CentreFest
Wednesday, July 15th 2009
CentreFest once again boasts a roster of the world’s hottest street performers! The four blocks where Ross and Gaetz intersect will be the site of CentreFest 2009.
Downtown has played host to a diverse and talented array of entertainers from as far away as New Zealand and as close to home as Red Deer, Alberta. This year’s stellar cast of performers will provide an awesome spectacle of jaw-dropping sight, sound and up-close-and-personal entertainment.
It’s a show without walls, like no other. CentreFest takes place July 25th and 26th. The festival runs from 11am to 8pm on Saturday and 11am to 6pm on Sunday. Mark your calendar and join us on Friday, July 24th at noon in City Hall Park for a sneak preview of the festival performers.
New on the site this year is the Rotary Water World! It’s a place to stop and cool off with some misting water, or purchase a souvenir water bottle and fill it up at the Culligan water coolers.
Remember, CentreFest is not just for kids! It’s an all-ages entertainment event in the street. Rain or shine the show will go on! Come check out the performers, the artists, the street market and food vendors!
Check out the CentreFest website at www.centrefest.ca
Learn and meet your downtown friends and neighbours!
Sessions will be held at the Stanford Inn – 8am to 9:20am, doors open at 7:30am.
The $7.50 (or 3 sessions for $20) cost includes continental breakfast.
To register, contact Janice at 403.340.8696 or info@downtownreddeer.com
In partnership with The City of Red Deer, we present the following two sessions during Crime Prevention Week (May 10 – 16):
May 12 - Preventing Business Crime - Inside and Out
Learn innovative techniques to prevent crime and loss in your business that are proactive and will help you maintain a strong bottom-line.
Topics include: shoplifting, employee theft and methods of protecting your business assets
May 14 - Design Out Crime - Inside and Out
Learn more about the key principles of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) and funding opportunities for downtown businesses.
Topics will include: business design inside and out, employee awareness regarding theft deterrence, defining public/private space, activity support and maintenance.
Steve Woolrich is the owner and director of SeCure Consulting Solutions Inc. He has worked in a wide-range of roles during the past 25 years including policing, corrections and security. Steve is a “certified” CPTED practitioner specializing in physical security and asset protection. He continues to work with clients in a variety of industries and is always eager to share his expertise. Steve remains actively involved in crime prevention and security initiatives that are community-oriented.
June 18 – Opening Downtown Doors
Special downtown events and festivals offer unique opportunities. But how do we translate that added sidewalk traffic into new relationships, new customers, and new business? This session will explore how to encourage individuals attending festivals and other events to open new downtown doors. You will leave with tips, tools, and strategies to build community connections and customers.
Glynis Wilson Boultbee has been a small business owner for the past 10 years. During that time, she has regularly worked for and in partnership with downtown businesses and the Downtown Business Association. As a promoter of the September Earthdance festival, she appreciates the importance of building mutually beneficial relationships between businesses and festival organizers. Like many downtown businesses, Glynis enjoys finding creative ways to build her own business while also contributing in meaningful ways to her community.
A New Program to Help Businesses Keep Downtown Clean!
The Red Deer Downtown Business Association employs a Clean Team that provides litter control and streetscape maintenance of downtown’s public areas. Downtown businesses and property owners who are looking for assistance in keeping their property tidy will have a new option this spring.
Vested Interest is a new initiative of the Canadian Mental Health Association, Central Alberta Region (CMHA). Vested Interest will train and employ individuals with disabilities to perform outdoor, street-level, micro-cleaning and indoor micro-cleaning in both residential and commercial properties in the downtown. Outdoor micro-cleaning includes litter collection from sidewalks, parking areas and private spaces including laneway accesses, entrances and vacant lots. Snow removal and street-level window-washing services are also available.
The Vested Interest program will operate out of A Gathering Place, a peer support clubhouse for persons with mental illness and brain injury. The program will provide an opportunity for individuals with disabilities to receive training and earn an income while working in a supervised and supportive environment.
The program trains part-time workers who need experience and a chance to get ahead. Because Vested Interest provides a pool of trained and supervised employees as well as all necessary materials and equipment, businesses benefit by being assured of the quality of work and the flexibility and ease of purchasing a service from Vested Interest instead of employing individuals for their cleaning needs.
“The Downtown Business Association is pleased to be a partner in this new initiative that provides a hand-up, not a hand-out, to persons with disabilities while providing downtown businesses with an easy to access solution to keeping downtown clean and attractive. It’s a win-win program for downtown,” says Laura Turner, Executive Director of the Downtown Business Association.
Downtown businesses can contact Tim Hafso, Vested Interest Coordinator, at 403.304.7662
Once again downtown – the four blocks where Ross and Gaetz intersect – will be the site of CentreFest, Red Deer’s annual street performers festival.
Now in its seventh year, CentreFest has grown to become Central Alberta’s largest festival, with weekend attendance estimated at 20,000 plus. In addition to the variety of street performers, the festival includes food and artisan booths along Ross Street.
Festival organizers encourage interested vendors to visit the Vendor pages at www.centrefest.ca for information and application forms. Applications must be received by May 15, 2009.
The two-day festival also has an opportunity for not-for-profit organizations to promote at the entrance booths, for more information on this no-cost opportunity, contact the Red Deer Downtown Business Association at 403.340.8696.
The April 10, 2009 deadline for nominations for the annual Yellow Pages Group Make It Real Awards is fast approaching. If you are a small business (50 or fewer employees) that has demonstrated outstanding community involvement you could win cash.
Contributions to the community could include (but are not limited to) fundraising for a worthy cause; donations of cash, time or resources; environmentally friendly business practices; social responsibility programs and employment equity initiatives.
Under the Make It Real Program, the winning business in the Platinum category will receive $5000 and $1500 is awarded to the charity of their choice. There is also a Gold prize category.
Businesses can also be nominated by a supplier, customer, community organization, another business or an individual. There are no entry fees.
For more information and to nominate, visit Make It Real online.
The Red Deer Downtown Business Association held its Annual General Meeting on November 26, 2008. At that meeting, Helen Bricker , Al Gamble and Terry Krause were re-elected and Jennifer Powell and Mark Poty were newly elected as members to serve on the Board of Directors effective January 2009. At the association's January Board of Directors Meeting, the Executive was elected.
The 2009 Red Deer Downtown Business Association Board of Directors:
Al Gamble (Executive Place) - President
Shauna Fisher (La Casa Pergola) - Vice-President
Philip Boivin (CNC Office Solutions) - Treasurer
Duane Smethurst (Peak Chiropractic) - Executive
Mark Poty (Venture Tax) - Executive
Helen Bricker (Hempire)
Laura Cadrin (La Petite Jaune Fleur)
Candace Dunning (The Bistro on Gaetz and Hot Pot Studio)
Terry Krause (Alberta Tourism Parks & Recreation)
Jennifer Powell (Alberta Employment & Immigration)
Councilor Tara Veer (The City of Red Deer)
"I am enthused about the opportunities that lie ahead for our downtown and the Downtown Business Association. With a very strong board and staff, we can play an important role in helping the city centre reach its potential," says Al Gamble, President.
The Red Deer Downtown Business Association will hold its Annual Meeting next week. Business Revitalization Zone ratepayers and those interested in the Downtown are invited to attend.
The meeting will be held at Monsieur Wong’s (5004 48 Street) on Wednesday, November 26th beginning at 6:00pm. Those in attendance will have an opportunity to network, learn about the activities of the association and meet the newly elected members to the Board of Directors.
The event will include a presentation by the lead consultants of the Greater Downtown Action Plan update, Lorne Daniel of Grandview Consulting and John Hull of John Hull Architects.
A crew and truck have just begun the installation of new banners downtown. The new banners reflect the variety of things to see and do downtown and will add a splash of colour to the streetscape.
Working in partnership, the Downtown Business Association and The City of Red Deer have introduced a number of projects to help beautify downtown. Over the past two summers, new street furniture, including planters that have been adopted by downtown businesses, new street sign blades, wrapping of parking meter poles, the sidewalk patio program, Scenes on a Box (the wrapping of utility boxes with historic photos) as well as initiatives to address graffiti - mural projects and the Graffiti Hotline have been introduced to make downtown more attractive. Now more than 300 banners will be installed along Ross and 49th Street, Gaetz and 49th Avenues and at the gateways to downtown.
"Much has been done recently to beautify downtown; these colourful, vibrant banners are like the icing on the cake," says Laura Turner, Executive Director of the Downtown Business Association. This project is another example of the many great things that result from the close working relationship we have with The City, she added.
In 2003, the Downtown Business Association first installed banners along Ross Street and 49th Avenue and another 50 on the North and South thoroughfares as part of the Experience Downtown branding campaign.
The Downtown Business Association has been actively involved in the process to update the Greater Downtown Action Plan. Board members Al Gamble and Duane Smethurst along with Executive Director, Laura Turner, are members of the Steering Committee that guides the work of the consulting team.
The community has shown a strong interest throughout the process. Hundreds of people have attended public forums and took the opportunity to provide input and feedback. The updated vision and action plan will guide future development within the greater downtown. The final report is expected to go to Council early in the new year.
The plan recommends that downtown remain the focal area for offices, commercial and public buildings. Neighbouring districts - Railyards and Riverlands - are seen as mixed use areas with medium to high density residential and a diverse riverfront with visitor and convention facilities and attractions. Each district would have a distinct and complementary character.
It's not looking a lot like Christmas just yet, but businesses and community groups that want to be part of the 2008 Santa Claus Parade on November 18 should apply now.
After a year’s absence the Santa Claus Parade is coming back to Red Deer as part of the Biggest Tree Festival. “We’re excited to have the Santa Claus Parade kick off the evening’s festivities,” said Charles Strachey, Biggest Tree Festival Chair. “The parade has become a tradition in our community, and we think it is a great addition to the Biggest Tree Festival.”
The Parade will start at 5:30 pm from the Downtown Co-op and travel down Ross Street. Anyone who is interested in participating in the parade should visit www.reddeerfestivaloftrees.ca for a comprehensive registration package.
For more information, please visit the Red Deer Festival of Trees Web site or call Lindsey at 403.304.4761.
