The Prince Rupert and District Chamber of Commerce is hailing the third annual edition of the Prince Rupert Business Walk as a successful engagement with both its membership and other local business operators, with the tour of the city's business locations offering a glimpse into the challenges as well as positive trends in the commercial sector in 2019.
The walk which took place on May 31st sent a number of participants into the streets to gauge the pulse of the business community, led by Paul Venditelli, the Manager of Transportation and Economic Development for the City of Prince Rupert, the Business walk team featured representation from a number of local groups.
In addition to the Chamber members and those from City Council, the walk drew on the volunteer resources of Community Futures of the Pacific Northwest and Ecotrust Canada's North Coast Innovation Lab.
Chamber President Michelle Boomars-MacNeill noted that ensuring that the voices of small and mid size business were heard was an invaluable service to the community.
“The Prince Rupert & District Chamber of Commerce exists to connect, support and advocate for all businesses within Prince Rupert, and the results from the BizWalks will help us to provide the events, information and support that’s most needed. I am inspired by the loyalty and pride Rupert business owners share for their community, business endeavors, and clientele.”
Over 100 local businesses were visited during the course of the Business Walk, covering many sectors of local retail, hospitality, Industrial and personal services to name a few.
As part of the project, Participants were asked questions related to growth, challenge and opportunities when it came to how they view the business climate in the community.
As well, this year, the survey included an opportunity for business owners to suggest improvements for business activity downtown, as well as to provide information towards their own continuity plans in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.
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| Participants in this years Prince Rupert Business Walk compare notes in May, the results from the day long blitz of the business community are expected to be released soon (photo from PR and District Chamber of Commerce) |
In a statement from the Chamber of Commerce released today, John Farrell, the Manager of Community Futures of the Pacific Northwest offered up his early impressions of this years Business walk.
“The narrative that ‘retail is dead’ isn’t the story we heard. ... Owners are saying that business is strong in Rupert. There are challenges with recruiting staff, homelessness, vandalism … but there’s a growing willingness among businesses to work together and find collective solutions.”
The results of the Third Annual Business Walk will be released in the near future through the City of Prince Rupert website as well as by way of the Rupert Talks community engagement portal.
The City's Manager of Economic Development also made note of the success of the May project, with Paul Venditelli noting how: “The challenges are there, but also positive indicators and optimism about the future of commerce in our community.”
For further background on the city's Business Walks and other Economic Development efforts contact him at 250-627-5138
For more notes related to the city's Business sector see our archive page here.
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