Downtowns have been ailing for a while — and not just because of COVID-19.

In St. John’s, offices were already emptying due to a downturn in the oil industry. The pandemic-prompted move toward working from home only made matters worse.

“It’s kind of like us and Calgary were hit with our own oil-bust pandemic prior to the COVID pandemic,” said Scott Cluney, executive director for Downtown St. John’s, a business improvement area organization.

In Halifax, Paul MacKinnon likens the city’s downtown core to a 20,000-person town, with those people coming in every day and supporting the local businesses.

“Overnight, that turned into a town of 5,000 people, and so the impact on a lot of businesses has been pretty horrendous,” said MacKinnon, CEO of the Downtown Halifax Business Commission and president of Downtowns Atlantic Canada.

Uniting as one

Recognizing their voices are stronger when united, groups representing downtown and main street business communities are joining forces on a campaign directed at the federal government. In her fall economic statement delivered a few weeks ago, Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland outlined government’s vision for a three-year plan to aid recovery in the country. Knowing that’s the case, these organizations are making a joint pitch to government, asking federal officials to collaborate with them on creating programs that can address the needs of downtowns and main streets throughout Canada.

According to Ken Kelly, a Halifax-based project manager for the Canadian branch of the International Downtown Association, downtowns and main streets are a community focal point and a barometer for a place’s well-being.

“If you enter any community, whether it’s a smaller one or a larger one, you really can base your impressions on the community in what you see in the downtown or on the main street,” he said. “It’s a focal point for the community and it reflects the ideals, the aspirations, the achievements of any community. If you look at the buildings, the businesses that populate those buildings … I’ve got a pretty good sense if this is a robust community or this is a community that’s trying, but needs a little bit more work.”

These areas also draw in people, whether it’s for work, shopping or entertainment. That’s why Kelly believes it’s in the government’s best interest to listen.

“Work with us — we’re the ones who are closest to these issues,” he said. “We’re the ones who can provide insights that you haven’t thought of. We want to work with you as partners. We can not only contribute the intellectual. We can contribute the financial.”

Ideas brewing

Downtown St. John’s and the City of St. John’s already have some infrastructure projects in development for 2021, and Cluney said having multiple levels of government on board is a must to make them happen.

“Otherwise, we’re back to the drawing board if it’s just us and the city,” he said, adding such projects would need to be pushed back to 2022 or phased in over multiple years if other governments are not on board.

IDA Canada and its partners have areas they want government to help address — community well-being, community vitality, urban mobility, infrastructure and entrepreneurship. Kelly said social, cultural and economic matters impacting downtowns and main streets merit attention and that good things can spinoff from programming devoted to those issues.

In Charlottetown, retail and restaurants have managed OK, according to Downtown Charlottetown executive director Dawn Alan. But the hospitality sector was hit hard by a lack of tourism, and Alan expects that situation will not change until safe travel resumes. She would welcome opportunities to collaborate with decision makers.

“When monies come forward, we can be at the table to help make those decisions as to how it would be best spent,” she said. That holds true regardless of how many levels of government are involved.

“We’re the ones who have our ears to the businesses and talk with them daily and know how they’re being impacted and maybe how best they can be helped.”

Inclusivity, accessibility

MacKinnon considers creating more inclusive spaces and maintaining downtown vitality major issues for Halifax and something the federal government has to address for most Canadian cities.

“That doesn’t mean saving every business — that’s probably not going to be possible,” he admitted. “But it means when making infrastructure investments, what are those best ways that we can make those investments — we know they’re coming — to really help the downtown.”

Over the summer, MacKinnon noticed parts of downtown Halifax adjacent to scenic areas — including Argyle Street and the waterfront — did pretty well. He suggested further infrastructure work to help beautify the downtown would benefit the city.

Cluney said it would be great for the three levels of government to work with Downtown St. John’s on accessibility issues dually hindered by local geography and the age of many buildings. With the general population of the province aging rapidly, he said it’s important for the downtown area to get with the times and be accessible to everyone.

“All the new builds in our downtown are all accessible from the time you come in the front door right on through,” he said.

MacKinnon and Cluney both noted that the federal government has been less involved with urban downtowns in recent decades. A main streets program in the 1980s poured a lot of money into cities and larger municipalities and helped establish many downtown development groups.

“That investment is now 30, 40 years old. It’s time for a renewal of that and some new thinking,” MacKinnon said, pointing out the help is especially needed now given municipal governments are dealing with their own financial issues as a result of the pandemic.

Discussions are already moving forward with the federal government. MacKinnon and Kelly were scheduled to take part in a virtual meeting with Infrastructure and Communities Minister Catherine McKenna on Friday, Jan. 8, and more meetings with federal officials are scheduled this month.

Andrew Robinson is a business reporter in St. John’s.

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