Essex County to expect more money

by Melissa Fregapan

Essex County residents should be expecting more tourism and businesses opening within the community.

According to Essex Ward 3 Coun. Bill Baker, developments are happening for resurging communities such as Colchester, Harrow, McGregor and the Town of Essex. Baker said a significant number of wineries have emerged – at least 11 – which are generating interest from tourists and providing a theme for the region.

A municipal act, called the Community Improvement Plan, has been put into place. This act allows municipalities to offer different kinds of grants, tax increment financing and other incentives. The act was created to develop and improve local businesses.

Tim Hortons has expressed interest in the community. The franchise will be opening a restaurant in Harrow soon. Though the opening is no big economic development, having any major chain is significant.

“We have interest from national brands wanting to come into the area because they see the opportunities,” said Baker. “Additionally to that, we have just and are in the process of building right now, a large semi-thousand square foot manufacturing plant which will employ many new jobs in the community and that is called Interquest Services.”

Interquest Services is a market and technology research and consulting firm in the field of digital printing and publishing.

The act will also provide help to get approval for the concept of opening a farmers’ market that would be able to sell local wines. Discussions about a hotel opening are also underway to support the tourism brought in by the wineries, said Baker.

Harrow business owner Esabel Cacilhas, 42, agrees with the integration of a hotel in the community. Cacilhas believes the hotel will bring much-needed business to the community. But she said she does not want big box stores that would affect the small local businesses, such as her own. Cacilhas is a professional photographer and owns her own studio. She said there are challenges that come with living in a small community.

“We used to have two grocery stores in Harrow when I was a kid. Now we’re kind of limited to just Sanford and Son,” said Cacilhas. “They don’t carry the variety as the other box stores. That’s the only downside of it.”

Cacilhas said since amalgamating with Essex, Harrow has not been the same. Stores have closed and she claims the town has been “going down” since then.

“Ever since we amalgamated with Essex it’s not been that great for us,” said Cacilhas “I don’t enjoy the fact that we amalgamated with Essex. I wish we had just stayed on our own.”

Harrow used to have their own municipal council about a decade ago but now are under one council with Essex.

“Even though we’re part of Essex, we all feel left out. We don’t get the attention Essex does,” said Cacilhas. “Our taxes have gone up since we amalgamated with Essex but we haven’t really seen any of benefits from it in our area.”

There is an upside to living in the rural community, though, said Cacilhas. She said the residents of these communities are able to go directly to farmers for their fresh products in the summer. But during the winter, she has to drive to Kingsville or Leamington to get organic products, costing her a lot of gas, mileage and loss of money to her community.

The Community Improvement Plan was passed by the Essex Council in November.