Change is inevitable. But is anyone asking why the change is happening? Not all change is good. Is anyone asking if this is a good change?

Thyssen of Galt is currently having their retirement sale. Congratulations to them on their retirement. I am sure it is well deserved. Thyssen’s has been on the corner of Main and Mill for as long as I can remember, and they will be missed. I wish the owners all the best in their retirement, but I can’t help but wonder if anyone from the @City of Cambridge and more particularly @Mayor McGarry has asked the questions, why now, and why retire instead of sell?

Buying habits have changed and maybe the days of a downtown shoe store with quality products and excellent service are gone. Or, is there more to it? In recent years the core area has lost a number of long-time businesses, and at the same time, I hear more and more people saying they won’t venture downtown because they don’t feel it is safe. The number of homeless people laying on the sidewalks, or drug addicts yelling profanities is definitely driving people away from the cores and this has to be hurting our local businesses.

City hall doesn’t seem to care as Mayor McGarry pushes for a CTS site at 150 Main Street despite the fact that 70 percent of responders to a survey clearly stated they did not want a CTS site in Cambridge and definitely not in the core areas.

A block further west on Main work has been ongoing for quite a while now as loft condos are being installed above stores in the “boardwalk” area.  For this effort to have people live in the core area our city leaders are going to need to do something to improve the sense of security and safety in the neighbourhood.

Storefronts are taking on a much cleaner and more modern appearance. I do wonder, though, if consideration was given to the impact this might have on the entertainment industry paying to film in the Galt core.

Change is inevitable but is it a step forward?