By Craig Greenham
Merchants on the Sparks Street Mall feel their Christmas will be a little merrier this year.
For the first time in more than a decade, the Sparks Street Mall has decorations and merchants hope they can cash in on the holiday atmosphere.
Sam Elsaadi, of La Mode Hair Studio on Sparks Street, says it’s about time something was done to attract potential customers to the street.
“It looks nice,” says Elsaadi. “They do things but they should do more. They’re not doing enough.”
Because of the decorations and the Christmas programming, Elsaadi says he expects business to pick up but also says similar programs in the future are essential. Elsaadi says something should be done for other city events, like Winterlude.
Abbas Sayad, a sales clerk at Alberto Rossini Men’s Fashion on Sparks Street, says he’d also like to see Sparks Street Mall programs expand into other seasons in order to attract more shoppers.
“I expect more business this Christmas season than the regular Christmas rush. The decorations are very nice,” says Sayad.
The goal is to make the area look festive and attract shoppers. Sparks Street Mall merchants have been clamouring for business recently, as the Mall has drawn smaller crowds of shoppers. They’re hoping that the decorations make the difference.
The decorations alone cost around $30,000, according to Peter Harris, manager of the Sparks Street Mall.
Provincial legislation allows for Harris to use a “very small portion” of the tax dollars paid by Sparks Street merchants. These dollars fund the decorations.
The Sparks Street Mall will have a Charles Dickens theme that will run from Dec. 5 until Christmas Eve.
There will be horse-drawn carriage rides and a choral program featuring numerous groups. Even a bilingual Santa Claus and a reindeer will visit. Five thousand lights are already in place on Sparks Street as well as a decorated six-metre fir tree at every intersection of the mall.
“This is just the beginning and next year we’ll add onto it and eventually, my prediction is that Sparks Street will be a showcase on an annual basis — a tradition for the people of Ottawa to come down and visit,” says Harris.
The Christmas file
What’s new: Lights and decorations are up on Sparks Street for the first time in over a decade.
What it means: Merchants on the street hope to cash in on the modifications.
What’s next: Dec.5 the Christmas program on Sparks will be in full swing with the addition of choral programs, horse ride and Santa Claus.