Archive News from Digital Main Street

“One of the most important challenges facing small business in the Town of Oakville is their ability to embrace the digital age. It’s vital for business today to adapt and become familiar with digital technology,” said Stephen Crawford, MPP for Oakville.

Next year, Midland’s King Street, one of the town’s key arteries will undergo a massive redesign, disrupting the flow of the downtown core and the businesses that drive the local economy. It’s a big change for the community, one the Downtown Midland Business Improvement Area has been hoping to offset by fixing up the alleyways, putting in more signage, and improving facades in the back.  

#resonancestreetart – Claire Scott's colourful mural was designed to create an accessible moment of connection

It was Janel Gagnier, coordinator of the Belle River On The Lake BIA, that first convinced the board to take up the Digital Main Street initiative. “Right away I knew it was a good thing and I knew it would benefit the businesses in our community,” says Gagnier. She admits she came down hard, telling her board: “We don't want to think about it, we don’t want to talk about it, we want to do it now… they all agreed and we applied.” 

By zeroing in on individual business owner’s digital needs, the Peterborough Digital Main Street squad has managed to enlist 51 of the downtown core’s businesses into the program so far.

In the hotels of Quinte Region around Belleville, kiosks guide visitors to the hidden gems that locals and those in-the-know frequent. Unfortunately, if you’re not on Trip Advisor and Google My Business, you’re apt to stay hidden.  

Eat Local Pizza founder Jim Stadey was on the cusp of getting out of the business when he realized he had been going about it all wrong: it wasn’t just about differentiating his pizzas, he had to differentiate his brand.

As the Digital Main Street initiative proliferates through Ontario, economic centres like Kitchener-Waterloo, Port Hope, Hamilton, and Thunder Bay are re-energizing local main street businesses with digital tools.

After several years selling in markets and through e-commerce, Mary’s Brigadeiro opened its flagship location on the Danforth. Strangely enough, the new physical spot boosted online sales.

Inspired by their love of cinema, Daniel Demois and Andy Willick revitalized two aging theatres – the Fox Theatre in Toronto’s Beaches neighbourhood and the Apollo Cinema in Kitchener – drawing in moviegoers with a blend of classic, contemporary and cult hits. Now they’re refining their digital approach to connecting with their audience.