A new proposed strategy aims to build a”dynamic and thriving” nighttime economy in Edmonton and some stakeholders believe it could transform the city’s art and tourism sectors, and its overall nightlife.
Authored by city staff, Explore Edmonton and U.K.-based Night Time Economy Solutions, Edmonton’s Nighttime Economy Strategy seeks to play a pivotal role in helping businesses flourish after the sun goes down.
The report, published Thursday, examines trends in the economy and tourism that would help Edmonton create a “dynamic and thriving nighttime economy” that prioritizes unity, connectivity, protection, progressiveness and uniqueness.
Two of the report’s main priorities are improving transportation and safety.
According to the report, many stakeholders, particularly female participants, shared feeling uncomfortable taking transit or the LRT, as they were highlighted as “hotspot areas” for drug use, gravitating toward driving or ride-share services like Uber should they want to go out.
Those surveyed said they have noticed an increase in crime and disorder as the night progresses and wanted to see a more active and visible presence of police and peace officers.
Puneeta McBryan, executive director of the Downtown Business Association, told CBC News the strategy doesn’t contain a lot of new information, especially when it comes to the importance of safety.
Puneeta McBryan, executive director of the Edmonton Downtown Business Association, said she’s curious to see what city council does with the information in the report. (Craig Ryan/CBC)
She said business owners have called for measures to improve safety for a long time.
“People need to feel safe if we want them to go places,” McBryan said.
“It’s really affirming that this thing we’ve been saying for a long time has been validated … There’s a lot in here that’s validating for us, but not a lot that’s new.”
McBryan said she’s curious to see what Edmonton city council does with the information in the report, which includes what she calls some “really helpful data” to quantify the importance of a nighttime economy plan.
When it comes to safety, she said the landscape has changed significantly in downtown areas.
“Our downtown beat officers are there during the day, but what that presence looks like at night has really changed since COVID,” she said.
“I’d be really curious to find out, even compared to 2018, how many officers we have out on a typical Friday or Saturday night.”
Tyson Boyd, co-owner of the Starlite Room, said improving safety is going to be a major factor in helping to grow foot traffic within Edmonton’s downtown. (Julien Latraverse/Radio-Canada)
Tyson Boyd, co-owner of the Starlite Room, said businesses are itching to rebuild and strengthen the downtown core, and improving safety is going to be a major factor in helping to grow foot traffic.
Some of his own staff have told him they feel nervous taking transit because of their safety concerns. It’s a hot topic for customers too, he said.
“When you have larger events and people are coming down, it’s a power in numbers type thing,” Boyd said.
“When people are all coming down at a specific time, you have the comfort of being with a number of people riding the train, versus when it’s a little bit more of a slower time and there are fewer people.”
Boyd said more measures in place, such as better-lit streets and beat officers, would make people comfortable and create a generally safe environment downtown.
Rob Browatzke, co-owner of Evolution Wonderlounge, said the strategy looks great at first glance, but its success will depend on how the city implements it. (Travis McEwan/CBC)
Rob Browatzke, co-owner of Evolution Wonderlounge, said the strategy looks great at first glance, but its success will depend on how the city implements it. Much of the plan focuses on transportation and crime, two major issues impacting nightlife, he said.
“Downtown is a lot less safe than it was four years ago,” Browatzke said.
“People are really quick to scapegoat that onto Edmonton’s unhoused population. I get that, but that’s not where we’re seeing most of the safety issues. I think people forgot how to be people during COVID.”
Improving transportation options and safety would change things for the better, especially since Browatzke’s venue closes at 2:30 a.m. But doesn’t feel like a nightlife-focused committee should be tasked with fixing Edmonton’s bigger issues.
Instead, he’ll be curious to see if city staff can come up with promotional vehicles that businesses can use to spread the word about upcoming events.
“It’s all going to come down to who’s on this committee and how much power the committee actually has, and what this committee can actually do,” Browatzke said.
The proposed strategy is slated for discussion at council’s Executive Committee on April 10.
OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, rose 0.4 per cent to $82.7 billion in July.
The increase came as sales in the miscellaneous subsector gained three per cent to reach $10.5 billion in July, helped by strength in the agriculture supplies industry group, which rose 9.2 per cent.
The food, beverage and tobacco subsector added 1.7 per cent to total $15 billion in July.
The personal and household goods subsector fell 2.5 per cent to $12.1 billion.
In volume terms, overall wholesale sales rose 0.5 per cent in July.
Statistics Canada started including oilseed and grain as well as the petroleum and petroleum products subsector as part of wholesale trade last year, but is excluding the data from monthly analysis until there is enough historical data.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VICTORIA – British Columbia is forecasting a record budget deficit and a rising debt of almost $129 billion less than two weeks before the start of a provincial election campaign where economic stability and future progress are expected to be major issues.
Finance Minister Katrine Conroy, who has announced her retirement and will not seek re-election in the Oct. 19 vote, said Tuesday her final budget update as minister predicts a deficit of $8.9 billion, up $1.1 billion from a forecast she made earlier this year.
Conroy said she acknowledges “challenges” facing B.C., including three consecutive deficit budgets, but expected improved economic growth where the province will start to “turn a corner.”
The $8.9 billion deficit forecast for 2024-2025 is followed by annual deficit projections of $6.7 billion and $6.1 billion in 2026-2027, Conroy said at a news conference outlining the government’s first quarterly financial update.
Conroy said lower corporate income tax and natural resource revenues and the increased cost of fighting wildfires have had some of the largest impacts on the budget.
“I want to acknowledge the economic uncertainties,” she said. “While global inflation is showing signs of easing and we’ve seen cuts to the Bank of Canada interest rates, we know that the challenges are not over.”
Conroy said wildfire response costs are expected to total $886 million this year, more than $650 million higher than originally forecast.
Corporate income tax revenue is forecast to be $638 million lower as a result of federal government updates and natural resource revenues are down $299 million due to lower prices for natural gas, lumber and electricity, she said.
Debt-servicing costs are also forecast to be $344 million higher due to the larger debt balance, the current interest rate and accelerated borrowing to ensure services and capital projects are maintained through the province’s election period, said Conroy.
B.C.’s economic growth is expected to strengthen over the next three years, but the timing of a return to a balanced budget will fall to another minister, said Conroy, who was addressing what likely would be her last news conference as Minister of Finance.
The election is expected to be called on Sept. 21, with the vote set for Oct. 19.
“While we are a strong province, people are facing challenges,” she said. “We have never shied away from taking those challenges head on, because we want to keep British Columbians secure and help them build good lives now and for the long term. With the investments we’re making and the actions we’re taking to support people and build a stronger economy, we’ve started to turn a corner.”
Premier David Eby said before the fiscal forecast was released Tuesday that the New Democrat government remains committed to providing services and supports for people in British Columbia and cuts are not on his agenda.
Eby said people have been hurt by high interest costs and the province is facing budget pressures connected to low resource prices, high wildfire costs and struggling global economies.
The premier said that now is not the time to reduce supports and services for people.
Last month’s year-end report for the 2023-2024 budget saw the province post a budget deficit of $5.035 billion, down from the previous forecast of $5.9 billion.
Eby said he expects government financial priorities to become a major issue during the upcoming election, with the NDP pledging to continue to fund services and the B.C. Conservatives looking to make cuts.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said the debt would be going up to more than $129 billion. In fact, it will be almost $129 billion.
NANAIMO, B.C. – Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney says he’ll be advising the Liberal party to flip some the challenges posed by an increasingly divided and dangerous world into an economic opportunity for Canada.
But he won’t say what his specific advice will be on economic issues that are politically divisive in Canada, like the carbon tax.
He presented his vision for the Liberals’ economic policy at the party’s caucus retreat in Nanaimo, B.C. today, after he agreed to help the party prepare for the next election as chair of a Liberal task force on economic growth.
Carney has been touted as a possible leadership contender to replace Justin Trudeau, who has said he has tried to coax Carney into politics for years.
Carney says if the prime minister asks him to do something he will do it to the best of his ability, but won’t elaborate on whether the new adviser role could lead to him adding his name to a ballot in the next election.
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says she has been taking advice from Carney for years, and that his new position won’t infringe on her role.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 10, 2024.
