Back Downtown Spirit Week launches ‘It’s a way to get people out and exploring again’, says executive director of Exchange District BIZ
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/05/2023 (893 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Puppies, coffee, alcohol, board games — all are being added to the work week in an attempt to draw Manitobans to Winnipeg’s core.
Back Downtown Spirit Week launched May 15 with “Monday Funday,” which included oversized games spread across Old Market Square.
“It’s a way to get people out and exploring again,” said David Pensato, executive director of the Exchange District BIZ.
Minutes earlier, he’d circled a giant Jenga set, looking for a piece to remove that was both “ambitious and doable.”
“That’s what we do… ambitious and doable,” added Kate Fenske, CEO of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, as she laughed.
MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS “It really is about all of us doing this work together to welcome people back downtown,” Kate Fenske, CEO of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, said.
The Jenga set was among the first markers of the spirit week, put on by three business improvement zones — downtown’s, the Exchange District’s and the West End’s — and economic development partners.
On Tuesday morning, locations including Harrisons Coffee Co and Human Bean Coffee & Tea will give free coffee to early birds. Wednesday, downtown gyms will open their doors for free classes.
Animals from the Winnipeg Humane Society will be available for petting downtown Thursday, and on Friday, bars and pubs are extending their happy hours.
“It really is about all of us doing this work together to welcome people back downtown,” Fenske said.
Roughly two-thirds of 70,000 downtown workers have returned to the office on a full- or part-time basis, she added.
“We do expect to see a few more (workers) come back, but we are expecting this is where we’re at,” Fenske said.
MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS “We’ve always had the mindset that if you want people to be in the office, you have to make it fun,” Endeavour Wealth Management’s Grant White said.
Still, the offerings this week might encourage remote workers to “(dip their) toe in the water” and return downtown, she added.
“We do hope (people are) thinking twice about… how many days are you staying at home?”
Sixty-five companies registered to participate in the downtown spirit week, but the number of participants is likely double, said Stephanie Fung, public relations director for UpHouse, the company tracking results. Some organizations indicated they’d partake but didn’t register.
Organizers didn’t say how much is being spent on Back Downtown Spirit Week. It’s a small portion of a $300,000 marketing campaign to attract people to the city’s core, Fenske noted. The campaign launched last November.
More customers have been entering Seduta Art and walking through the Exchange District than in prior months, said Sholeth Choquette.
“There’s a micro-economic level of people that need (downtown office workers’) support.”–Nick Van Seggelen
“There’s definitely been a noticeable change,” the shop owner said, adding the shift has been in recent weeks.
She couldn’t put a finger on why — maybe it’s events in the area.
“I would love for more people to come downtown,” Choquette added.
Lunch rushes are still sporadic at Bodegoes. Workers aren’t back downtown in full force, and as a result, it’s hard to plan restaurant operations, noted owner Nick Van Seggelen.
“Fun things are great, but also, stern messages… are needed more than just ‘Hey, we’re going to do something and hope that people do come,’” Van Seggelen said. “There’s a micro-economic level of people that need (downtown office workers’) support.”
Despite the smaller crowds, Van Seggelen is optimistic about downtown’s future.
Climbing Blackcomb in Winnipeg
Endeavour Wealth Management is planning a mountain summit in 201 Portage for charity.
The company will ask Manitobans to climb the steps of 201 Portage, at the corner of Portage and Main, eight times in a row — the equivalent of Blackcomb Peak in British Columbia — on Sept. 8.
The goal is both to raise $29,029 for The Dream Factory and to “liven up things around the city,” said Grant White, Endeavour’s managing director.
Endeavour Wealth Management is planning a mountain summit in 201 Portage for charity.
The company will ask Manitobans to climb the steps of 201 Portage, at the corner of Portage and Main, eight times in a row — the equivalent of Blackcomb Peak in British Columbia — on Sept. 8.
The goal is both to raise $29,029 for The Dream Factory and to “liven up things around the city,” said Grant White, Endeavour’s managing director.
White plans to climb Blackcomb enough times to equal Mount Everest’s height in September for the same cause. The $29,029 is “a dollar for every foot of Mount Everest, basically.”
The company aims to attract at least 100 people to the event. There will be staggered start times; around 200 people can safely be on the stairs at once, according to White.
“(It will bring) some vibe and energy back to Portage and Main,” he said.
More details are to be announced next month, including ways to sign up and donate to the initiative, White said.
— Gabrielle Piché
Endeavour Wealth Management’s staff is among those to return downtown daily.
“I feel like it really builds that relationship and it just brings the team together,” said Junice Savares, Endeavour’s director of brand development.
The finance company will be participating in the downtown spirit week, managing director Grant White said at a news conference about the event.
“We’ve always had the mindset that if you want people to be in the office, you have to make it fun,” White added.
Organizers will monitor this week before making any plans about similar events, said Pensato. Determining the week’s success will be “tricky,” but UpHouse will track registrations and tip sheets, among other things, he added.
Back Downtown Spirit Week ends on May 19. A full schedule is available at backdowntown.ca/spirit-week.
gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com
Gabrielle Piché reports on business for the Free Press. She interned at the Free Press and worked for its sister outlet, Canstar Community News, before entering the business beat in 2021. Read more about Gabrielle.
Every piece of reporting Gabrielle produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press‘s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press’s history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates.
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History
Updated on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 8:55 AM CDT: Corrects date for climbing the steps of 201 Portage
Updated on Tuesday, May 16, 2023 9:50 AM CDT: Adds link
