About
About Downtown
Woodstock
Business
Improvement
Area (BIA)
What is a BIA?
A Business Improvement Association (BIA) is a geographic district within a Municipality. The volunteer board of management is composed of property owners & merchants who contribute directly to the BIA with one member of the Municipal council. The Woodstock BIA is managed by the BIA Manager.
The Woodstock BIA allows local business and property owners to join forces and with the support of the Provincial by-law, to organize, finance, and implement its purpose and objectives of overseeing the beautification, promotions, and events in the downtown core.
What is a BIA? A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is a “made-in- Ontario” innovation that allows local business people, and commercial property owners, tenants to join together and, with the support of the municipality, to organize, finance, and carry out physical improvements and promote economic development in their district. Traditionally, a BIA is a body established by a municipality using the specific business improvement area provisions in the Municipal Act, 2001. It is governed by a Board of Management.
BIA Staff
Kerry Jarvi
Downtown Development Officer
City of Woodstock
Melanie Burns
(Part-Time) Operations Manager
At The Office & Scout HR Solutions
Board of Management
Steve McGregor
Chair
YNCU
Vice-Chair
Fadel Zabian
Treasurer - Director
Zabian's
Kate Leatherbarrow
Council Representative
City of Woodstock
T.J. McNamara
Director
Crabby Joe's
Jennie Pickard
Director
The Hallmark Shoppe
Duane Kumala-Thomas
Director
Highlander Studios
Yaasmiyn Davidson
Director
Lionessence B.S
Jessica Cheyne
Director
Jarful Refillery
Johannes Olivier
Director
CIBC Wood Gundy
Katharina Otulak
Director
Fair Square Inc
Downtown Dollars
Downtown Dollars are certificates that can be used just like cash at any of our participating downtown businesses in the BIA District. They have no cash value and cannot be exchanged for cash. The full denomination will be forfeited with purchase and no change will be given. Businesses that accept Downtown Dollars receive full payment back, in cash from the BIA Office.
They come in gift certificate form and are sold in $10.00 or $25.00 denominations with no expiry date.
These make a perfect gift for everyone on your list!
Participating businesses can place restrictions on Downtown Dollars if they wish, for example tobacco, alcohol, gift cards, prescription medications etc. *
Certificates that have been won will have an expiry date as they were not purchased,
they are a prize offered by the BIA.
There is no cash/change provided when someone redeems their Downtown Dollars.
Ie. If a customer makes a purchase totalling $55.00, and gives the merchant $50.00 in
Downtown Dollars, then the customer owes the merchant $5.00 cash. If the customer
gives the merchant $60.00 in Downtown Dollars, the customer does not get any change
and therefore the customer forfeits the $5.00. The customer can choose another
product to use up the $5.00 if desired.
The expiry date is noted on each certificate!
For more information - see the FAQ's page.
