How is it when first discussed the mini village was not in the package of this ( Cullen Park ). Now I hear Oshawa wants them badly. Whitby council should be fired for allowing this to happen. This central park is way too far for the average Whitby resident, so was a total waste of money without the village.Whitby seems on a waste spree. They build an elaborate Library with so much wasted space, but no parking to be found.An E.M.S. building way out in the boonies , instead of keeping this service with the Fire service as it should be. Time for a new council. Jerry J. Verriet. Whitby
Purchasing the Cullen Gardens miniatures is a GREAT idea, but don't put them at Lakeview Park. I live close enough to walk there, but a centrally located, secure venue is needed. Ensure upkeep is planned, parking is available, and vandalism is impossible, and it will be successful. Audrey Hele, Oshawa
If I wanted to save those miniatures, I wouldn't go to my neighbour's house and threaten to garnish his wages or detain him if he refused to assist in the purchase of them. And yet, many citizens seem to think it's OK to get someone else--the government--to do the exact same thing by creating mandatory taxation to subsidize miniature houses. Marty Gobin, Whitby
Well, warning bells should be going off with respect to a business plan being done AFTER the purchase of the miniatures in addition to the comments from the Whitby Marketing Director Peter Label that "...Whitby never had any interest in purchasing the miniature village...as it's not a core competency for the Town to be in that kind of industry...". If Whitby cannot make a business case for the miniature village with them owning the original location and set-up, who can? We all need to remember that the stated reason that Cullen Gardens was closed, was due to the sliding annual attendance, even with all their wonderful gardens, seasonal displays and events. Unfortunately, Lakeview Park is not and will never be a Cullen Gardens to display a singular attraction such as the miniature village. - James Sprague, Oshawa
If Oshawa thinks that the public will beat a path to Oshawa and fork out money to see the Cullen miniatures, I think they are mistaken. Times have changed, when we were all kids, the family would go out for a drive and visit sites such as Cullen Gardens, but today, with computers, videos, changing habits, teenagers, etc.( i can see the eyes of the kids rolling back into their heads, ), such tourist attractions are not viable, lack of attendance, taxes, upkeep, as I said, times have changed. I wish good luck to Oshawa, but don't count your chickens before they hatch. -- Rick Foster, Whitby
Hats off to the City of Oshawa for looking to purchase those wonderful and historic miniatures and making them available for future generations. On the other hand, shame on the Town of Whitby for not doing it themselves. Whitby has been the home to the Cullen Garden miniatures and brought tourist dollars to many local businesses and into their own coffers for many years. -- C.D. Potter, Whitby
Wade Cook hit the nail on the head when he asks"why was the mini village not discussed in the Cullen Park package?"It was a major Tourist Attraction for Whitby, and now Oshawa is buying them. Let's just hope that this park area is retained as such ,and not destroyed by development with a new Hospital or more new houses. It was a missed opportunity to allow the Miniature Village to be sold. -- Diana Monks, Whitby
As former Whitby residents my family and I visited Cullen Gardens often and have wonderful memories of our time there. I am really sorry Whitby let this opportunity slip through their hands, but I'm glad Oshawa has stepped in. We live two hours away from the area now, but would definitely come back to visit the new Cullen Gardens. I'm so glad they're keeping the name too-it is well-respected and deserves to be preserved with the village. -- Sharon Milford
