'Permanency was coming': Guelph’s downtown patio program here to stay

Downtown Guelph's patio program is now permanent and pricier to take part in.

On Tuesday, city council unanimously ratified the decision to turn what was once an effort to boost business during the pandemic into a permanent fixture.

"At some point we knew some kind of permanency was coming, and there would be costs to it, and this may be the balance we're looking for”, Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie said during the meeting.

Since 2020, the City of Guelph has allowed businesses to have patios in the summer. It started as a way to help owners recover from the pandemic and was approved to continue until 2023. It has proven to be a popular attraction for the city’s main core.

Currently, businesses pay $3 per square meter for on-street patios.

Council decided to move forward with its decision to bump the coast of the patio program to $10 – meaning businesses with a patio can expect to pay an extra $7 per square metre.

“We don't really know until we try something, and we encourage people to work with our staff in regards to how they can implement successful patios wherever they are,” Guthrie added.

Council began discussing the permanency of the program earlier this year – which drew some criticism from local businesses who said the increased cost wasn’t feasible.

If the program doesn't break even at that price, the city will have to subsidise the rest.

Council also agreed to track and monitor the program over the next few years.