campaign to pedestrianise Reid Street in a bid to revitalise the lagging retail sector.

Pierre Dutoya, general manager of the Hornburg Calypso chain which owns Calypso, Voila and Benetton, said that instead of sitting around complaining about things being bad for retailers, they should gang together to push for change.

And he said that The Royal Gazette should spearhead the campaign which he said would be good for both locals and visitors alike.

"Reid Street should be pedestrianised,'' he said. "But there are some people on Front Street who don't understand the need to do it.'' And he said that the vast amount of taxes paid by the stores was not being seen by the retailers.

The idea to pedestrianise the area between Queen Street and Burnaby Street has proved controversial over the past two years.

Many are concerned that a lack of parking will scare away customers, while the other side feels that the scheme will improve the street.

Those who are opposed to the scheme include A.S. Cooper's, The English Sports Shop, Smith's, Trimingham's and the Stationery Store, St. Michael's and Aston & Gunn, who all voiced their concern about the scheme and the loss of parking in a letter to the editor in The Royal Gazette in March this year.

Mr. Dutoya said: "The idea of taking your car in to do the shopping died in the 1960s. It is finished. Tourists have no cars to park, so it is not their concern. Their concern is to have, on not such a sunny day, the opportunity to do their shopping in a friendly environment and outside.'' According to a survey published in March this year, 60 percent of merchants surveyed by the Chamber of Commerce were in favour of pedestrianising the lower end of the street.

The Corporation of Hamilton also said last it was planning to visit towns in the US to research a partial pedestrianisation of Hamilton.

The new Hamilton City Plan recommends pursuing pedestrianisation in lower Reid Street between Burnaby Street and Queen Street.

But the Corporation is keen to look at how similar schemes operate in the US before finally deciding on whether to limit traffic in that area.

The scheme could involve narrowing the road, allowing traffic for commercial deliveries and opening and closing the street to traffic at different times.

"As merchants we do not know where our taxes are going,'' added Mr. Dutoya.

"We pay two taxes, land tax and Corporation of Hamilton tax. And not a penny is put back.'' And he said local retailers had to take action to help themselves keep their heads above water financially.

But Roger Davidson, president of H.A. & E. Smith, is strongly opposed to the idea without any parking for customers.

"We would be delighted to see the Corporation develop parking before pedestrianisation. Parking is totally inadequate in Hamilton. I am not in favour of pedestriansiation of Reid Street at all.''