Winter is never a good season for businesses in downtown Stratford – but this year, some business owners say, it’s worse than ever.
At the Canadian Grub Restaurant, for example, owner Rob Rose says winter typically brings about a 60 per cent decrease in customer levels.
“This year we’ve dropped 95 per cent, which is devastating for us,” he says.
Things have been so slow that Rose’s restaurant no longer opens for dinner or on weekends. During the four hours a day they’re serving lunch, it’s rare that more than 10 people will walk through their doors.
The culprit? Construction work that has torn up part of the downtown and eliminated some prime parking spots.
A $2.5-million project is underway to renovate Market Square. Once complete, it will feature new benches, café-style tables and chairs, and a water feature.
It will also take about 40 parking spaces out of the core, although the city’s Business Improvement Area says there will still be more than 1,000 parking spaces in downtown Stratford.
While the construction is affecting many businesses in the downtown, some business owners say they’d rather it happen now than after the weather warms up and festival season begins.
Rob Russell, who owns MacLeods Scottish Shop and chairs the BIA, calls it the “perfect time of year” for the work.
“The disruption overall in the business year should be minimized by doing it in the winter months,” he says.
“With or without construction in Market Square, these are the months that hurt the most.”
At the start of the month, the BIA launched a campaign to give $10 downtown gift vouchers to anyone who could prove that they had spent $100 at downtown businesses.
The initial allotment of 60 vouchers was gone by the end of the program’s fourth day. The program is expected to continue until the end of March, unless all the money budgeted for vouchers is spent sooner.
Not all businesses are trying to struggle through the slow winter season.
Cindy Hubert decided to close up the Agora Gallery for the duration of construction, due to concerns about what it could do to her collection.
“Fine art is quite susceptible to damage if it’s exposed to dirt, changes in temperature, humidity, water, vibration, things like that,” she says.
“I really didn’t want to take the risk.”
Despite the closure, Hubert says she’s looking forward to what the renovated Market Square will mean for the city.
“We do need a public gathering space, and I think it’s going to fulfill that really important role,” she says.
The construction is expected to last until the end of June, with the redeveloped square being ready in time for local celebrations of Canada’s 150th birthday.
With reporting by Abigail Bimman
