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/ r *' durhamregion.com C'i. A Clarington Community THE CANADIAN STATESMAN ♦ March 29, 2006 ♦ Page 7 ..r- h.'" iaàfc COURTICE Til A weekly in-depth look# at the communities that shape Clarington §r ilC. Gourtice to get a little identity Business Association seeks to show where Gourtice ^starts and ends BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer COURTICE -- There's a lot more to Gourtice than just being the area that 'fills space between Oshawa and Bow- manville, says the head of the area's s " ,r newly revived business ^'association. It's time for Gourtice to Mf -get a little identity, says Dale Gibbons, owner of W.O. Insurance. "It's so frustrating when I'm on the telephone with a potential client, and they say, 'By the way, where is Cur- teece?'," he said, mim- ucking how those who don't know the area are prone to mispronounce Courtice's name. The Gourtice Business Association j "would like to change that, j "The first small step we'd like to take J is to create a visual impact when you i . drive into Gourtice from the west and the ! east," he said. j/\ So, for the past year or so, local coun- j cillor Adrian Foster has been talking to j Municipal staff about creating some sort '--of distinct entrance features for Gourtice, said Peter Windolf, of the Municipality. "There's a lot of history in Gourtice, f but there's no real distinct identity," he jtold a group of about 40 Gourtice busi nesspeople gathered at the newly-renovated newly-renovated Hilltop Restaurant for a meeting of the business association last Wednesday. "You* really don't know you're entering another area ... There's really no clear distinction." So, the first order of business for the association of to come up with the funds to buy banners, to be hung at the east and west entranceways to Gourtice, to help delineate where Gourtice starts and ends. "The ideal situation is where you have multiple banners lining lining the street," said Mr. Windolf. The banners could be installed on existing light poles. : As well, the Municipality Municipality has approved, in its budget, a gateway feature at Prestonva- le Road and Hwy. 2, which will consist of a terraced planted -- bed and lighted sign. Another opportunity exists at Trulls Road and Hwy. 2, where the Gourtice Horticultural Horticultural Group, with the help of a (Municipal grant, has a small planted bed already, said Mr. Windolf. They received another grant this year to expand it. To raise tnoney for the banners, the Gourtice Business Association will host a wine-tasting and hors d'oeuvres night at Hilltop Restaurant and Banquet Hall, 1540 King St. E. in Gourtice, on May 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets will be $50, and all funds will go to buy banners. For tickets, call 905-433-7001 or 905-623- 3106. 'It's so frustrating when I'm on the telephone with a potential client, and they say, 'By the way, where is Cur-teece?'.' -Dale Gibbons Walter Passarella / Metroland Durham Region Media Group The Courtice Business Association wants to give itself more identity and has embarked on a mission to create a more visual impact through a distinct entrance feature as you're travelling west on King Street East at Townline Road. r„ Artists In the Garden Event expects to draw more than 2,000 people Post season fun A.J. Groen/Metroland Durham Region Media Group k,COURTICE -- Goalie Sam Jackson tries to poke the ball away from Greg Douglas centre, as Brett Gilmour yhelps on defense. They were playing ball hockey at Stewart Park with Jamie Meikle, Dylan McMahon, Tay- f-lor Lace and Dylan Pitchforth. i BY JENNIFER STONE Staff Writer CLARINGTON -- The Artists may be in the garden, but the group will need help in the parking lot during the June 17 event. The seventh Artists In the Garden tour, a fundraiser for Hearth Place Cancer Support Support Centre, will take place entirely in Clarington for the first time this year, with four stops in Bowmanville and five in Newcastle. The event will attract more than 2,000 people, projected committee member Nancy Mallette. "This promises to be the biggest Artists in the Garden yet," she said. But, three of the locations on the tour are presenting challenges in terms of parking and organizers are hoping the Municipality will lend a hand, said Ms. Mallette. For one location, near Old Scugog Road and Regional Road 57, the group is asking asking the Municipality to allow visitors to park at the Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex, and take a shuttle provided by the tour to the. site. For a Church Street location, the group has asked the Municipality to allow use of the Division Street municipal parking lot for the day. Municipal parking facilities in Newcastle are also being requested for a site on Mill Street. "We do have a volunteer committee of over 100, and will supply volunteers to direct traffic at all three locations," Ms. Mallette told Clarington's General Puipose and Administration committee Monday. Organizers are expecting approximately 100 vehicles per hour per site throughout the day. Councillors raised some concerns about designating an entire downtown area parking parking lot for a full Saturday, with Councillor Adrian Foster suggesting perhaps a better idea would be to provide a parking pass, to allow parking at a variety of municipal locations, rather than taking over an entire lot. Staff will report back to council on the matter in coming weeks. ■ For more information on the Artists in the Garden tour, visit http:/Avww.hearthplace. orgAvhats_new.htm, or call 905-579-4833. ,0 Reaching Your Goals Freedom 55 Takes Careful Planning Financial •Individual life insurance •Disability insurance •Business insurance •Travel insurance •RRIFs, LIFs & Annuities That's Why We're Here to Help. •GICs & mutual funds •Group insurance •Group retirement plans •Mortgages •RRSPs& RESPs QUADRUS, qm*M bnwtuwt Iwtlcw IK. A Flwt tlttiMM Dwight and Deria Hickson Financial Security and Investment Representatives 5 King Ave., Newcastle (905) 987-5372 a!m T »■■■ 111 KRACO"-*. 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