Fall issue of the Downtown Tabloid hits the streets!

The Fall issue of the downtown tabloid is filled with a number of interesting stories. 'A Delicious Combo' focuses on the many 'mini' galleries that are popping up throughout the downtown core - Zim's Place, Tompkins Jewellers, Sterling Mutual, The Studio, etc. New businesses such as Anna Banana, Bento Bowl and Fighter Wear are also featured in this jam-packed issue. If you haven't read the latest issue, make sure to pick one up at our office - 310 - 6 Street South.

We've included the entire 'What's Up Downtown' story by Ted Stilson, Managing Coordinator for the Downtown Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ) and Lethbridge Main Street Project.

What's Up Downtown

I'm excited! Why? Because I'm pleased to say that a lot of great things are happening in our downtown. Downtown Lethbridge is a busy place and many people are discovering that there are a lot of positive things to see and do. Whether they've stumbled upon a new restaurant, boutique or coffee shop, more and more people are experiencing a downtown that is full of life.

The transition from a struggling area to a revitalized downtown took a relatively short period of time. It's only been a decade since the BRZ, Lethbridge Main Street Project and the City of Lethbridge started to work diligently towards the common goal of making the downtown a better place to visit, shop, work, invest and do business.

I can honestly say that we're beginning to realize our vision - the creation of a strong, vibrant and economically viable downtown that our community can take great pride in. Storefronts have been filled and businesses are thriving. Do we still have a lot more to accomplish? Absolutely, however we've shown that a concerted effort by a host of players can definitely bring about positive change.

People have often asked me why it's so important to invest so much time, effort and resources into the downtown. The answer is quite simple ... a revitalized downtown is an important part of the identity of a community. A downtown is the heart and lifeblood of a community and our 'heart' has a strong beat.

Our historic buildings, businesses and institutions set us apart from other cities. In today's homogenous world, our unique architecture and diverse business community definitely set us apart. When our downtown buildings and streets are filled with people, we have a place that is truly special.

Early visionaries such as Glen Campbell and Jean Johnstone helped spark an interest with developers, members of City Council and business owners. Millions of dollars have been invested in buildings and infrastructure in the downtown core since 2000 and more is being planned for the near future.

Glen often described the downtown as a large jigsaw puzzle. If we were successful in getting others excited about the 'downtown puzzle', we could complete the picture a lot sooner and we're doing just that. The pieces are coming together and lots of people are participating in the completion of the revitalization picture.

We've attracted new visitors through events such as the Wednesday Farmer's Market, Movies in the Park and the Bright Lights Festival. Beautiful Galt Gardens Park has regained its rightful place as one of our main community gathering places as a result of the popular Rotary Centennial Plaza water feature that opened last year.

Where do we go from here? Well, we need to get the word out to more people who haven't discovered all the great things that our downtown has to offer. We also need to ensure that we continue to build on the momentum that has been created over the past decade. Although a revitalized downtown picture is starting to emerge, we still have a few pieces of the puzzle that have yet to be put in place. We encourage you to spread the news about your positive downtown experience, because word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising we can get.