ByWard Market retailer isn’t feeling the Inspiration
Retailers on York Street in the ByWard Market were told this would be their biggest year yet thanks to the Inspiration Village installation, but at least one shop owner is feeling uninspired.
“I’m nervous,” said Mandy Gosewich, owner of Stunning! fashion accessories.
Inspiration Village — 41 shipping containers housing exhibits, demonstrations related to Canada’s provinces and territories, and live music performances — runs until Sept. 4. Among its most visible attractions: the giant O -T-T-A-W-A letters.
But Inspiration Village is taking up 92 parking spaces on York Street.
Parking was one of the main issues raised with the village’s launch. Coun. Mathieu Fleury said that there is ongoing consultation about the possibility of valet parking to address some of those concerns.
Fleury also said he understands the concerns of retailers and is open to hearing what they have to say. But he maintained the city is happy with Inspiration Village.
But Gosewich is less so. Stunning! has been operating for the past four years, and she said Monday that her small business has already suffered because of the village’s street barricades.
“My foot traffic on Saturday was half of what it was last year,” Gosewich said. “For a small business that’s a lot.
“I’ve worked really hard over the last four years, and if this is going to be the demise of my business, I’m not going to take any responsibility.”
Gosewich said she knows that it’s only the beginning of the installation and that things could change for the better, but for now she feels uneasy about whether it will be good for her business.
“We want to be positive about it,” Gosewich said, “but when it affects our business and our bottom line ... I can’t.”
For restaurants and bars, though, Inspiration Village will be great, Gosewich said.
“The lack of parking doesn’t seem to be affecting anything,” said Brittany Sanford, general manager at Luxe Bistro at the corner of York and ByWard Market Square.
“I don’t know where people are parking, but they’re making their way down here. This weekend was a great kickoff, lots of extra foot traffic and it’s great for business.”
“I think it’s nice to have it here (in the ByWard Market) to try and bring people to different areas of the city,” said Fernanda Dantas, who is originally from Brazil but has been living in Ottawa for the past few years. “I really like it, I’m excited to go and check it out.”
The market is more of an area for pedestrians, said Dantas in response to the criticism about the loss of parking spaces on York.
“I’m all for it to try and encourage people to walk more and bike here and uses buses instead of taking their cars,” Dantas said.
For residents who live in the Market area, the village was a source of curiosity in the weeks leading up to its launch.
“We weren’t impressed yesterday,” said Davinder Pooni-Gunderson, who lives nearby with her husband Alan Gunderson. “We were wondering what it would be like. We thought there would be more interactive kinds of things, just something more to do when you got to each shipping container.”
Inspiration Village is open from noon to 8 p.m. until Sept. 4.