Signs of Optimism Abound in Truro – Courtesy, Truro Daily News

Truro business community upbeat despite loss of downtown anchors

TRURO – No, the sky isn’t falling and neither is Truro’s business community in a death spiral.

“Everybody seems to be focusing on the negative and that doesn’t provide solutions,” said Keith Gillis, owner of G and G computers, regarding the recent spate of closings or announced shutdowns by a number of long-established local businesses, such asMargolians, Cavanaghs and Suckling and Chase, as well as the pending closures of A.J. Walkers and Sons and the M.P. Crowell furniture store.

“Think positive,” is the message being imparted by local retailers and business owners who collectively suggest there is no need to sound any death knells or extol the refrain of economic doom and gloom.

“As bad as the market is out there, you know, some of this stuff is just kind of like an aligning of the moons, maybe you could say,” Gillis said, adding that many new businesses have started up over the past few years that don’t make the headlines.

“And they might not be big businesses providing 15 or 20 jobs, but they’re still important businesses in the downtown area that are providing a service and that are still, you know, alive and kicking. And I just think there needs to be more positive put on some of this spin.”

Gillis started his business 10 years ago, only three months after the area’s largest computer store shut down, so the fact that some businesses are closing does not in itself suggest a negative business climate.

“When one store closes, that leaves opportunity for another,” he said.

“Everybody you talk to … the market’s down. But if you are going to sit there and doom and gloom, you are not going to help yourself. And I think there’s still lots of opportunities out there.”

For some retailers, such as Sea Shell Design owner Shelley Austin, the market of late has been showing vibrant signs of improvement.

“I don’t feel doom and gloom. I feel very optimistic. We had the best month of December we ever had in the store, so that is really encouraging,” she said.

“I was quite sad to hear of the closing of Margolians and the other stores, but I feel that the downtown still has a very strong and vibrant collection of stores.

“I’m sorry to see them close but I don’t think it’s the end of the downtown. There’s a lot of really unique stores in Truro and hopefully what people will realize is that they should shop locally.”

As with other shopkeepers in town, Wooden Hog co-owner Marlene Creelman has read the headlines of recent business closings and has heard the comments of doom and gloom, but as with an increasing clamour of voices from local shopkeeps, she isn’t buying it.

Her cafe and restaurant has been in operation for 16 years and her neighbouring Redbird Wine and Scotch Bar for six years, and Creelman has no plans of going anywhere.

“I know that the businesses that have closed, we all grew up with them here and shopped at these stores … but I do realize that most of what has happened with the bunch that are closing is because of the ages of them and they’ve had their time,” she said.

“I grew up here, I don’t really see it as a dying thing. I mean, Margolians was part of my life but I’m not going to die if it’s not here …

“There’s still a lot of wonderful little businesses going on.”

Brigitte LaPointe, manager of Temptations Boutique, also sees the recent movements as part of the “natural progression of life’s work,” when a succession of generations come to an end.

“I think it sounds a lot worse than it is,” she said. “When I started working here 10 years ago there were five empty stores here on Inglis Place. And for the last however many years, there have been no empty stores on Inglis Place.”

Like the other retailers, LaPointe believes area residents do have to think local if they expect to maintain the convenience of having local shops to go to when they need them. But she too believes opportunity and optimism will eventually win out

against the current atmosphere of business closings.

“Now, unfortunately Margolians is empty but I think that is just a temporary circumstance and I think that some smart businessperson is going to see that as an opportunity and bring us, maybe a chain restaurant. I think that would be a great idea, she said.

But as with the story of Chicken Little, who created chaos in her community by convincing others that the sky was falling after a couple of acorns fell on her head, Truro’s economic future is not based on the disappearance of a few businesses, as well established and respected as they may have been, the retailers believe.

“I just think when things get a little rough, to think positive,” LaPointe said.