Downtown Halifax, Where the Maritimes Meet the World
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Spring 2009 Newsletter
2nd Annual Show Us Your City Photo Contest
Enter your digital photos for free in the 2nd Annual Show Us Your City Photo Contest to win fantastic prizes! Submit photos taken in four areas: Downtown Dartmouth, Downtown Halifax, Quinpool Road and the Spring Garden Area. Enter up to two photos per area, for a maximum of eight photos in total. Images can represent: architecture, streetscape, landscape and scenery, public art, public events and outdoor activities and urban life. Prizes include: a Nikon D60 digital camera with memory card, UV filter and camera bag; a Canon PowerShot G10 digital camera with camera pouch; and an Olympus Stylus 850 SW digital camera. Visit http://www.halifax.ca/photocontest for photo requirements, complete rules and regulations and to submit your photos online. Deadline is April 30th and there is no entry fee. Show Us Your City Photo Contest is presented by: the Halifax Regional Municipality, Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission, Downtown Halifax Business Commission, Quinpool Road Mainstreet District Association and the Spring Garden Area Business Association.
Park Smart
DHBC's popular parking guide is back! Park Smart provides handy tips on Downtown parking including facts, rules for onstreet parking, common myths, parkade and parking lot information, and a map of metered and timed parking. Park Smart can be found at HRM Customer Service Centres, HRM Visitor Information Centres and participating retailers and restaurants. For more information or to request a brochure, visit http://www.downtownhalifax.ca or call 423-6658.
Members in the News
Halifax Business Awards presented by The Globe and Mail and the Halifax Chamber of Commerce presented the Hamachi Group of Restaurants with Gold for Small Business of the Year, Southwest Properties Ltd. and Extreme Group won Silver and Bronze respectively for Business of the Year and Ben McCrea, Chairman of Armour Group took home Gold for Business Person of the Year. Developer Ben McCrea, of Armour Group, is one step closer to developing Waterside Centre since winning the appeal at the Utility and Review Board. Garrison Brewing Company's Grand Baltic Porter won a gold medal at the World Beer Championships in Chicago. Garrison also received a silver medal for its Martello Stout brew. Durty Nelly's Authentic Irish Pub at 5221 Sackville Street and The Hub at 1673 Barrington, are among the newest additions to Downtown. Both opened their doors in February. The Wooden Monkey re-opened in its larger new space located at 1707 Grafton Street and will feature live music. The Courtyard by Marriott Halifax Downtown was recently awarded a Platinum Service Award for Overall Guest Satisfaction during 2008. The award was presented by Marriott International Hotels & Resorts. The award is based on customer feedback from 750 Courtyard hotels across North America. Hamachi House, Press Gang, Gio and Bear participated in "Chef Wars - A Culinary Battle," as part of the largest food service trade show in the region. After the semi-final round, only Gio and Bear were left, moving on to compete in the final round. Gio eventually came out on top.
FRED Rolls Through Downtown Halifax Starting July 4
The Downtown Halifax Business Commission (DHBC) is pleased to announce that everyone's favourite free shuttle bus, FRED (Free Rides Everywhere Downtown), will be rolling through Downtown Halifax once again! From July 4 to October 23, FRED will operate seven-days-a-week from 10:30 am until 5:00 pm. Last year, FRED saw more than 60,000 passengers. FRED makes getting around Downtown easy and encourages people to get out, see and do more in Downtown Halifax. During peak times, FRED features a live, on-board guide providing insightful, historic commentary about the Downtown. From Pier 21, FRED runs along Lower Water Street to Ferry Boat Lane, past Historic Properties to the Casino. FRED then heads up Barrington Street to Spring Garden Road to Brunswick Street and then up Sackville Street up and around Halifax Citadel, turning right on Sackville Street. FRED turns left on South Park Street, past the Public Gardens and then down Spring Garden Road to Barrington Street until Cornwallis Park and turns left, passing Superstore, the Via Rail Station and the Westin Nova Scotian Hotel before proceeding back to Pier 21. Thanks to our sponsors that have a stop along FRED's route: Alexander Keith's Nova Scotia Brewery, Bishop's Landing, Casino Nova Scotia, Halifax Citadel, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, Marriott Halifax Harbourfront and Pier 21. FRED is also generously supported by: CTV, Metro News, Halifax Regional Municipality, Hotel Association of Nova Scotia, KOOL 96.5 FM and Spring Garden Area Business Association. For schedule, route, and sponsor information, visit http://www.downtownhalifax.ca or call 423-6658.
Clean Sweep on June 3
Dedicated citizens will take to the streets once again this year as part of DHBC's annual Clean Sweep. The event will tackle the city's litter and spruce up the Downtown in preparation for the busy summer season and kick off the Enviro Team program. The event will take place on June 3 with teams meeting in Grand Parade and then spreading out to clean their assigned area of Downtown. It will be followed by lunch, prize draws and awards for the top team in categories such as: most garbage collected, most unique garbage item and most enthusiastic or creative team. Due to the popularity of this event, businesses are invited to submit a maximum of two teams, consisting of four to six members each, and registration will be on a first come, first-serve basis. To register a team, please contact Ivy Ho by calling 428-5433 or emailing .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Tunes at Noon 2009
Tunes at Noon summer music series, in partnership with the Halifax Regional Municipality, DHBC and Music Nova Scotia, will return for another summer. The annual concert series, supported by The Coast and C100, features the talents of Nova Scotian musicians as part of a series of free concerts in Grand Parade during the lunch hour, from 12 noon to 1:00 pm. The concerts give Downtown employees, shoppers and visitors the opportunity to sit in the sun, relax and listen to live music in the heart of the city. A schedule of concerts and musical acts will be posted on the DHBC website in early July at http://www.downtownhalifax.ca.
The Urban Thinker
Read Paul MacKinnon's latest post The Dawn of a New Downtown.
DHBC Launches New Downtown Brand
For the past several months, DHBC has been working closely with award-winning marketing and advertising agency, Extreme Group to re-brand the Commission and Downtown Halifax. The new brand and tagline, "Where the Maritimes Meets the World" reflect Halifax's history as a port city and its evolution as a hub of Atlantic Canada. Downtown Halifax is the most diverse area in the region with an eclectic and innovative mix of stores, dining, arts and architecture. Downtown Halifax also hosts the majority of national and international events and conferences, and is the gateway to international and regional trade. The tagline and the brand represent where all of these things come together. The new ad campaign tells of a "missed opportunity," by recounting a story that could have happened. These stories illustrate the vibrant and diverse retail, services, restaurants, Entertainment and culture in Downtown Halifax. The goal is to encourage people to "tell a better story" by taking part in all that Downtown Halifax has to offer. The campaign was designed with flexibility in mind and it can easily be adapted to speak to different audiences. Part of the re-branding process is a redeveloped website for DHBC. The new website was first launched as a micro-site, featuring the new look and feel and a selection of content, with the full website launch to follow by the end of April. The new URL is http://www.downtownhalifax.ca. The website will tap into social media networks by featuring a blog by Executive Director, Paul MacKinnon; live feeds from Twitter; the ability to link content to other social networking sites such as Facebook; and enhanced video and photo content including podcasts.
Navigator Program Update
February has been an exceptionally busy month for the Navigator Program. Street sweeping and the $12-lunch program continue to be popular and referrals to employment programs such as Youth Live remain steady. The Navigator has recently partnered with the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank to develop a project that will assist low-income individuals and members of the street population obtain skills that will enable them to become self-sufficient. Representatives from the Department of Community Services, Parker Street, the St. Leonard's Society and the Navigator met to discuss potential funding and collaboration on this new project. The proposal is currently being developed and programming is tentatively set to begin on May 1, 2009. Panhandling is a common issue in many large city centres and Downtown Halifax is no exception. Recently, the issue resurfaced in the Spring Garden Road area with some debate among panhandlers regarding the Property Protection Act (PPA). The act prevents certain members from the street population from entering businesses or using their washroom facilities. PPAs had been issued to members of the street population stemming from a number of incidents. The issue sparked some media attention and as a result, the Navigator and the Executive Director of the Spring Garden Area Business Association, met with members of the media to clarify the issue. Some of the panhandlers were also interviewed and had some very positive things to say about the Navigator Program. As always there are challenges that lie ahead, such as remaining connected to the members of the street population who require other treatment, such as addiction and mental health services, and the ongoing challenge of supported affordable housing. The Navigator remains positive that through consistent communication, progress will be made. If you have any questions about the Navigator Program, contact Tommy Boutilier, Capital District Navigator, at 209-6517 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
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