Downtown Yarmouth needs help

In a letter to the editor, Phil Mooney attempts to blame our MLA and the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation’s decision to close its Main Street store for the closure of businesses and the resulting loss of jobs in Yarmouth’s downtown.

The decision to move the liquor store to Starrs Road was made by the NSLC, not our MLA. It was based on sound province-wide business strategy for strategic placement of its outlets. This decision has been clearly vindicated by the steady increase in business that the move has brought.

The concept that a downtown liquor outlet will bring business to other stores in the area is, in my opinion, flawed. When I go to the liquor store, it is highly unlikely that I would rush out of the store with a 2-4 under my arm, see a sign advertising a suit sale in a window across the street, and immediately rush in for a fitting!

The move to Starrs Road, and the Starrs Road district itself, are a direct reflection of modern shopping trends…trends that downtown merchants need to take very seriously, because there is little likelihood of breaking them. The Starrs Road area is indeed congested, but this is only because of high customer volume and dismal traffic planning.

The downtown business district is not only down on its heels; it looks like it’s down on its heels. The buildings range from newly restored, to more than ready for a demolition ball. The sidewalks are cracked and dirty. Litter can be a problem, and the area is “patrolled� by a significant number of “unsavory,� and sometimes intimidating, individuals.

In short, downtown Yarmouth looks like many other downtown cores…down on its luck, not a little seedy, and not a nice place to do business. Add the fact that you have to find a place to park, and you have a recipe for bad business.

However, I firmly believe there is great potential for a highly-focused, vibrant and viable downtown business district. Downtown businesses are going to need to look at the demographics and start thinking outside the box to develop that business. They may also need to realize that to be successful at what they do, downtown is no longer the place for them to be.

You simply cannot expect the public to support downtown businesses, simply because they’re downtown. The entire downtown business district needs a complete overhaul, and the businesses there cannot, and should not, be expected to do it all on their own.

It is time that the Province, and especially the town, recognized the importance of a town’s core and step up to the plate.

Government recognizes the importance of historical buildings and districts, it is time they recognized and assisted the downtown business district in the same way.

There is a wide array of government assistance programs available to help business.

There is definitely a case to be made for a downtown business district, but it must be viable and sustainable. This will take organization, co-operation, planning and support at all levels. The time to start is now.



Gerry Curry

South Ohio