While we can admire some of the beautiful buildings and streetscape along Front Street, some spots across Downtown Thorold are looking and feeling a little worse for wear. As we spend more time outside, there are plenty of simple things to do to freshen up the downtown core. Grab a buddy or spread the word, here are three ways to bring our community together and help the downtown area shine:
Add some style
While it won’t solve all of Downtown Thorold’s ills, adding some visual cheer to a place can go a long way towards boosting how we feel about it. Maybe paint a mural in a wide window in a vacant building or start a community contest to inspire artists to create a masterpiece on an old public wall. Adding solar lights to pathways or street corners can also create a friendly, safe ambience.
Share your skills
Are you handy around the house or good with tools? Consider volunteering to form a group of community boosters with a street clean-up team and keep the downtown core looking sharp. Maybe the local merchants will reward you some treats. If you’re a culinary artist with skills in the kitchen, consider pitching in at a bake sale or community event to fundraise for new infrastructure or amenities (e.g. bench seating) around the downtown.
Make an event out of it
Cleaning up litter may not be a typical day out, but it can be a great way to spruce up a public space. Maybe a group of Brock University or Niagara College students can step up to show their community spirit and form a clean-up team to participate in a local event.
Cigarette butts are a particular eyesore and are one of the most littered items in some parts of Downtown Thorold. While most parts of a cigarette butt are biodegradable, they don’t just fade away. Taking part in a cleanup, like an Unsmoke Canada event, goes a long way to making your community look and feel better. And, before a cigarette butt hits the ground, remember that they can be properly disposed of in a designated municipal bin.
Find more information about cleanups at unsmoke.ca/community-initiatives. Let’s work together to clean up Downtown Thorold.