‘They’re getting shredded right now’

Layoffs, squeezed profits, reduced hours and a downsizing have plagued Graham Avenue businesses in the year since buses were removed from the former Winnipeg Transit strip.

A convenience store along the road doubled its footprint two years ago. Now, it’s operating in half the space: a wall was built in the middle of the shop last month, creating room for a new tenant.

Across the street, bong seller Aluminum Sound has laid off two staff. It’s one of at least two companies to lessen its employee count following the Transit overhaul.

“You could fire a cannon down Graham Avenue a lot of the time and not have to worry about any casualties,” said Aimee Peake, owner of Bison Books.

She’s watched the walk-by traffic disintegrate since the City of Winnipeg rerouted buses off Graham last summer.

At one point, the hub had 1,800 buses daily and thousands of travellers. Part of the stretch was reserved for buses.

The strip now includes a “pedestrian-first” stretch — or no cars — between Carlton and Garry streets. Murals and picnic tables have been added.

The road parallels Portage Avenue. It passes Cityplace and Winnipeg Police Service headquarters, and stops at the former Hudson’s Bay Co. flagship store. Cars can travel on Graham close to the old Bay.

“That corridor was designed with buses in mind, transit riders,” said Andrew Van Seggelen, owner of Bodegoes Restaurants in Cityplace Winnipeg.

“You have businesses down that stretch that fully relied on those customers being there daily, and they’re getting shredded right now.”

Bodegoes still uses the reduced hours it launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. Van Seggelen said last week he’d hoped to return to pre-pandemic hours, but the late afternoon and evening traffic isn’t there.

Outside, a Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone farmers market splashed across Graham Avenue. The event now sprawls the strip instead of being confined near Manitoba Hydro Place.

Events are part of the short-term plan to draw people to the street, said Rochelle Squires, chief executive of CentreVenture Development Corp.

The arm’s-length city agency is mandated to revitalize Graham Avenue. Squires pointed to summer events, including a September food truck festival, Salsa Sundays and 2026 World Cup soccer watch parties.

“We know that it’s going to take a lot more than a couple of events to truly and fully activate that space,” Squires said.

In the summer, CentreVenture plans to launch a program — alongside the city and province — to fund existing Graham Avenue businesses’ enhancements, such as new patios and storefront displays.

Money will be tabbed to recruit businesses to the area. Details will come later this season, Squires said. In the longer term, new housing and infrastructure should liven the strip, she said.

A building along Graham Avenue — 254 Edmonton St. — is under construction for 25 housing units. Work at the former Hudson’s Bay, which could include more than 300 residences, is also underway.

Public consultation to change the 142-year-old Holy Trinity Church will begin this summer, Squires said.

Dade Williams is among the workers to welcome new spending. He estimates Aluminum Sound, which he manages, had a 50 per cent drop in customers this June compared to last.

He has ordered giant window coverings to advertise Aluminum Sound’s wares, in a bid to draw more people. He said he’ll try to use program money to cover costs. However, it’s wasted if nobody walks by, he said.

The city placed a D19 bus stop at Vaughan Street post-overhaul, close to Graham Avenue. The change doesn’t fix the problem, Williams said: people don’t stop near the shops they used to.

Resurrecting the old stop, at Vaughan Street and Graham Avenue, would help, Williams said. “It feels like they just don’t care,” he said of city council.

The grants will come more than a year too late, Peake stated: “These things should’ve been done before the buses were taken off.”

Still, the funding is good to have — especially to attract new firms and bolster the strip’s offerings, Peake said.

She’s been worried Bison Books’ customer pool will diminish over time: it’s not gaining new clientele off the street, and regular patrons visit downtown less due to headache-filled Transit trips.

“I’m just really frustrated from the lack of response from city hall,” Peake said, noting new residential housing will take years to finish. “The pace of these reactions seems to be frustratingly slow.”

Meantime, Winnipeg Transit estimates it could fall $18.4 million short of its budgeted revenue this year due to lower ridership. Transit uses seasonal schedule changes as an “opportunity” improve its bus network, based on Winnipeg residents’ feedback, Mayor Scott Gillingham said in a statement.

Projects such as the redevelopment of Portage Place and the former Bay store will add people to downtown, he said, adding the D19 route brought service closer to Graham.

After what had been a down year, walk-by traffic near Blazing Chicken Shack has actually increased over the past couple months, said owner Eric Saniuk.

However, in addition to a lack of buses, there have been other hindrances, he said — extensive road construction and outside vendors, such as food trucks, diverting customers during Graham Avenue events.

Some shop owners — not including Blazing Chicken Shack — told the Free Press they were considering axing their Graham hubs.

Many businesses on the strip are struggling, but some are doing fine — largely eateries, noted Olivia Billson, communications director for the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ. She said events were helping to build momentum in the area, but more needs to be done.

Neither the city nor the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ had year-over-year foot traffic counts for Graham Avenue available on Friday.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com