Welcome to the summer edition of The Beat!
On behalf of the board and staff, I would like to send our best wishes to the community. We realize that the COVID-19 crisis has affected us all in many different ways. For those working from home offices, it was sometimes business as usual. But, for the many retail outlets, services, and restaurants with store fronts in the Heart of Orléans, it has had a strong economic impact on the district. Some businesses have managed to make lemonade out of lemons in the midst of it all by re-inventing their business offerings. Others, of course, do not have a business model that makes that possible.
Regardless of the specifics of your situation, please know that you have allies in the Heart of Orléans BIA staff, board, and Teams. We remain committed to supporting our business community and have been working with all three levels of government, the Ottawa Coalition of BIAs (OCOBIA) and are even represented on The Economic Partners Task Force to help small business owners get through this crisis. Let’s continue to work together so we can recover quickly while staying safe and healthy!
I would also like to take a moment to thank our loyal community members who have been staunch supporters of local businesses. Together, we will move the economy forward.
As we keep an eye on the future and long-term strategies to rebuild prosperity in our community, in this issue of The Beat we talk about the streetscape and beautification of our district. We get up close and personal with our Streetscape and Beautification Team and their objectives. We also introduce you to a special horticulturist, a family business that has been handed down for five generations, and a future build in the district.
We hope you enjoy this issue and hope to see you all soon in the Heart of Orléans!
