Mount Forest hair salon receiving community grant

MOUNT FOREST – Wellington North council has approved the first Community Improvement Program (CIP) grant of the year.

Funds will go to installing a new sign at Blonde Design Co. at 121 Main Street North in Mount Forest, at the former Hometown Boutique location.

Listowel resident Allison Litt opened the hair salon last month, and after hearing about the CIP from Waterloo-based Westmount Signs and Printing, reached out to township economic development officer Dale Small.

With a $1,300 grant approved, half of the sign costs are being covered by the township.

Litt’s application marks the first of the year, tapping into a $35,000 budget.

In a report to council, Small estimates business improvements made through the grants are “conservatively” valued at $3.2 million.

“Of this amount, 86 per cent has been covered by the applicants with the remaining 14 per cent covered by grants or loans under the Community Improvement Program or the Downtown Revitalization Program,” Small wrote in his report.