Construction has impacted businesses in downtown Medicine Hat. File Photo/CHAT News

By Adrian St.Onge

Downtown businesses face challenges amid Medicine Hat construction projects

Jul 12, 2024 | 4:22 PM

Businesses in the downtown got a heads up from the city that construction was coming.

Yet, some might be forced to close their doors because of the lack of traffic.

Associate director of environmental utilities Kim Dalton said that the city has been trying to drum up downtown activity.

“We’ve heard from our businesses and we’re trying different things out of the box thinking to bring people downtown and to get that traffic back there,” Dalton said.

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“Especially during the summer months where the businesses rely on that traffic so much. We appreciate anybody coming downtown to take a look at the project, look at the 100-year-old infrastructure that we’re enhancing and support the local businesses.”

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Moose and Squirrel Bistro owner Carrie Densaw said the challenges extend beyond construction.

Densaw said that unless something changes fast, most of the businesses won’t be able to weather the storm and that some downtown businesses are already for sale or lease.

“A few years back we had several vacancies, and then all of a sudden most of the vacancies were gone. Lots of retail shops had popped up, other restaurants had popped up,” Densaw said.

“Then this year again we’re seeing vacancies again, and I just fear that come around next year it could be worse,” she said.

“All the money that’s been put into the downtown, whether it’s the businesses that have made an investment like ourselves or the city that provided grants for revitalization, is just going to be wasted.”

Sarah McNeill, owner of Seven River Trading Co agreed and said that local businesses going under could have a major impact on the provincial economy.

“I mean, the tough thing is a lot of people maybe don’t recognize how important it is for the whole city to have this community of businesses downtown. We can’t just rely on the big box stores. they don’t support everyone,” McNeill said.

“My store, for example, I have vendors in here from all over Alberta, so you’re not just supporting me. You’re supporting the makers here and then with other businesses, you’re supporting, local people.”

Densaw said that Tourism Medicine Hat as well as the city have done very good work for people who make a point of visiting Medicine Hat but said that the biggest area for improvement needs to be people travelling through the city on Hwy. 1 without stopping.

“We’re not doing enough to leverage those that aren’t doing their own research. Medicine Hat’s on Hwy. 1 and we have people that travel through here every day,” Densaw said.

“Medicine Hat may not be their destination, but if there was something on the highway that drove a little bit of interest to get them to turn off the highway and come downtown, I think it would be a huge benefit to the businesses down there.”

Altawana Drive, one of the bigger projects in the city’s revitalization project is slated to be finished by the end of next week.

The city is also looking to extend the advertising micro-grants into September to try and alleviate some of the pressures small business has been feeling.