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Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Downtown core, upward trends Transforming, expanding and improving Halifax
From an economic standpoint, there is no question that just as Halifax is the heart of Nova Scotia’s economic prosperity, downtown is the heart of Halifax’s economy.” — Paul MacKinnon, CEO, Downtown Halifax Business Commission Downtown Halifax has plenty of attractions, shops and restaurants, including Gahan House. CHRIS GEWORSKY IMAGING MINA ATIA, COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR, HALIFAX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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SMALL BUSINESS
ousing the entertainment sector with Neptune Theatre, the Halifax Convention Centre, Scotiabank Centre and 200 restaurants and bars, downtown Halifax represents more than a billion dollars of property assessment. Home to NSCAD University and within close range of Saint Mary’s University and Dalhousie University, the area is inhabited by an influx of students and more than 15,000 office workers (pre-pandemic). It also boasts the most visited tourist sites in the province: the Halifax Waterfront and Halifax Citadel National Historic Site. Filled with unique and vibrant attractions, most of which are locally owned, downtown brings life to our city’s main streets — stretching all the way to the north end and across the bridge to downtown Dartmouth. Together, this collective makes up the downtown core area, offering exciting eatery, touring and shopping experiences. It brings in tourists year after year, while keeping the interest of locals. “From an economic standpoint, there is no question that just as Halifax is the heart of Nova
Scotia’s economic prosperity, downtown is the heart of Halifax’s economy,” says Paul MacKinnon, CEO of Downtown Halifax Business Commission. The downtown core is key to the economic growth and prosperity of our city, with its undeniable appeal as a destination for people to visit, gather, shop, discover and therefore spend. With 12 Business Improvement Districts across Nova Scotia collectively representing more than 4,000 businesses, the downtown core is supporting small business through economic recovery. “Small businesses truly are the backbone of our economy,” says Tracy Jackson, Executive Director of the North End Business Association. “Not only do they make up the lion’s share of employers in Nova Scotia, but they also provide innovation, inspire growth and keep money close to home in our neighbourhoods and communities.” In continued support of small business and economic recovery efforts for all sectors, the area has recently been undergoing noteworthy transformations. It’s cultivating a diverse makeup of storefront offerings, while driving growth and prosperity with new and improved directions for expansion.
TRANSFORMING THE DOWNTOWN CORE
“The pandemic gave us, as a city, license to move things forward quicker and take a few more risks,” says MacKinnon. “We saw this from the municipal government with changes made to more pedestrianized streets, such as Argyle Street, Grafton Street and Bedford Row.” “We also saw it in the provincial government making changes to laws surrounding takeout of liquor and allowing dogs on patios, which are changes that had been stalled for years.” By allowing year-round patios, the city gave Haligonians the opportunity to experiment and see if they’re ready to embrace all-seasons outdoor dining. “The jury is still out on that!” says MacKinnon. “The change in restrictions and allowing dogs on the patios this summer in places with a food licence improved our business,” says Ian Lawson, Brewer and Co-Owner of Brightwood Brewery. Back in 2019, the brewery ended up in the doghouse due to an inspection warning after a complaint of dogs being allowed on premises. It spurred many members of the community, along with Lawson, to file a
petition in hopes of changing the regulation. Now, with the recent change and the opening of the brewery’s large patio last year, Brightwood has officially become dog friendly like on many other patios. “When it comes to our location, we want to make it as attractive as possible for people to visit and to create an additional inviting space to the downtown core,” says Lawson. “And by simply having more stores and locations to visit when going downtown and opening more patios, it benefits all kinds of bars, restaurants, shops and other businesses that are in the area.” On top of waiving patio licence fees and permitting dogs on patios, the municipality recently made investments into a new Business Recovery parking program to bring shoppers to the main streets of downtown. Moreover, many support programs, like the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, the Nova Scotia Small Business Impact Grants and Real Property Tax Rebate have already helped many small businesses weather the pandemic storm of lockdowns. “We are encouraged by all of these efforts made to strengthen
our economy and support small businesses, but the battle is not over. There is still work that needs to be done,” says Jackson, who is still concerned for new businesses that opened after March 2020. They remain unable to benefit from the federal programs or any continued financial supports into 2022.
DIVERSE STOREFRONTS IN THE WORKS
“Up through 2020, we always have had more businesses opening in downtown Halifax than closing,” says MacKinnon. “But there’s no question that over the past 10 years, what has disappeared from our downtown is traditional retail.” The dwindling number of downtown retail options is due to the intense local competition from malls, big-box parks and, of course, the pandemic-induced surge in online shopping. Many vacant traditional retail spots have been replaced by food and drink, personal services and more experiential retail offerings. These substitutes have been able to generate business and make a living off the lively downtown foot traffic, until it was no more. CONTINUED ON A9
SAVE THE DATE: 10/22/2021 HalifaxChamber.com
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Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Are you ready for the great resignation? Workers across the globe have spoken MATT SYMES, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, SYMPLICITY DESIGNS
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OVID-19 has pushed us 10 years into the future. The crisis forced us to stay apart and then highlighted just how much work could be done remotely.
Before March 2020, video conferencing existed; the most valuable companies in the world relied on code and media as their main revenue drivers; and e-commerce was steadily gaining in popularity, as digital natives entered the marketplace with more and more purchasing power. And yet, it was the pandemic that forced us to rely on those means. Sixteen months of operating this way has driven adoption and ingrained new habits. The world has changed — and perhaps no change will be as disruptive as the way we work. In early 2020, not a single CEO was worried about the impact of remote work. In 2021, 51 per cent of surveyed CEOs in The Predictive Index’s annual CEO Benchmarking Report 2021 said working well remotely was their top priority. And with good reason. Most studies in North America suggest how we work has been forever altered. For business owners, the next 24 months will be more difficult to navigate than the previous 16 months. According to an Angus Reid survey that polled Canadians on their post-COVID-19 workplace preferences, 66 per cent of Canadians said they want a
hybrid option, while 82 per cent said they would quit their job if they were forced back to the office and their commute was longer than 15 minutes. Some experts predict more than 53 per cent turnover before the end of 2023. In April 2021, more than four million people quit their jobs in the U.S. — a 20-year high. It has begun. Organizations will have to choose between in-office, fully remote and the hybrid model. And as we choose, so will the people in our charge. There are three reasons, two of which you have little to no control over (but you can influence) — and one that you need to get right: 1. Last year was hard on everyone and, as a result, many desire a fresh start. That includes their job. 2. Opportunity is everywhere, literally. Remote work opportunities have skyrocketed and the war for talent is spreading across the globe. That means local markets will need to work harder to retain local talent. High performers will have the most choice. 3. Your next normal. Are you fully in the office, remote or a hybrid model? Whatever you choose, it will be a change for most of your people and you will need to be intentional about it. There is no right answer, however, the mistake many owners will make is underestimating the
move to the hybrid model and its particular influence on productivity. With every challenge comes opportunity. It’s your responsibility to understand the needs of your organization, your people, your single points of failure and your organizational risks. With your senior leadership team, choose your next normal. You’re going to choose a fully on-site, fully remote or the hybrid model. Your decision is going to appeal to some and not to others. Note of caution: The hybrid model does not mean wing it and it’s the most difficult model to get right. Map out your organization, identify the key roles and the key people. The organizational view will help you understand all your risks. Next, connect one on one with everyone in your organization. Get to know them a little more personally. How are they doing? What are their plans? Most times, a meaningful conversation — without distraction — will give you a solid understanding of where they stand and how your post-pandemic organization aligns with their thoughts. One business leader said bluntly that he knows mass migration is about to happen. His goal, after he connects with his people, is to be in a position to win the re-trade. There is no right answer, but there is a wrong answer: confusion. What will you be on the other side?
Remote work opportunities have skyrocketed and the war for talent is spreading across the globe.” — Matt Symes, Co-Founder and CEO, Symplicity Designs
Matt Symes is the CEO and Co-Founder of Symplicity Designs. CONTRIBUTED Matt Symes is a serial entrepreneur, portfolio manager and recovering academic. As a Co-Founder of Symplicity Designs, he has helped 400-plus organizations through growth and crisis management. When it comes to Symplicity’s own human
resources, Symes and the leadership team have worked hard to create a culture that supports its employees in every facet of life. For more information on the company’s new Sympli Works training course, The Boss’s Guide to HR, visit Sympli.Works.
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The past 16 months were hard for small business owners, but the next 24 will be harder.
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The Chronicle Herald • Sponsored Content SALTWIRE.COM
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Learning and growing Confronting Canada’s continued discrimination against Indigenous Peoples
PATRICK SULLIVAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO, HALIFAX CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
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uly is here and with it comes not only sunshine, but also an opportunity for reflection and change. There have been discussions about Canada Day and whether it’s inclusive and reflective, but this year those discussions seem even more pressing, with the
horrific discoveries of unmarked children’s graves at former residential school sites in British Columbia and Saskatchewan. And searching is now happening at other locations, too. Canada’s history did not begin in 1867. The Indigenous Peoples of this land have been here for thousands of years, tending to it, learning the ways of the forests and creatures and living in harmony with both. The first step in breaking down Canada Day is first acknowledging that we in Halifax are in Mi’kma’ki, the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq. This territory is covered by the Treaties of Peace and Friendship, which Mi’kmaq and Maliseet Peoples first signed
with the British Crown in 1725, and this place existed long before the Canadian government became official. What can we do to support our friends in the Indigenous communities? First, to quote Chris Googoo of Ulnooweg, our Board member, “Improve our ignorance of Canada’s history and our realities; my children live with this knowledge, so should yours.” I urge you to read more about the history of residential schools and broken treaties over the last few hundred years. You can listen to the CBC podcast episode, The Loop: A Reckoning on Residential Schools, or the Residential Schools podcast series created by Historica Canada.
BOOKS TO READ:
• A Knock on the Door: The Essential History of Residential Schools from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada with foreword by Phil Fontaine • Unsettling the Settler Within: Indian Residential Schools, Truth Telling, and Reconciliation in Canada by Paulette Regan • Reconciliation & The Way Forward by Shelagh Rogers, Mike Degagné, Glen Lowry and Sara Fryer • 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph Before we can mend our relationships and reconcile with our pasts, we need to know what has
happened. To better understand each other, we need to recognize what Indigenous Peoples lived through and continue to live with today. We need to unlearn biases and start to dispel myths some of us have lived with our entire lives. We are leaders in our community and need to set the example. Support Indigenous-owned businesses: Include them in your supply chain, give them a platform and share their content. Engage with organizations like Ulnooweg, Nova Scotia Indigenous Tourism Enterprise Network and the Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre. Hire Indigenous workers. We need to actively reflect on our experiences living in Canada and how they might differ from Indigenous Peoples’.
CONTINUED FROM A7
“Thank goodness there have been efforts to support restaurants. They have been able to pivot by offering takeout and opening outdoor spaces, allowing them to keep their businesses alive while the indoor spaces are closed,” says Frank Brophy, Owner of Foreign Affair. “Unfortunately, retail cannot offer services similar to bars and restaurants,” says Brophy. “We had to do a lot on our own to survive.” During the first lockdown, Foreign Affair launched an online store two weeks after the closure. Although the Spring Garden Road storefront is the primary source of business, the new e-commerce site ensures customers are offered an online experience the Foreign Affair way. Founded in 1973, the curated high-end women’s fashion store was lucky to have an amazing and loyal clientele who ordered online or through other channels to keep the business going during the tough times. “Our ability to survive during the pandemic has really come down to the incredible team we have and their strong relationships with the people in Nova Scotia and beyond,” says Brophy. The hope is that as people emerge from lockdowns, they will be particularly craving inperson experiences and connections, including retail shopping. And it’s something the downtown core can reoffer in cascades. “I actually think, especially as many people suffered from online fatigue, that there will be a renewed market for the mainstreet store,” says MacKinnon. “But perhaps one with a smaller footprint, who also sells online, manufactures on-site and potentially shares space with other uses, such as food and drink.” As more people return to instore shopping, downtown shopping ought to become the heart of the city once again. When that demand increases, more experiential retail stores will supply
by taking over vacant storefronts that were, at one point in time, vital to the downtown core.
DOWNTOWN CORE, NEW DIRECTIONS
“The story of downtown is the story of adversity and overcoming societal shifts,” says MacKinnon. “Pandemics aren’t new. Yellow fever used to sweep across eastern cities in the late 1700s, forcing people to flee the cities. And more recently, downtowns emptied out postWorld War II due to subsidized suburbanization.” MacKinnon knows downtown will survive — and it will survive COVID-19, especially with the abundance of tools, resources and technologies now afforded to businesses. However, things will need to change. Greater workplace flexibility and remote work, with varying hybrid options, became the norm throughout the pandemic and are bound to remain so for a while. This will stimulate the creation of distinct workspaces to meet new needs and different commuting times and patterns. Most importantly, it means a growing residential population is in the making, which has not slowed down in Halifax or across Canada. “As a small business, and any business for that matter, it’s no fun to be in a construction zone,” says Marshall Haywood, Owner of Venus Envy. “But when it’s done, having more residential units downtown is just great for every downtown business.” Located on Barrington Street since 1999, Venus Envy has experienced waves of downtown developments. As a business owner, Haywood finds them frustrating, in addition to the lack of parking and having to pay to park. It drives out shoppers to business parks, where it’s much easier and free to park. “Parking is the perennial issue for any business downtown and
Places like Bird’s Nest Cafe are what make downtown Halifax unique and vibrant. DOWNTOWN HALIFAX is also one of the reasons I am encouraged by so many new residential units downtown,” says Haywood. “Those are people who already live in and probably worked downtown, so they don’t need to drive in and find a parking spot.” “Our sales really suffered because people weren’t coming downtown to go to the parks and the arts, not having music and theatre venues. The last year and a bit has really impacted foot traffic and how many people come downtown.” “This means we need to be much more thoughtful about how we make our streets even more pedestrian focused and ensuring our public spaces are intentionally inclusive for all,” says MacKinnon. “The good news is that Halifax, as a midsized city with a very walkable downtown and lots of opportunity for residential growth, is relatively well positioned for recovery.” To rejuvenate the vitality of downtown, residential developments are worth pursuing for large developers. The downtown density in the making
is providing a much-needed positive outlook to downtown storefronts, who are yearning for a steadier increase in foot traffic and sales. “Having more residential units, either condos or apartments, downtown is just great for every business downtown,” says Haywood. Additionally, the city is investing in a Grand Parade concert series this summer to help bring vibrancy back to the main streets. Downtown Halifax Business Commission has also created placemaking and music grants for its members. “We also plan to activate our district with events, seating, flowers, art, music and open streets this summer and can’t wait to welcome visitors to our community,” says Jackson. The North End Business Association has been echoing the voices of businesses in its area to the government and advocating on their behalf. “We have provided digital grants to set up online stores, beautification, patio and façade grants, put out social distance markers and mask decals in
shop windows,” says Jackson. “All of these were important to do, but the most valuable takeaway from all of this is how important it is to just be there for your businesses, to listen to their concerns and assure them that someone is out there fighting for them.” “With an end to restrictions in sight, we now need to look ahead to how we recover from this and rebuild as a business district and as a city,” says Jackson. “We have been very lucky in the north end to have had approximately 25 new businesses open up during the pandemic.” This is a true testament to the resiliency and perseverance of small businesses, who are still gravitating toward the downtown area, believing in the strength of downtown. It’s a reflection of the optimism of small business owners and the downtown core’s commitment to vibrancy. “When people come downtown, they expect to see things happening,” says MacKinnon. “And we are confident that the area will recover.”
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