because everything in the store is on sale since the store will be permanently closing at the end of August. Kay blames revenue lost due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the impending closure. Other downtown businesses that have permanently closed with- in the last few months include Hot Oven Bakery and Ricarda's. Yaniv Khmelnitsky, owner of the Aroma Espresso Bar, is more optimistic about the future given fencing was recently removed from the Reynolds Street to Allan Street section of Lakeshore Road. "Before, with the fences, it was dead over here," he said. "Now it is starting to look alive again." The Downtown Oakville BIA al- so weighed in on the project's time- line. "We are eager to see the project completed as soon as possible. To that end, our retailers have been working with the Town of Oakville to facilitate a continuous pour of the new sidewalks, which the town has indicated could save up to 12 working days," said Milan Bowie, Downtown Oakville BIA market- ing manager. "We are therefore hopeful that the bulk of the work can be com- pleted before mid-November." Bowie said the BIA is encour- aged by the removal of fencing be- tween Allan and Reynolds streets, which has created a pedestrian-on- ly area and activation space for businesses. "We're excited to see this area come to life and we encourage the community to come down, support local, and see the new streetscape through its final stages of comple- tion," she said. The BIA marketing manager said the community has been huge- ly supportive of downtown Oak- ville throughout the construction and COVID-19 period. She noted that while there has been a reduction in foot traffic, loy- al customers continue to support these businesses. "We've even seen lineups to get into some stores," said Bowie. STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Downtown Oakville is home to many local businesses and is a favourite shopping place for resi- dents. As such, residents should be aware of how a large roadwork project in the downtown is prog- ressing NEWS Continued from page 1 ONGOING WORK HINDERING BUSINESS: OWNERS Limited time onLy Best Quality. Best Price. Best service Wall tO Wall carPet sPecial FOr all yOur FlOOriNG NeeDs Karastan SmartStrand ForeverClean Ultra $3.99/sq. ft. 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