The grand re-opening of Front Street in Downtown Thorold was celebrated on November 28th.
It was a fantastic celebration of the completion of the Front Street revitalization project that started in May, 2020. The celebration will continue through holiday season with promotions to highlight the rebirth of the new Downtown Thorold.
The celebration on Saturday commenced at 10 am with presentations by Thorold BIA Chair Serge Carpino and Mayor Terry Ugulini. The brief speeches were followed by a formal ribbon cutting on Front Street South at the intersection of Sullivan Avenue and Clairmont Street.
With safety protocols in place, civic officials, BIA members, and about 30 people from the general public attended the event presented like a pep rally to give downtown businesses a boost and raise our community spirit .
Boosting Local Business – Raising Community Spirit
“The businesses have always deserved a vibrant downtown with infrastructure that allows creative and entrepreneurial minds to create a sense of community. We are building the future with great partners,”
Terry Ugulini, Mayor of Thorold
“It is the entrepreneurial spirit of our business owners, landlords and developers that will pave the way for success. The public sector has invested and the private sector will now complement that investment with their passion and hard work. This partnership will continue on, as now more than ever governments need to work lock step with the private sector to create prosperity and liveable communities.”
Scavenger Hunt Game
Following the official re-opening of Front Street, a Scavenger Hunt Game was officially opened to run run to January 4th. The free game has been designed to entice visitors to explore the downtown area to find 10 bulb decorations in windows at participating businesses. Go to thoroldbia.com/scavhunt for more details to win a prize in this fun contest.
“We want to thank people for shopping locally and supporting our small businesses. Together we can all celebrate an amazing rebirth of Downtown Thorold,”
Serge Carpino, Chair of the Thorold Business Improvement Area (BIA)
To brighten up the season, a series of festive light displays on the new sidewalk bump-outs along Front Street will illuminate the area for people to enjoy. Visitors can try to win a prize by taking a selfie at one of the displays and posting their photo on social media with the hashtag #NewDowntownThorold.
The BIA is also holding a Decorate your Front Window Display contest for member businesses. The public will be invited to vote for their favourite display. Prizes will be awarded to the top two businesses with creative window displays. The public can vote at thoroldbia.com/scavhunt. All prize winners in the BIA holiday season promotions will be announced in early January.
“As questions are being asked about the status of businesses and how they are coping with these unprecedented times, one thing is certain, Front Street revitalization in Thorold is taking shape and ready to accommodate the next phase of investment and innovation, through the cultural and historic roots that define this great downtown. With new streetscaping providing for a walkable and accessible downtown, what were once renderings is now becoming a reality. These have been challenging times, but the people of Thorold are resilient and they understand the importance of the “Shop Local” campaign,”
Mayor Ugulini
Construction work by Peters Excavating started on May 11th on the Front Street revitalization that included a new road from Sullivan Avenue to Regent Street, sidewalks, infrastructure, and streetscaping. The BIA is currently collaborating with the City of Thorold to install a new communications system to play outdoor music and run free public Wi Fi in the downtown core. Stay tuned for news on this exciting development as the evolution continues in Downtown Thorold.