Skip to content

Town staff explain plans to improve downtown atmosphere

After controversy was sparked by the Town of Ponoka using a Lacombe company to install trees along 50 Street, town staff stepped forward
83826ponokaDowntown061913
Sherry Gummow

After controversy was sparked by the Town of Ponoka using a Lacombe company to install trees along 50 Street, town staff stepped forward to explain the purpose behind the project.

Mike Lewis, director of operations and property services for the town, received complaints over the action and was publicly reprimanded by councillors during a regular meeting June 11.

“I’ve got a problem, if we’ve got how many nurseries and people locally. My opinion is that they should get first shot on that,” stated Coun. Loanna Gulka.

“They should at least get to bid on it,” added Coun. Rick Bonnett.

“If nobody else has an opportunity to do it. We’ve made one phone call then we farmed it out to the community…I have a problem with that,” Gulka said.

“Our belief of council is to try and do it locally where possible,” said Coun. John Jacobs.

Lewis has since tendered his resignation.

Beautifying the downtown was inspired by a 2007 Avi Friedman report that a previous council commissioned. The report laid out plans on how to make the area more welcome and increase the town’s population. Since the report was released there has been little action to follow through with Friedman’s plans.

Sarah Olson, economic development officer, has been trying to implement the report and present webinars made available to the business community. The webinars offer tips on how small towns can help grow their downtown areas. One of the things suggested was to plant trees downtown.

Having similar businesses close together also benefits the area.

“Something that they’ve identified is clustering,” explained Olson.

This is possible but needs businesses to buy-in. Olson has fielded inquiries from businesspeople who were eager to set up shop in town but pulled out after hearing negative feedback on the town. “I know of at least two businesses that investigated moving here that have heard negative comments from the local business population.”

There was positive feedback as well but when other businesses speak negatively about the town, her job becomes tougher.

“If they hear too much negative (comments), they are going to move elsewhere. It’s self-inflicted,” said Olson.

If similar businesses are close together in a shopping district, consumers tend to feel they are getting a good deal on products. There appears to be an assumption the Town is responsible for bringing business to the community. Its job is to create an environment where businesses have an opportunity to thrive in town.

“We will do everything we can to bring them on board,” added Betty Jurykoski, planning and development officer.

The webinars gave town staff new ideas to make downtown more attractive but with negative feedback on a project such as the tree installation, this can be somewhat disheartening.

“We got a tremendous amount of information just as employees of the town from those webinars,” explained Jurykoski.

Some councillors attended these sessions and so did businesspeople Sherry Gummow, Inger Laing and Marlene Quiring. Gummow has changed the appearance of her store, Busted Ladies Lingerie, from these information sessions.

One of the suggestions from the webinars stated a block or area in downtown should be used as an anchor point. Gummow’s building will see its centennial next year. “I have people come to just look at the building.”

She feels the job of a retailer is to provide customer service but the information presented states business owners should not worry about being the best but rather different from the pack.

“It’s not the town’s responsibility to make a business successful,” Gummow stated.

Advertising is also important. Next to her employees, promotion is her biggest expense and it seems to be working. People travel hours to shop at her store. This was proven as Gummow had two people calling from Red Deer who were eager to shop at her store and because she was open after 5 p.m. on Friday, they were also able to make purchases.