The city will fund a $211,000 advertising campaign for downtown businesses affected by the recent transit strike after city council unanimously approved the money on Wednesday.
The city wanted to do something to help businesses in the downtown core that saw a dearth of customers during the seven-week strike, Somerset Ward Coun. Diane Holmes said in an interview. To decide what could be done, she said, the city’s Corporate Services and Economic Development Committee met with representatives from eight business improvement areas (including the Bank Street, Somerset Street Chinatown, Preston Street and Sparks Street BIAs) heavily affected by the strike.
“They all decided that what they wanted was a promotional campaign,” said Holmes.
The committee produced a report calling for city funding and presented it to council on Wednesday, where it passed without dissent.
The city cannot give money to businesses directly, nor can it easily allow for tax relief, Holmes explained. This left the committee and the BIAs to get creative, she said.
The details of have not been announced, but the BIAs will very involved in shaping the campaign, said Holmes.
The report says action was brought on by a combination of the transit strike, the poor economy and major construction in the some of the affected areas. Because of the bus strike’s impact, the money will come out of the transit budget.