Can you dig it?

Talbot St. has worn a lot of styles - from dirt to brick, to pavement featuring streetcar tracks to ultimately what we have now! The time has come for the work to continue improving both the street and what lies beneath. As our City continues to grow and evolve so must the infrastructure!

Phase three of the Talbot St. Reconstruction continues the work that was completed in the West End in 2018 and will bring the section of Downtown from Mary St. to Ross Street up to the standard set in the west end with incredible railway-themed touches, increased parking, and upgraded light standards - in addition to the necessary work to the replacement of Sewers, Watermain, Utilities below.

During construction, sections of the road will need to be closed to vehicular traffic from March to October to complete the work safely and in a timely manner. Construction will be phased and include tight schedule deadlines and financial penalties to ensure it is completed quickly. Pedestrian access will generally be maintained with minor disruptions. The construction will be completed in two stages beginning in March with an expected completion in October.

For more information regarding this project, full details and plans are available on the City of St. Thomas Website.

For our small business community that calls Talbot St. home, this project is, on the one hand, very welcome. There is an excellent understanding that this is essential work that needs to happen, and better if it is planned than an infrastructure failure. The finished streetscape will also be an incredible upgrade with a fresh look to accent the historic downtown area. However, there is also some genuine and reasonable concern that the construction will impact visitation to their businesses. And that's valid too.


The great words of a classic film, "If you build it, they will come," raises a great argument with the caveat that folks need to KNOW that something has been built so they CAN come. And this is the principle we are going to touch on here. Because yes - your foot traffic is likely to be impacted. So what can you do about it?

Keep your customers in the loop about what to expect.

• Your shop will maintain access through the front door for most construction
• Share a map of parking lot locations - there are LOTS of lots in Downtown St. Thomas, and provide fun sights to see along the way (other shops, murals). Railway City Tourism has Mural guides, local walking tour maps and more available.
• Post alternate access points and sign them well in advance of the days that you will not have access to your front door. (perhaps have it as an option during the entire construction period)
• If you feel better having the back door locked for whatever reason, consider adding an inexpensive bell to "ring for service."
• Share updates on the construction process through your social media. 
• Get your website up to date and offer shopping online. Many of you may have transitioned to an online model during the unmentionable time - this strategy is still a good one!

​​Stay Positive with your customers, but also be authentic.

• Customers don't come to your place of business to hear you complain. Full stop. There are ways to be optimistic about a situation while being true to it. 
• Make a list of positives about the end product to get you through the dust and noise, and keep it by your register. Did I mention extra parking and gorgeous benches? New crosswalks?

Give your customers a reason to visit.

• Do something fun in-store - offer a unique activity, customer appreciation event, or a sale - get creative and have fun with it. A back door sidewalk sale with your neighbours?
• Participate in events the Downtown Development Board might offer.
• Promote events that other downtown businesses are offering.

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Keep communication up

• Use your socials and email lists to your advantage - it's why you have them!
• Businesses that maintain solid communication plans throughout the construction will inevitably be impacted less and recover more quickly than those who choose to disengage.
• Attend Downtown Development Board meetings and subscribe to their newsletter for updates.

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Make new friends

• Make friends with the construction contractors and crew. Some days, you may want to sabotage their jackhammers. But they're often your most reliable source of information, and knowing that your friends are just out there doing their jobs might make the process easier to swallow.
• Make friends with other business owners downtown, visit them, and share about their businesses! 

Don't ignore your financials.

• Now may be a good time to review with your advisors and adjust projections that didn't consider the planned construction.
• If you don't already have a contingency fund, a plan to sock one away would be good.

This is an incomplete list - there will be more ideas that surface over the coming months - the key is to remember that you aren't alone, and your neighbours will be experiencing at least one of the same external factors that you are - lean on one another and lean on us too.