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13-q Wi$y Fte Prou., Weckiesday, Deoeniber 1, 1993 ue w *nw Long-tim downtow stores close dow One of downtown Whitby's oidest stores recently ciosed its doors and two other iongtime business owners wiii aise be 9gninto retirement soon. IABrock Street North variety store, that operated for almost 70 years with no sign but which was kcnown te local residents as Turansky's ciosed last month. Soon te 1Ïoliow will be Shortyfs Cigar Store located further south on Brock Street North,- not far from the four corners, and, further south, C&C Sound, on Brock Street South. uWe're worked r#et out,» said Raiph Turansky, 66, one of the famiiy members who heiped with variety store operated mostiy by his mother katherine, now 96, and brother Bernard, 65, through the years. «The business isn't there," says Raiph. For ahnost its entire lus- tory, the store didn't need a sign, he says, but he adinits a sign might have heiped attract more customners ini recent years. But he also says plazas and mails outside the downtown and a laek of downtown parking aise hurt, and he feels many other downtown businesses are also hurin¶Lti for business owners right now. I would guess that 90 p er cent of people downtown are h vig probleins right now.» Horace Hawes, known as Shorty, has been in business in Whitby 9*nce 1941 when he moved roiIMaford. lHe set up a lunch coun r which he operatod for throe years, then sold tickets for Grey Coach. He then opened a variety store at the back of the former Baikof Commerce building but moved te the current location wben the bank building was torn down in 1963. lie aise operated a pool hall on Dundas Street West lor a period in the late sixties and earily seventies. ni recent years Hawes' store has been operated mostly by bis daughters. Bob Catton, 75, is retiring after 35 years at C&C Sound. Whilo the store will close at its current location, Bobos son Chris, 39, will carry on the business at bis home et Brock and St. Lawrence streets. 'lii miss the people," says Cat- ton, adding there wasn't much monoy to bie made in the steree, business, especiaily in recent years, despite the fact there is "less and lesr competition. "I can't complain about Whitby. My old, regular custo- mers have good equipment. «But new custemers don't want te pay for anything. They just want you te give it te tbem. «I can understand it. Every- body's having problems, there's people eut of werk. "So pipe are Iooking for cbeap,cèheap, cbeap.» Catton doesn't blame custo- mers for shopping around, but says bis prices were the saine as ethers and customers stili weren't cenvinced they were get- ting a god deai. f And ne says some people don't realize that paying a littie more for a superior quality steree wili save years of repair costs asso- cated with cbeaper models. A store operator ini Scar- borougb fer six years before ho bought the Whitby business frem O.K Butz, Catton at first sold washers, dryers refrigeraters, stoves and amafl appliances as well as steree consuls. But the "white geeda» also inveived hoek-ups and installa- tions, and «There was ne money in it,» se in 1976, when ho bougbt eut bis partner, he began te seil oniy stercos and tele- visions. Catton, who says bis store is situated in the best block in the downtown, aise believes other downtown businesses are having a reugh time now. «Idcoubt very many businesses in the downtown are making a profit teday. i"It's a net a matter ef compet- ing, just.getting prefit te, stay in business. And the big depart- ment stores are in the saine boat. And ho predicts some of the large companies making steree eqimnt wiil «beave North Aeiain the next few years.» Upni a few years ago, KatheeieTuranksy managed te work a few times a week in the Cut your own Christmas Trees Fun For The Entire Family Enjoy a real tradition Hayrides e Refreshments Free Tree Baling e Crafi Shop Ample Parking 9:00 arn to 5:00 pm from over 20,000 Top Quality Groomed 6'-12' Scotch Pine White Spruce, White Pine -ILP SUPR BWI1'Ralii I N DIS TRCT IOil ~ NS J Weekends December 4th to December l8th Murcott's Tree Farm 662 Townline Road 1 Mile North of Ashburn Village For More Informaion or for' Weekdoy Visits pleoso coul the Form at (905) 655-3295 NORTH T.. PýsIPom, I ownhne Rd. ASHBURN- - Myie Ré >: HWY. 97Y à CHRIS AND BOB CATTON store she startod in 1924. «Ever since I was youngI wanted a store " she teld e Free Presà in 1Ü87. She worked at the Hatch buckle factory in Whitby before starting Whitby's first variety store. Business was slow at first, she remembered, «But it reaily im- p roved when the war started.» Yom the store's opening until the 1950s, her daily bours were from 8 a.m. te il p.m. She even admittod some surpr- ise that ber store was* stili operating in 1987 in the face of stiff competition. But she noted that «When you walk into tbe big stores, nobody customers ad g*v them the time odaThy like that.- That was alsetrue of Bernard Turansky who, Ralph says, was finding it bard te, adjùst te the stores clesing. Katherino was taking the clos- ing in stride. «She a very strong gerson, very tough,» says Raipb. She stood the paco.» About three years ago, the Turanskys were close te a deal that would have seen thoir pro- perty, that includes the store, the used car lot next door and bouse behind, sold and redeveloped. The deal foul througb,1 and the Turanskys continue te, look for a buWe haven't bad an offer in three years," says Ralpb. Two years ago, there were two break-ins within a week at the store. Cigarettes were stolen in what were the first and only break-ins in tbe histery of the store. «The Iast cou ple of month bu.siness really dropped, it fell like a stone. «We thoueht it was time we ieft. You can t go on forever.» Town slams equity legisiation FROM PAGE)i said Batten. ~ t eov "thieyr're yigtreova probiem that dosen't eist in this particular municipality. I think it ls the wrong signal te send eut," ho said. But Batten stressed that bis main obj ection te the bibi was a financiaiono. Ho noted that a similar proposai before Durharn Region council will coat $230,000 and that the sehool boards and Whitby Hydro Electric Commission muet aise deal witb the issue. I don't know, but I suggest that if you'ro an empioyment equity consultant in the province of Ontario you're about te get rich," Batten added. Councillor Dennis Fox noted that the law wiil apply te the private sector as well. I don't see where any government bas tbe right te impose its will on any employer," said Fox. "If if~s my business, I will bire wbo I want," ho said. Fox, a high ahoo teacher employed in T(e)onto, said ho bas experienced employment equity firsthand and it 'dees net work." Such policies discriminate againat while males, while minority groupa feel tle oniy reason tbey bave a job is due te the policy, heclaimed. "As a white maie, I feel disenfrancbised frein my own country," said Fox. "People wbo rve stoed up and fougbt for, now have rights tbat supersede mine," ho said. Fox said the geverninent is opening itself up te more problems by enacting such strong measures. "White supremacist groups feed off this," ho said. "The governmont sbould get eut and lot people soive their own problema." Councillor Don Mitchell took e xcePti on te the werding in the proamboeBill 79. "e people of Ontarie recognize tbat this lack of employment equity exista in both tbo private and public secters of Ontarie," the preambie reads. "It is caused in part by Systematic and intentional discrimination in employment," the preamblo adds. il? on't believe the people of Ontario believe there is an em 1 nnt equity poli, I don't believe we are a society of racista as is spewed eut by the Toronto media," ho said. Mitchell said Canadians are "#extrerneiy telerant" and if left alone, "our chlidren wiil be colour-blind." Although ho conceded that "we can't do anytbing about it" Mitchell saxd council was obligated te make its feelings known. A copy of councii's resolution wili be sent te the Association of Municipalities of Ontario for endorsement. Foibowing the meeting, Batten told reporters that council believes ita 1985 poiicy meets the law's requirements. "oI doni't think we need te do more, the plan is already there," be said. Batten again empbasized the financiai aspect of tbe Town's concerns. "When ýou add up the coats with the 'I Regione boards of education Whdtby Hydre, peeple will find ita extremeiy enerous," ho said. However, Whitby's current poli2y wil1 be reviewed 'because on't the people of Whitby te bo faced with a $50,000 fne," Batten added. DR. RICHARD HADDEN, exe- cutive director of the Bureau for Excellence in Durham Region, spoke at an inaugural seminar on 'total quality com- mitmnent' on Wednesday Iast week at La Gala. The bureau, based at Durham College's Whitby campus, is dedicated ta, among other things, eli- minating waste, increasing pro- ductivity, competitiveness and customer satisfaction and help- ing Durham companies ta com- pete intemnational. Photo by Markc Reesor.Whtby Free Press 1