Green Tradeshow Grows by Karina Hunter

Photo by Sean Irwin.

TERRACE BAY, ON – Saturday, April 24^th, Terrace Bay’s 2^nd Annual Green Tradeshow was held at the Community Centre Arena receiving a great deal of interest from residents across the Northshore who came to peruse the many businesses, government organizations, non-profits, local schools presenting environmental projects within their curriculums and environmental lobby groups at the tradeshow. More than 70 booths, up from last year’s 55, displayed a variety of environmentally conscious products and services to more than 1000 visitors who attended (up from approximately 700 last year). 

 Among the displays were government agencies such as EarthWise Thunder Bay, the city’s Community Environmental Action Plan’ representatives from the Northwestern Ontario Region of the Ministry of Natural Resources including, from Thunder Bay, Conservation Officer Andy Heerschap and his canine partner Bear, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever mix, the pair gave an incredible presentation of their contraband recovery skills and Terrace Bay’s own Mayor Michael King welcomed attendees, along with Community Development Supervisor Dean Main, to the township’s booth which included schematics for the new ‘greener’ Community and Cultural Centre and  for their Downtown Revitalization and Beautification Project.  King also informed people on the progression of the project which includes restoring Simcoe Plaza shopping area with extensive improvements to the overhead canopy in front of businesses, plaza signage, area sidewalks for barrier free access, lighting, and landscaping and construction of a 40 foot tall lighthouse which will serve as a beacon to travelers of Hwy 17 attracting
them to the downtown area.  The lookout beacon is one of the most crucial parts of the entire project from which visitors will enjoy amazing views of Lake Superior, the Slate Islands and the Township of Terrace Bay.

The tradeshow wound up CFNO radio’s Al Cresswell, a well known media personality across the Northshore, assisting organizer Sean Irwin in drawing the many, may attendance prizes and gifts which had been supplied by sponsors and participating groups.  Irwin reminded visitors to watch for next year’s tradeshow which he promised would once again be “Bigger, Better and Greener!”