What do you think of Estevan’s downtown area?
Two or three years ago, that question might not have elicited the most favourable or encouraging of answers. There were businesses down there, good ones, too. They had, and continue to have, great owners. And some of them had been fixtures in the downtown for decades.
But some of the storefronts weren’t exactly appealing to look at. There were quite a few vacancies. It was fairly easy to find a place to park. Not exactly what downtown was known for in the past, when there wasn’t a vacancy to be found on Fourth Street, and there was a variety of businesses to choose from.
But we’ve seen a turnaround in downtown. A number of businesses have opened up shop in Estevan, showing confidence in the city in the midst of a pandemic and amid other economic factors causing uncertainty.
Many of these new businesses look great, too. They have bright, creative storefronts that will grab your attention, regardless of whether you’re a local resident or from out of town.
The storefront improvement incentives offered by the City of Estevan have proven popular with a number of entrepreneurs.
Fourth Street and Fifth Street look a lot better than they did a few years ago, not just because there are fewer vacancies and more vehicles down there, but because the overall appearance is better.
The Downtown Business Association’s outdoor markets on Thursday nights were a boost this past spring and summer, with weekly sales that attracted vendors, musicians and people looking for items.
And it's been great to have marquee events downtown, such as the Rafferty Rumble in 2019 and the End of Lockdown Party this past July.
It’s great for us to have a better looking downtown, but it’s also important for the City of Estevan to continue with downtown revitalization efforts, rather than saying “good is good enough.”
Last year the city contracted out Doug Griffiths and 13 Ways Consulting to provide guidance as Estevan tries to diversify its economy. That was a big step forward. And one of the things that Griffiths will tell you is the importance of having a vibrant downtown.
The city has also contracted out George Harris Collaborative to work on downtown revitalization and now they’re looking for the public’s feedback on what people want to see downtown.
We’ve lamented the lack of feedback from the public in the past when the city has asked for people’s opinions. We’ve seen it when the city has asked for input on the budget, but they’ve only had one or two responses, if they’re lucky.
Attendance hasn’t always been great, either, when the city has had open houses. Sometimes, it seemed like there were more placards than people present.
When the city asks for your feedback, take advantage of the opportunity. Perhaps you’re going to have an idea they haven’t thought of before. Other times, maybe you’ve been able to devise the proverbial better mousetrap.
And there are some bright, creative people in our community who have some great ideas that could be applied to downtown.
The city is going to have an open house on Nov. 23 so that George Harris Consulting can receive feedback from the public. We hope to see a good crowd at the event, and we hope that people come ready to share their thoughts and vision for downtown.
And we hope that everyone is taking notice of the changes and improvements that are happening downtown, and they don’t believe the enhancements to downtown are limited to a couple of business.
We hope that efforts to improve Estevan’s downtown are only in the beginning stage, and that we’ll talk about how much better downtown looks two years from now.
And we hope that people realize the importance of making their voice heard. After all, if they ignore opportunities to express their thoughts to the city when given the chance, then perhaps at some point those opportunities won’t occur again.
