On May 11, 2020 the Province announced measures to ease restrictions on retail stores. These measures are aligned with the first phase of the government’s Framework for Reopening our Province, Protect and Support, which allows for businesses that can operate safely to do so. Ontario government announced that retail stores with a street entrance would be allowed to offer curbside pickup and delivery. Over the weekend, garden centres, nurseries, hardware stores and safety supply stores began offering in-store purchasing. Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade stated that “businesses can offer curbside pickup and delivery, if they follow appropriate safety guidelines. This is the next step forward in safely and methodically re-opening our economy, so that we can return to the path of economic prosperity and renewal.” All retailers should follow available safety guidelines in order to protect staff, consumers and the general public during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Based on this announcement the City of Port Colborne is seeking to help support local business recovery by creating curbside pickup infrastructure throughout the City (particularly within the BIA zones). Staff has developed a plan which includes both the Downtown and Main Street BIA areas.
- In the Downtown area the plan involves taking parking stalls and turning them into a drive through pick up zone. The idea is to block off the first parking spot or two and the last spot or two on each block, with signs that reserve the parking stall for curbside pickup. The By-law division will erect temporary signage for drivers to follow when using parking spaces that have been earmarked for these purposes.
- Since, Main St has no on street parking, Main Street businesses will use the parking lots throughout the area and the City Bylaw staff will erect curbside pick up at these locations.Main St Lots Lock 8 Gateway ark parking lot (closest to the main st side) 175 Main St W parking lot ( old Joeys lot) 105-109 Main St W parking lot (Next to Melinas ) 230 Main St W parking lot – Subway parking lot ( 2 stalls closest to the street) 98 Main St W ( Visitor Centre parking lot ) Old Humberstone Village King St parking lot ( Behind Insurance company corner of King and Neff)
If your business is open, offering curbside pick-up or other modes of service delivery and have not yet been added to the Resilient Port Colborne Business Directory, you can add your business by visiting https://Resilient.PortColborne.ca/ or https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ResilientPortColborne. This page was developed by the City to increase the public’s awareness of the products and services of local businesses that are available and ways in which they can safely support local businesses, while adhering to the necessary health guidelines and precautions. Traffic is being driven to the page using paid and organic social media support local campaign.
The Port Colborne City Council and staff are constantly monitoring the situation and taking proactive steps to providing the path forward for our businesses to recover and succeed in the post-pandemic period.
If you have any questions or concerns related to this initiative, the impact of COVID19 your business, workforce issues or is experiencing difficulty accessing government benefits and supports, please contact Julian Douglas-Kameka at EDO@portcolborne.ca.
