Exeter’s downtown received some good news Friday with the announcement of a $150,000 Rural Economic Development Grant.
The grant will allow the hiring of a co-ordinator/developer to look at some of the existing concerns expressed by Exeter’s business community, search for solutions and look at attracting new businesses to fill up the empty storefronts and increase employment in the area.
There were smiles all around Friday afternoon at town hall as the announcement was made by Huron-Bruce MPP and Minister of Agriculture Carol Mitchell.
A drive around Southwestern Ontario will show you that Exeter’s downtown is in much better shape than most rural communities — there aren’t many empty storefronts in Exeter, there is a good variety of businesses and the downtown is busy and vibrant. The same can’t be said for many other small communities.
But this three-year program is a chance to make Exeter’s downtown even better, and is a way to promote the area and convince local residents to look at home first before heading down the highway to the city to spend their dollars.
And with the co-operation of the business owners, the municipality, the BIA and the Chamber of Commerce, it looks like everybody is working together. A strong, vibrant downtown is an important part of a successful community.


Canada gets its gold
A nation celebrated, and at the same time collectively breathed a deep sigh of relief, Sunday night as Alexandre Bilodeau won Canada’s first ever gold medal as a host country. Bilodeau captured gold in a thrilling moguls run at Cypress Mountain before an adoring, partisan crowd.
Bilodeau will forever be the answer to the trivia question: Who is the first ever Canadian to capture an Olympic gold at a Games hosted in Canada?
Yes, it may be hard to believe, but Canada has managed to host the Games twice before — in Montreal in 1976, and Calgary in 1988 — without winning a gold medal.
We can put that behind us now, revel in Bilodeau’s victory, and hope for more gold medals.
For many, hockey is the marquis event, but there are plenty of other sports just as deserving of our attention. Locally, we’ll have our attention focused on Ilderton’s Scott Moir and London’s Tessa Virtue, who are figure skating medal hopefuls.
Bilodeau will deservedly reap the honours of being Canada’s first athlete to win Olympic gold in an Olympic Games at home, but Canadians are hoping there is much more Canadian gold to celebrate in the next couple of weeks.