durhamregion.com This Week | Thursday, March 10, 2022 | 2 Have Your Say Fireworks In Whitby: We're exploring changes to the Town's fireworks regulations and want to hear from you! Do you use fireworks? Where and when do you think fireworks should be used in our community? Do you have any concerns about the use of fireworks in general? Complete a survey by March 21 to have your say. connectwhitby.ca/Fireworks Greenfield Park: Located at 72 Greenfield Crescent - is being re-developed to better serve our growing community! View the proposed conceptual park design and complete a survey on the playground equipment by March 28. connectwhitby.ca/GreenfieldPark Stay Active This Spring - Register on March 16 Looking to register yourself or a family member for a program like swimming classes, Basketball or 55+ Art Classes? Browse ACTIVE Net and create a Wish List now so you're ready for registration day on March 16 at 9 a.m. Sessions start March 28. whitby.ca/GetActive P: 905.430.4300 E: info@whitby.ca whitby.ca What You Need To Know This Week: Final Design Approved for New Whitby Sports Complex Thank you to the more than 2,700 people who shared their feedback on proposed design options for the new Whitby Sports Complex last year. Based on your thoughts and ideas, a final design concept has been approved for the new facility to be located west of Baldwin Street South, south of the intersection of Highway 407. The Whitby Sports Complex is now anticipated to include: an aquatic centre with a 10-lane pool, separate leisure pool and second floor spectator viewing area - the largest pool in Durham Region; a double gymnasium, with three-lane indoor walking track; a twin-pad arena with 85' by 190' ice pads; flexible spaces to support community programs, meetings, and arts and cultural activities; and, space for outdoor recreational opportunities - such as a pump track and skateboard park; pickleball, tennis and basketball courts; multi-use sports field; and playground and water play area. Construction on the new facility is expected to begin in summer 2023, with the complex anticipated to open in fall 2025. Learn more at connectwhitby.ca/SportsComplex ness needs to solve in the post-COVID environment is, how do we get people back into the habit of shopping in-person ... of coming downtown?" Over the past two years, people's day-to-day habits and patterns have changed, King says. For example, a shift to working from home means fewer people strolling downtown streets. One strategy that is expected to help is new funding for downtown Oshawa, Whitby and Brooklin through the My Main Street Local Business Accelerator Program. The $23.5-million program will help revitalize 65 "main street communities" in the province. Durham's three participating downtowns will each get up to 10 grants of $10,000 to support local businesses -- five for existing businesses and five for new businesses. Market research will compile information on demographics, how residents spend their money, how residents consume media -- and take stock of existing businesses to determine what products and service are missing. The downtowns will also get $50,000 toward the 12- month salary of a "main street ambassador," who will provide one-on-one support to businesses. "This is a good opportunity for small businesses ... someone to walk alongside them and support them for a whole year with things like business plans and marketing plans," says Teresa Shaver, CEO of Business Advisory Centre Durham. In downtown Whitby, dozens of new busineses have opened over the past two years, including LOVEY pre-loved, a boutique space for shopping second-hand baby and kids' items. Owner Danielle Bridgenll is welcoming any and all help from the My Main Street Local Business Accelerator Program as she navigates running a new business in this transition phase of the pandemic. "I see it being especially beneficial for use towards various types of marketing to help spread the word about a new business," Bridgnell says. "What would be helpful to me is help with outreach, marketing and events -- all things that would bring more awareness of my business to the public or targeted audiences." In downtown Oshawa, Johnny Bastas has owned Johnny Cuts Barber Shop for the past eight years. As a 16-year-old kid in Bowmanville, he discovered that he loved giving his friends haircuts and says the shop is a dream come true. With the help of business partner Adrian James, it has grown to six chairs, five barbers and a full-time administrator. "After COVID hit, we were forced to lock down three times for several months. Although we have such tremendous support from our community, the financial hit was and continues to be our biggest challenge yet," Bastas says. His other concern is a sense that the "course of the downtown has shifted" since the pandemic started, with vacant units, businesses moving out and complex issues such as homelessness in downtown Oshawa. Bastas favours offering small businesses "some sort of recovery grants that can draw customers downtown" and "very enticing incentives to choose downtown for business." STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Durhamregion.com has followed how the pandemic has impacted businesses of all types and sizes across Durham. New funding recently announced for downtown Oshawa, Whitby and Brooklin provides an opportunity to look ahead to recovery. BUSINESS SCAN THE CODE to read more stories online at durhamregion.com. Continued from page 1 OSHAWA'S JOHNNY BASTAS FAVOURS OFFERING SMALL BUSINESSES 'RECOVERY GRANTS' Business Advisory Centre Durham's Andrea Rowland, Jason King of the Greater Oshawa Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Oshawa Business Alliance's Dino Iezzi with Robert Sinclair, front, owner of SnackriteXotiks in downtown Oshawa. Jason Liebregts/Metroland