Upcoming town hall to focus on driving tourism to downtown Windsor
Local businessman Brian Schwab and his group have invested into the future of the city core.
“Pretty important to the entire city and a larger audience that downtown is as good as it can be,” said Schwab.
An effort is being made by Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino to set the downtown on a path to success. He is planning a town hall Wednesday focusing on the hospitality and tourism industry.
“There's a lot of bright minds and I want to get all those minds together so we can have a frank discussion on the direction that we're going in moving forward post-COVID,” said Agostino.
Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island CEO Gordon Orr would like the downtown to thrive.
“We know when the downtown is thriving that our entire industry is going to be better off for it,” he said.
Orr says there are signs the tourism industry is starting to rebound post pandemic.
“Our hotel occupancy year over year is up 18 points over last year,” he said. “April alone was up 26 per cent and our occupancy sits at about 62 per cent right now.”
Agostino wants American visitors to be part of the rebound.
“This is a great opportunity to re-establish those ties and it's going to take us to extend the olive branch to Michigan to say hey, we're still here,” said Agostino. “Come on back. COVID is over.”
Schwab is interested in attending the town hall and has some suggestions.
“I think the property owners downtown have to take some responsibility and do things to improve their properties,” he said. “It allows downtown to be clean, beautiful and safe.”
Schwab and his group own properties downtown and have improved lighting and security and invested in activating alley's that otherwise would be a haven for blight.
He also suggests the city eliminate boarding of empty businesses and encourages increased security measures.
“Can we do things downtown to make the presence of law enforcement more visible?” Schwab said.
Agostino adds, “Everyone who has skin in the game should have a voice and those voices are gonna be heard here on Wednesday night and I hope that's what will get people motivated to really step up and step forward to make a better downtown for all of us.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Cargo ship had engine maintenance in port before Baltimore bridge collapse, officials say
The cargo ship that lost power and crashed into a bridge in Baltimore underwent 'routine engine maintenance' in port beforehand, the U.S. Coast Guard said Wednesday.
'Ninja,' Twitch's biggest streamer, is diagnosed with skin cancer
American gamer and Twitch superstar, Tyler 'Ninja' Blevins, revealed he was diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer.
Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in N.Y. hush-money criminal case
Donald Trump lashed out Wednesday at the New York judge who put him under a gag order that bars him from commenting publicly about witnesses, prosecutors, court staff and jurors in his upcoming hush-money criminal trial.