WINDSOR, ONT. -- Downtown Windsor’s parklets and patio streets are getting a pop of colour just in time for spring.

The Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association (DWBIA), the City of Windsor’s horticultural department and downtown businesses have partnered to increase the downtown aesthetic by extending the DWBIA’s regular “seasonal floral beautification program” to include patios and parklets.

“We want to nurture a downtown Windsor that’s a visually attractive hub of commercial activity,” says DWBIA chair Brian Yeomans. “Well-maintained, bustling and physically beautiful spaces support business and draws visitors.”

Member businesses were invited to partake and the DWBIA covered half of the cost. The city’s horticultural division also stepped in and partnered with the DWBIA to source the materials and install planters.

“We’re excited to be part of this project,” Wanda Letourneau, horticulture manager for the City of Windsor, says. “We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the DWBIA and its member businesses to boost economic well-being, including that of physical improvements of our main and secondary streets.”

Spencer Dawson, owner of The Cook’s Shop says projects like this help to “build civic pride.”

“The completion of such enhancements that beautify and improve the appearance of our storefronts and sidewalks just enhances our appeal,” he says.