By Julia Skikavich
After struggling for the last two years to attract Winterlude tourists to Little Italy, restaurant owners say they hope this year’s deep freeze will allow them to fare better.
“We are expecting to have a Winterlude this year rather than the annual Waterlude,” says Craig Pedersen, owner of Il Piccolino and Il Primo on Preston Street.
Nacko Krubalija, owner of La Favorita agrees. “After two bad years, it must be good.”
The National Capital Commission says 2003 was a difficult year for tourism, in the wake of SARS, mad cow and the blackout.
Nicole Beauchamp, a spokesperson for the NCC, says it is unfortunate Preston Street felt the impact of the tourism shortage.
A NCC survey conducted in 2000 indicates Winterlude brings $56 million in tourist dollars to the Ottawa region.
Last year, the Preston Street Business Improvement Area tried to cash in on some of those dollars by offering horse and carriage rides and displaying their own ice sculptures. But executive director Lori Mellor says there was no return on the investment.
“Winterlude doesn’t do a lot for us,” she says, adding the problem may be more deep rooted than the weather.
“Winterlude is a great event and Dow’s Lake is a really fabulous location,” says Mellor. “But they’ve taken the focus away from Dow’s Lake.”
Many Winterlude events used to be held at Dow’s Lake, located across the street from Little Italy. In recent years, the festival’s focus has shifted to the downtown core.
“Winterlude draws thousands of people down to Dow’s Lake. It’s a wonderful opportunity for tourists to use the businesses on Preston Street,” says Somerset Ward Coun. Diane Holmes. “But in the short-term, it is a challenge to get people to cross Carling and go down the street.”
However, restaurant owners are still trying to attract some tourist dollars. Pedersen says he will open his restaurants during daytime hours on the weekends over Winterlude, and Krubalija plans to change his menu starting Feb. 1.
Krubalija says the challenges the Preston Street community faces are sometimes frustrating. “Good food, stores, we have everything.” He says the only problem is traffic and parking on the street.
Holmes agrees. “Retail-oriented areas need to have a pedestrian feel to them.”
She says a streetscaping project is being initiated this year in an effort to make Preston Street more pedestrian friendly. A fountain or small park may be put in at Carling Avenue and Preston Street in an attempt to attract more interest to the street.