Night mayor? Maybe not. But, downtown Kitchener businesses have ideas to boost city nightlife
A newly created so-called ‘night mayor’ position in Ottawa meant to boost nightlife in the capital is generating discussion for businesses in downtown Kitchener, looking to shed the label of a core that closes after 10 p.m.
On Friday, a pair of downtown boosters offered thoughts to CTV News as to the next steps forward to bring about more vibrancy to nightlife in the city.
“Every time I see somebody say, ‘everything closes … at 10 p.m.,’” said Cara Watson, the bar manager and events coordinator at AOK Craft Beer + Arcade. “I’m like, ‘No!’ There [are] at least six bars I can think of that are open until at least midnight during the week.”
The bar is found along Halls Lane in Kitchener and is one of several that have survived the hardships brought by the pandemic.
The shift to remote work has seen an exodus of tech workers from the downtown as companies cancel office leases in favour of work-from-home schedules, contributing to a decline in the coveted foot traffic which helps bars, restaurants and coffee shops thrive.
Watson, also a member of the Downtown Kitchener Business Improvement Area (BIA), said there needs to be a focus to help bring and attract more events to the core to re-introduce people to what the downtown has to offer.
“We just need more of those events to ramp up and get people down and get people to remember that — downtown is beautiful,” said Watson. “We have tons of art. We have tons of really interesting spaces. Tons of cool bars.”
CHANGING PERCEPTIONS
Justin Vail is the owner of Sugar Run in downtown Kitchener - a speakeasy-style bar tucked away at the other end of Halls Lane.
Like AOK, the cocktail bar survived the hardships of the pandemic, which he believes still presents a challenge for downtown nightlife.
“I think there’s still a bit of a bumpy road ahead, but it is getting better,” said Vail. “That [the pandemic] was a very large problem, and usually very large problems don’t have a very quick-fix turnarounds.”
Vail is open to the idea of a night mayor-type position as a means of helping to change the narrative around the downtown.
“Downtown gets a bad rep’ because of its economic standing over the last however long, but it’s changing,” said Vail.
Watson also pointed to perception as a key hurdle.
She said concerns about downtown safety don’t match the reality of the experience of those who frequent it every day.
“We’re still kind of climbing back out of that [idea that], ‘downtown is a scary place,’” said Watson.
For Vail, renewed attention to lighting in downtown Kitchener is something he believes could help people feel safer on a night out.
“Lighting [is] hugely important,” said Vail. “You go uptown [Waterloo], and it is so brightly lit, and it’s great.”
BUSINESS HOURS
Watson takes umbrage with the sleepy downtown stigma — she’s adamant there are options for nightlife throughout the week.
When it comes to setting business hours, the pandemic has taken its toll and made it more difficult for managers to schedule later hours, with patron traffic dwindling.
“If we’re open ‘til midnight, obviously we want to see people until midnight, and pushing that to 2 a.m. now is not feasible at the moment because it’s so quiet,” said Watson. “This year will really determine what happens with a lot of businesses about whether or not we extend our hours … because this is the first year where we’re 100 per cent open.”
However, Vail said the “closed at 10 p.m.” mantra isn’t entirely misplaced.
“It’s changing, but there is some truth to that,” said Vail.
It’s a classic ‘chicken or the egg’ scenario.
Are people not coming downtown because businesses aren’t open late enough, or are businesses not open late because people aren’t coming downtown?
If you ask Vail, there is more onus on business owners to be bold.
“If you build it, they will come because there’s no reason for them to come first,” said Vail.
NIGHT COUNCIL
When it comes to the question of a ‘night mayor’ as a benefit to the core, Watson is intrigued, but believes there are BIA initiatives that can be more helpful and suggests bringing back an advisory panel of downtown business owners to help suggest ways to improve the downtown experience.
“I’m excited about the idea of that potentially in the future, but I think that there [are] several other options that would probably more supportive,” said Watson. “A night panel [or] a night council!”
Watson said there were ten previous sessions pre-pandemic and hopes to see something similar return.
While Kitchener city councillor Scott Davey suggested he would be “throwing [his] hat in the ring” in jest for the non-existent position of night mayor of Kitchener — that idea has sparked some renewed discussion about how to help downtown Kitchener bounce back in its pandemic recovery.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
![](https://www.ctvnews.ca/polopoly_fs/1.6976871.1721873052!/httpImage/image.jpg_gen/derivatives/landscape_800/image.jpg)
DEVELOPING Jasper updates: Wildfire reaches townsite
One of two wildfires threatening Jasper National Park has reached the townsite.
Alberta calls in army to assist with wildfire situation
Alberta has called in the Canadian Armed Forces to help assist with the worsening wildfire situation in the province.
Biden explains why he ended re-election bid in Oval Office address
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country's democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
Barrie-Innisfil MPP 'blacked-out' and crashed car into window of child care centre
Staff at a Barrie child care centre say they are frustrated by what they call a local MPP's inadequate response after a car crashed through a window in one of the toddler rooms.
Norad intercepts Russian and Chinese bombers operating together near Alaska in apparent first
The North American Aerospace Defence Command (Norad) intercepted two Russian and two Chinese bombers flying near Alaska Wednesday in what appears to be the first time the two countries have been intercepted while operating together.
2 Canadians being 'sent home immediately,' removed from Olympic team after drone incident
An analyst and an assistant coach with Canada Soccer are being removed from the Canadian Olympic Team and 'sent home immediately,' according to the Canadian Olympic Committee.
An unwelcome attendee has joined the Paris Olympic Games: COVID-19
After a handful of Australian water polo players tested positive for COVID-19 this week, questions have emerged around how the spread of the disease will be mitigated at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris.
Vacations, meals, booze: Contractor used $100K of charity's money for personal expenses, B.C. court finds
A B.C. man who was hired to help a non-profit build a food hub but instead spent the money on personal expenses – including travel, restaurants, booze and cannabis – has been ordered to pay more than $120,000 in damages.
Male, female killed, 2 others injured in 'gun battle' outside Toronto plaza: police
Two people are dead and two others suffered serious injuries following a shooting that police have described as a 'gun battle' outside a plaza in Scarborough, Ont. early Wednesday morning.