Advocates launch campaign to bring Winnipeggers back downtown

Advocates are urging Winnipeggers to return to the downtown area in an effort to jump-start the momentum in the city's core that was lost in the pandemic.

On Tuesday, three of Winnipeg's downtown Business Improvement Zones (BIZ) launched the Back Downtown campaign.

"Having a strong and successful downtown is critical to our city's success," said Kate Fenske, CEO of the Downtown BIZ. "We know that the key to a vibrant and safe downtown is all about people, and that's what we're aiming to do here today."

Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham said prior to the pandemic, the city's core had a lot of momentum—pointing to projects including the True North Square, and 300 Main Street.

"Certainly, the pandemic obviously slowed some of that activity. And the new work-from-home hybrid models have reduced the number of employees that are coming downtown on a daily basis," Gillingham said, adding downtown retail, restaurant and service businesses have all felt the effects of that.

"It's really time though now that we change that and find our way back to that momentum."

Downtown BIZ says visitation to the neighbourhood in October was up 40 per cent over the same time last year. While that's not yet up to 2019 levels, the BIZ believes it could surpass those figures.

To help that along, the Back Downtown campaign will see multimedia advertising encouraging Winnipeggers to find their way back downtown. Fenske said all Winnipeggers have a role to play.

"It doesn't have to be big, every little piece of it matters," she said, adding it could be an extra day of working in the office, meeting friends for lunch, catching a show or a game, or going shopping for the holidays.

"Share all the things that you love about downtown on social media. We know that in Winnipeg, word-of-mouth matters."

Fenske said the campaign will have some fun ways of enticing Winnipeggers back downtown as well, such as a Spirit Week for downtown workers.

"I don't know if everyone's going to be dressing up in pajamas on a Tuesday, but maybe that will happen. But it really is about finding those unique and creative ways to bring Winnipeggers back to reconnect," she said. "If we want to have a financially stable and resilient city, we have to have a strong downtown."

The campaign is expected to cost around $300,000 and will run through March.