Changing the face of Timmins downtown business.

Changes in Timmins' economic landscape have brought changes to the city's downtown core, where more than 200 businesses call home.

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"Our commercial mix has changed over the last 10 years," says Anita Damini, executive director, Downtown Timmins.

"It used to be predominantly retail-based outlets. Now it's only one-third retail, with another third made up of professional offices such as doctors and lawyers, and another third from the financial sector, such as accountants."

The rising prominence of the city in recent years has attracted a series of big box stores in the west end, putting a strain on downtown retail businesses. Additionally, Damini says retail stores have generally been slower to snap up new vacancies, leaving other sectors to fill the void.

This has gradually lowered the number of retail stores in the downtown core, which in turn has complicated attempts to attract people to shop in the area after five o'clock.

"It's created challenges in terms of ensuring traffic counts," she says. "In the evenings and weekends, it's difficult to ensure a pedestrian presence, especially when on a stretch of road, there may only be one store open after five because the adjoining offices close up in the afternoon."

To try and retain some of the 3,000 people who work and shop downtown during the average weekday, Damini says various initiatives are being pursued. These include such efforts as a marketing campaign to promote downtown shopping to local residents, as well as increased lighting to increase visibility of businesses that are open on weekends and after standard business hours.

Having been part of the downtown for 96 years, a department store known as Bucovetsky's has a uniquely historic presence in the area. Despite its heritage, it has also seen somewhat of a decline in its customer counts.

"Foot traffic is definitely down," says Mark Soucie, partner, KFS Limited, which owns Bucovetsky's.

"We're struggling a little bit down here because of the big box stores, and the independent market seems to be shrinking somewhat."

As Bucovetsky's is part of a chain with a presence in Port Perry and Perth, Soucie says he has noticed downtown stores have been thriving much more strongly in cities where tourism is a key element of its economic makeup. As a resource-driven town, Timmins has been instead forced to ride the fluctuations of resource markets, he says.

Although recent increases in mining activity have provided a solid boost to the overall economic health of the city, Soucie says consumer confidence is still stabilizing.

"It might still change in time, because this resurgence just got started, and people are just starting to feel safe with spending their money. It takes planning and it takes time."

This kind of change is already underway, Damini suggests as she points out that seven new businesses set up shop in the city's downtown last year, bringing 30 new jobs to the area. This year, four new businesses have already established themselves, including Christopher's Cafe, giving Damini hope that 2007 totals might surpass those of 2006.

Additionally, several existing entrepreneurs have invested in business improvement, such as Zenone's, a women's fine clothing store, which recently completed a four-month renovation.

This activity complements the kick-off of the city's community improvement plan (CIP) in the coming weeks, where $200,000 has been earmarked to help downtown businesses upgrade their storefronts and bring their buildings up to code.

These kinds of efforts are a move in the right direction, Soucie says, and help to prime the city to take advantage of its current economic upswing.

"We feel that Timmins, alongside North Bay and Sudbury, still has a better chance of surviving and thriving than most, and we foresee being a part of its downtown business for a long time to come."

By NICK STEWART

Northern Ontario Business