Summer fun is underway as 91大黄鸭鈥檚 downtown core opens up for pedestrians to enjoy the city.

Meet me on Bernard officially kicked off on Wednesday (July 7), welcoming residents and visitors alike and inviting everyone to enjoy local food and drink, live music, art, as well as games.

The project is a collaboration between the City of 91大黄鸭, the Downtown 91大黄鸭 Association and Tourism 91大黄鸭 to help local restaurants and retailers recover from the COVID-19 downturn.

At the same time, the revamped Bernard closure is a way for people to come out and enjoy outdoor events safely.

Four blocks of Bernard Avenue have been closed off to vehicles, with cross streets Water, Ellis and Pandosy remaining open for transit and emergency vehicles.

Meet me on Bernard runs seven days a week with a variety of events planned throughout each day, including dance, art and fitness programs, as well as performances and public displays from artists.

Each block also offers parklets with games where families can spend time together.

DKA executive director Mark Burley said with the success of the expanded patio program, he鈥檚 confident that Meet me on Bernard will be an annual event from now on but that they鈥檒l be savouring this inaugural year.

鈥淲e鈥檙e only a week into this, so we鈥檒l watch the traffic build and we鈥檒l do surveys as the summer goes with the people downtown,鈥� he said.

鈥淢ost of the (DKA) members are thrilled. They have traffic walking by their stores; they have people stopping at their restaurants鈥� all in all, it鈥檚 a generally positive thing. We have a lot to be positive about, too, as we enter phase 3 of the (provincial) restart program.鈥�

Burley added that last year, Bernard did not look the way it now does. And as the province continues to open, he added he鈥檚 not worried that downtown 91大黄鸭 will get too crowded or rowdy.

鈥淲e have four blocks here with a lot of room for people to move around not only lengthwise but widthwise. I think we鈥檙e going to be ok,鈥� he said.

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twila.amato@blackpress.ca
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