Sometimes the easiest solution really is the best one.
Such was the case with the ongoing saga of Napanee’s Downtown BIA- the ‘will they or won’t they’ question of reinstating the currently defunct organization. After a couple of delegations and a special meeting dedicated to the matter, Greater Napanee council came up with a simple answer: ask the business owners.
And so began the process of mailing letters to landlords and business owners within the boundary of the previous BIA, informing them of the town’s intent to revive a BIA that was officially disbanded some 10 months prior.
Not quite a survey, the letter at least somewhat gauges the interest in having a BIA by those who would be responsible for funding it. It’s far from an exact science however as it relies on participants being engaged enough to take the time to respond-but only if they object to the idea. The merits of a BIA have long been debated and it’s true that it benefits certain businesses more than others. But then there is the counter argument-and it’s a valid one-that poses the notion that a healthy downtown core with lots of foot traffic is a benefit to all residents within the town.
Whatever the results of the town’s latest exercise, ideally it’ll net somewhat speedy results. As was mentioned at the previous council meeting, if there’s going to be a BIA in place, it would have its most impact if done so before the summer months.
The path taken by council won’t necessary indicate just how enthusiastic local merchants are to have a BIA in place, but it will at least provide an idea of how much a large portion of them are against it. Given that the current back and forth has yet to yield any progress, this at least represents somewhat of a starting point.
-We would be remiss if we didn’t reflect on the passing of local astronomer Terence Dickinson, who passed away Feb. 1 at the age of 79.
A Yarker native for over 40 years, he was a great resource whenever something of note was happening in the cosmos. He was Discovery Canada and CBC’s go-to expert on these matters, so to have a resource like that available just a phone call away for a community paper was a huge benefit. And while he was often in demand by national media, he always took the time to chat with the Beaver, for which we are grateful. Every so often he’d even send along a photo he snapped from his observatory in Yarker or from the Lennox and Addington Dark Sky Viewing Area-an attraction he was instrumental in establishing here in the county. Though he may not have been considered a ‘professional’, his images were always breath taking.
His legacy will live on through his large body of published works, but here at home we’ll have the Dark Sky Viewing Area as a lasting tribute. He inspired countless Canadians to look up and appreciate the awe-inspiring night sky. For that, we can all thank him.
-Adam Prudhomme