By Adam Donnelly

Downtown Kamloops to come ‘Alive After Five’

Aug 16, 2016 | 2:56 PM

KAMLOOPS — The heart of any city is its’ downtown core, and while Kamloops has a variety of options when it comes to entertainment, things tend to quiet down for most downtown businesses after 5 or 6 pm.

A new initiative from Downtown Kamloops and Tourism Kamloops hopes to change that trend, by keeping some of the businesses open later, in the hopes of keeping people in the downtown core after dark.

WATCH: Full report by Adam Donnelly 

Downtown Kamloops can be a busy place on weekdays, especially around lunch time.

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But after regular business hours, things can slow down a bit, which is why Downtown Kamloops and Tourism Kamloops have teamed up with many downtown vendors to introduce ‘Alive after Five’.

“We really wanted, at the last few weeks of the summer, grab that experience and expand it, and encourage people to come downtown in the evenings,” explained Gay Pooler, General Manager of the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Area.

Downtown retailers will offer longer hours during ‘Alive After Five’, in the hopes of keeping people in the area and creating a new culture around downtown Kamloops in the evening.

“Victoria Street, in itself, is a complete gem,” Monica Dickinson, of Tourism Kamloops, told CFJC Today. “The tree lined streets, the shopping, just the ease of [being able to pop] in and out.”

Bars, restaurants, and coffee shops tend to draw people in the evenings anyways; however, many retailers who don’t serve food or beverages, staying open late could pose a challenge in drawing customers in.

“We do have a 9-to-5:30… retail character in the downtown core,” described Ryan Gentile, who owns and operates Red Wing Shoes and the Big Boot Inn.

However, Gentile is confident in the experience downtown retailers can offer.

“The owners are tight there, on the sales floor to greet you,” he said. “That’s what give unique character, unique products, in the stores themselves.”  

‘Alive After Five’ gets underway next week , and runs from August 22nd to September 2nd. The program is being treated like a pilot program, for future initiatives in the downtown core.

[We are] trying to do a test pilot project this summer, so we can look forward to what type of thing we could maybe to next summer, on a longer term basis,” Pooler explained.

Many of the participating businesses will stay open until 8 or 9 pm during Alive After Five – for a full list of participating retailers, you can visit www.downtownkamloops.com.

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