By Alison Larabie
It was business as usual at the Lord Elgin Hotel this summer, despite a massive construction project right outside its doors.
The Elgin Street rehabilitation, which has hurt some businesses, didn’t significantly affect the Lord Elgin, according to Don Blakslee, the hotel’s manager. He says business did not decrease and customers were able to deal with the confusion, dust and noise.
“We’ve had a couple of complaints but nothing major. Some guests complained of noise in the morning when they would start digging early. Access to the entrance is the most difficult point . . . especially when they have to close one lane of traffic,” Blakslee says.
The construction, part of the region’s Restore the Core project, has torn up large portions of Elgin Street over the past few months in order to replace water mains, sewer pipes, phone and hydro cables.
“It’s been trying at times,” says Blakslee, “but the region and the contractors have been very co-operative.”
Although the Lord Elgin seems to have weathered the worst of the construction with no ill effects, other businesses in the area say they haven’t been so lucky.
Lucien Cousineau, manager of Laurier Optical at 54 Elgin, says the construction has created confusion over parking and access to his entrance.
“Business was down at least 10 per cent this summer with all this going on,” says Cousineau. Clients are loyal to a point, he says, but many were confused and intimidated by the maze of pedestrian walkways, torn-up sidewalks and detours that make navigating difficult and parking nearly impossible.
“People don’t want to come downtown if they know it’s going to be a hassle,” Cousineau says.
Nick Alsford of Armstrong Footwear on Sparks Street says his business also suffered this summer due to the construction.
“I know it’s necessary, but it hurts,” he says.
Not all smaller businesses in the area were negatively affected, however. Nancy Hunter at the Imperial Barber Shop on Sparks Street says her business has remained steady throughout the construction.
“No one drives downtown for a haircut – our clientele is from downtown,” she says.
Doug Brousseau, the region’s Deputy Commissioner for Transportation, says it was more cost-effective and less disruptive to do one major project, instead of replacing just the sewers, then coming back for other repairs later.
“It’s a massive reconstruction … we’re tearing the guts right out of the road,” he says.
Brousseau says it is hoped the capital will be relatively construction-free in the year 2000 because of the expected higher numbers of tourists.
“We’re doing everything we can to make it bearable for the merchants,” says Brousseau.