Ontario and Michigan Sault downtowns plan cross-promotions

Cross-border shopping has sometimes been a contentious issue, but downtown business associations in both the Ontario and Michigan Saults appear to be embracing the concept.

Downtown staff from both the Canadian and U.S. sides met recently and were reminded that they used to have a joint page on Facebook, now known as Meta.

"We were saying, well, we have this Facebook page, so why not cross promote?" said Nicholas Luck, executive director of the Ontario Sault's Downtown Association.

"It seems like the city are sort of on the same page there. So we shall see, maybe into the new year, about starting up some cross-promotion between downtowns," Luck said.

Some other core-area chittlins from this week's Downtown Association meeting:

Halloween on Queen

There will be fearsome quantities of free candy in Queenstown during the Halloween on Queen event on Saturday Oct. 28.

"We have $2,500 in candy sponsorship from SooToday, Windsor Place Retirement Residence, Reyco Marine, Reyco Automotive," says Sarah Skagen, Downtown Association coordinator.

'We've also worked out a deal with Rome's for 170 boxes of candy and we will be assembling candy bags with the residents of Windsor Park," Skagen said.

Queen Street will be closed from Pim to Dennis that day to accommodate crowds of trick-or-treaters.

The new downtown plaza will officially open the same day.

Queen Street resurfacing

Downtown businesses from East Street to Bruce are bracing for disruptions next year as a $6-million resurfacing project begins on Queen Street.

Thought is being given to establishing a committee with representation from the Downtown Association.

A special emphasis would be placed on communications, with regular updates on construction progress and 'guerrilla' marketing using unconventional and inventive methods to aggressively reassure shoppers that downtown is still open for business.

Street pole banners

There's talk about re-starting the downtown street banner program.

A number of pole brackets have been damaged or lost in recent months.

PUC was able to procure replacement brackets and got them installed in time to install the Royal Canadian Legion's Remembrance Day banners.

Now, the Downtown Association's staff is looking for partners to renew the banner program.