Nearby residents cashing in on Canadian Open.
From left, Lucas and Nicholas Regan, 14 and 12, Alexandra Lucarelli, 16, Victoria Rose Regan, 18, and Mason Magee, 18, take shade on the front lawn of the Regan home at 17 Princess Margaret Boulevard Wednesday afternoon, after a long day of drink selling and driveway renting to Canadian Open fans.
Staff photo/CYNTHIA REASON
A whole host of young and enterprising Etobians are cashing in on the RBC Canadian Open this week by selling parking at a premium and drinks at a discount.
The curbs of Princess Margaret Boulevard - just a hop, skip and a jump from the north spectator entrance of the PGA event, being held at St. George's Golf and Country Club - were lined with teens hawking their parents driveways and selling soft drinks, water and juice boxes out of coolers on Wednesday, July 21.
The RBC T-shirt-clad Regan clan - Nicholas, 12, Lucas, 14, and Victoria Rose, 18 - have been doing a brisk business all week off their front lawn, but expect to reap their largest profits this weekend.
"We might even park some cars on the lawn, too," Victoria Rose said, noting that they can fit a maximum of six cars in their laneway - all of which were filled Wednesday afternoon. "People are reserving spaces for the weekend now, so we really need the extra space."
A couple doors down, Richview Collegiate student Maura Leach, 15, was selling drinks for just $1 out of a cooler on the side of the road - a bargain, considering that cold drinks inside the Canadian Open gates are going for more than double that price (the price of a bottle of apple juice, for example: $4.25).
"We're getting a lot of people walking over to buy from us," she said, explaining that the entrepreneurial venture just 'popped into her head.' "I thought, with all these people coming to the Open, we might as well take advantage."
While Maura manned the coolers, her older brother was handling the driveway rentals - $30 for a parking spot located within a couple hundred metres from the Open gates. While Maura said a few drivers have scoffed at that price, many have jumped at the opportunity to avoid having to park at Woodbine Mall and shuttle in to the event.
"We've made a few hundred dollars so far," she said Wednesday, a huge grin across her face. "Parking will probably go up to, like, $50 tomorrow. That money will go towards the college fund for my brother and extra spending money for me."
Megan Curtis, 13, and Michelle Judd, 14, also have plans for the money they expect to make renting out their grandfather's driveway - back-to-school shopping for Megan and phone repayments for Michelle, who's dad fronted her the cash for her fancy cell phone.
No word on grandpa's cut of the pay.