​Crowd braves fierce wind for re-opening of Queen Street, Hometown Christmas, in downtown Kincardine

It was a cold, windy Friday night but that didn’t stop stop hundreds of people from heading to downtown Kincardine for the re-opening of Queen Street and to take in Hometown Christmas.

The event saw the businesses along Queen Street revealing their beautiful Christmas window displays and welcoming people to come inside and get started on their Christmas shopping, followed by the grand re-opening and ribbon-cutting.

Sadie Al of the Kincardine Business Improvement Area (BIA) welcomed everyone and said the downtown merchants are thrilled to have the street open again after it was closed in March for the major downtown infrastructure project.

“I remember when we were here to mark the start of this project in mid-March,” said Kincardine mayor Kenneth Craig, “and we had a blizzard! Now, we have a pathway to success, a road to prosperity, in our downtown core.”

Huron-Bruce MP Ben Lobb said Kincardine’s downtown is beautiful and with the construction project complete, it’s time to celebrate.

“I realize it’s been a frustrating summer, but you’ll never be sorry you did this project,” he said. “It’s a great investment. Congratulations and Merry Christmas!

Huron-Bruce MPP Lisa Thompson echoed those sentiments and then presented a cheque for $129,000 toward the project, from the provincial Rural Economic Development program.

Amanda Goetz, downtown development manager, spun the drum of ballots for the Shop and Dine Passport draw for $1,000 in BIA bucks, and the winner was Ginny Ross of Kincardine.

Everyone then headed through the downtown to take in the festivities of Hometown Christmas.

Santa Claus greeted the children at the corner of Queen and Harbour Streets, while there were horse-drawn wagon rides, free hot dogs and hot chocolate, live music a petting zoo and pony rides, the Kinetic Knights bake sale, top shot hockey, and the Kincardine District Senior School Grade 8 graduation bake sale.