Another Major Loss for Main Street

Posted by Jennifer Smith On Wednesday, March 23, 2011 4 comments

One of the first people I met when I moved to Milton was Steve Bonin, the owner and proprietor of Harris Stationary - later Harris Office Pro. As the owner of a mail-order business I go through a lot of office supplies, so it was incredibly convenient to have Harris mere blocks from my house and just a few doors down from the post office.

Even after Staples opened up by the Wal-Mart, I always made a point of buying my office and shipping supplies at Harris because a) it was right there, and b) the customer service at Staples leaves a lot to be desired. Sure, things were a little cheaper at Staples, but the savings were hardly worth the time and trouble.

On top of it all, Steve was just a great guy to talk to. He and his family have been Main Street merchants since forever, so he was an endless source of news, gossip and opinion about the goings on in downtown Milton.

Which is why I was deeply saddened to hear that, after 58 years as a Main Street institution, Harris Office Pro is finally going out of business.

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

“Harris Office Pro” will be closing its doors on 29 April 2011.

It is with mixed feelings that I make this decision. After review it is apparent that the retail office supply business can no longer remain a viable division of the business.

I will continue to operate and deliver goods until 27 April 2011 although I will only be extending credit until 1 April 2011 and ask that all accounts be settled by the 15th of April 2011.

Credit Card processing will cease on 22 April 2011, giving time for the bank to reconcile before the close of the month

So please take a few moments to decide what you may need to order and order early. This will help me marshal an orderly withdrawal from the business.

“We Print Ink” will continue to operate.

The printing side of the business will continue to operate mainly via email as it has up to now. The phone and fax numbers will continue to be in service and I will maintain an office at our present address.

In closing, I want to thank each and every one of you for the continued support throughout the decades. The Milton business community has supported Harris Stationery for nearly 6 decades and for that you deserve a warm thank you.

Respectfully,

Steve Bonin
Harris Office Pro + We Print Ink
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4 comments to Another Major Loss for Main Street

  1. says:
    March 23, 2011 8:21 PM

    Zeeshan Hamid One of my main goals is to turn Main Street back into a vibrant core of our town. Unfortunately it can't be done overnight. From solving parking problems to improving pedestrian access to intensifying downtown to bring more people in, it'll take time.

    I just came back from DC and really spent time studying how each DC neighbourhood handled its core (yes, each neighbourhood there has its own distinct "main street"). It was really interesting, some put paid on-street parking while others removed all parking and put parking lots at the edges. In one suburb they actually made a portion of the street pedestrian only.

    Zeeshan Hamid

  1. says:
    March 24, 2011 1:30 AM

    Jennifer Smith I've always suspected that downtown's biggest "parking problem" is that people don't know where the parking lots are. I usually walk or bike since I live so close, but when I do drive downtown I never have any problem finding a parking space unless the Farmer's Market is on or there's some other big event.

    I think we could start with more highly visible signs directing people to parking on Mary and Mill Streets. That, and Saturday bus service - or at least a shuttle bus from the GO lot during the Market.

    I'm actually reading Jane Jacobs right now (be afraid!), and one of the things she talks about is how 'mixed-use' needs to include mixed *times* of use. If each and every location needs (or demands) it's own separate parking then of course you never have enough. But if some stores are used more in the morning, some in the afternoon, then restaurants and theatres in the evening, you can maximize use of a smaller number of spaces.

  1. says:
    April 19, 2011 3:31 PM

    David Brown Nice post, Jennifer.

    Well, nice to hear about your personal experience dealing with Steve -- not the fact that he's closing down the store.

    I just wrote a post about it here: http://miltonsearch.com/2011/04/19/main-street-losing-an-icon/ which included part of what you wrote.

    I'm actually interested in researching Goderich, Ontario. I remember a few years back, TVO and Steve Paikin had a show about the 'Best towns in Ontario' and Goderich was deemed to be the best. They trumpeted the fact that they have a vibrant downtown core as well as big box stores and power centres on the outskirts like Milton does, and both thrive. That's a town we may want to look more closely at...

    I would encourage residents (especially those in the 'outer limits' such as myself) to make the effort to get downtown and see what there is to offer, so when it's time to go out for a quick shopping excursion, maybe going dowtown will be an option. Unfortunately, everyone sees the big, bright signs of the chain stores and those locations kinda get burned into the brain...

    Also re: parking -- I've never had an issue parking downtown, either on Main St. or in the parking lots behind Main St. shops on both sides. I don't think parking is an issue for people -- I think it's the fact that many people now are closer to the new plazas then to downtown and choose to save the extra time spent in transit and sitting at another few stoplights...

  1. says:
    May 1, 2011 10:42 PM

    kimmacdonald It's sad to see Harris go, but I've seen that one coming for at least a year unfortunately. It's tough business to compete in, and economic conditions I'm sure have not helped. Main Street is changing. I am hopeful because I see new businesses moving in to old locations and doing well. Flour Girls have moved from Mill Street to a much more prominent location right on Main Street. We still have a plethora of boutiques, restaurants and quaint retail stores and service businesses operating on Main Street. It's a highly desirable location for many businesses and it fairs substantially better than the downtowns of other places. We need to work to make sure it stays that way though.

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