Bernard Avenue is now open to pedestrians only until the Labour Day weekend to allow businesses to expand their patio areas into the parking areas along the street.

The patio expansion is to help promote physical distancing as people go out and about.

Twenty-two businesses signed on for the project, with several eateries and caf茅s setting up their expanded patios as soon as the barricades went up on June 29.

But a Bernard Avenue shop owner said the closure doesn香蕉视频直播檛 benefit every business along the city香蕉视频直播檚 main drag.

Chantal Couture owns Funktional, a jewelry and home goods store, and Frock & Fellow, a consignment shop. She said the patio expansion initiative was primarily aimed at restaurants in the area.

香蕉视频直播淚 think it was primarily to increase capacity for restaurants and then offered to us merchants to also increase our capacity but the truth is, it香蕉视频直播檚 not realistic,香蕉视频直播� she said.

香蕉视频直播淚 can香蕉视频直播檛 put clothes on the street and then still have people come and use the fitting rooms so my capacity isn香蕉视频直播檛 actually being broadened.香蕉视频直播�

Couture added setting up valuable and fragile items out on the street also adds work on her already limited staff. She said the street香蕉视频直播檚 closure to vehicles also poses some difficulties when she restocks both her stores.

香蕉视频直播淏ig transport trucks coming don香蕉视频直播檛 have easy access to the back alley. I used to get my vendors onto Bernard to supply us, now we香蕉视频直播檙e trying to make alternate arrangements. Only time will tell how effective that香蕉视频直播檚 going to be and I香蕉视频直播檓 optimistic and I certainly hope it doesn香蕉视频直播檛 dampen our potential revenue for the summer,香蕉视频直播� Couture said.

She added that she would香蕉视频直播檝e appreciated some collaboration regarding the street香蕉视频直播檚 closure.

香蕉视频直播淚n 2013, Bernard was closed for 22 months for construction and all of us were included in how we香蕉视频直播檙e going to move through this. We got to have a vote and a say.香蕉视频直播�

The City of Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 property management manager JoAnne Adamson said when staff were looking at an economic recovery program for the businesses in the area, they consulted with the Downtown Kelowna Association香蕉视频直播檚 board of directors.

香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檙e our conduit to the business community. So it wasn香蕉视频直播檛 a one-on-one consultation with specific businesses, but more through the association itself. The initiative had to go fairly fast in terms of coming up with a program, so staff felt that was the appropriate means of business consultation,香蕉视频直播� she said.

Adamson added that the expanded space for pedestrians will benefit all the businesses in the area, including stores like Couture香蕉视频直播檚.

香蕉视频直播淥ur goal is to increase the pedestrian usage and therefore have more eyes and people on the street feeling comfortable to stroll up and down and to visit the businesses and to be able to experience the heart of downtown in a socially distanced and compliant manner.香蕉视频直播�

READ: Kelowna香蕉视频直播檚 Bernard Avenue closed to vehicles starting June 29

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