Social Media Contest in Downtown Woodstock!
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The BIA has launched a social media contest for patrons that support our Downtown Woodstock businesses.
How does the contest work?
Shopping local is great for both your community, and for you! Your Downtown Woodstock BIA wants to reward YOU for helping your community with a 100-dollar gift card of your choosing to any downtown business It’s easy!
All you have to do is take a photo/selfie while visiting your favourite downtown business or while enjoying one of their products/services. Then, post that photo on facebook or instagram with the hashtag #OurDowntownWoodstock. That’s it! A winner will be drawn randomly every-other Wednesday starting June 3rd! The winner will be announced on the Downtown Woodstock BIA instagram and facebook pages.
So get posting Woodstock! Make sure to visit your favourite Downtown business, post your picture with the hashtag #OurDowntownWoodstock for your chance to win a 100-dollar gift card of your choosing to any downtown Woodstock business!
The contest launched on Wednesday, May 20th on Facebook & Instagram. The final draw will be on December 30th!
The contest will kick-off the #OurDowntownWoodstock campaign, which will market Downtown Woodstock to Southwestern Ontario. In order for this campaign to be successful, we will need participation from merchants/businesses to support the promotion of our Downtown. Stay up to date and connected with the Downtown Woodstock BIA!
Follow our social media accounts and share this promotion and campaign with all of your friends!
NOTE: Please allow for 2-3 weeks for pick-up. Contact the BIA office before hand so we can confirm that they are ready.
How does the contest work?
Shopping local is great for both your community, and for you! Your Downtown Woodstock BIA wants to reward YOU for helping your community with a 100-dollar gift card of your choosing to any downtown business It’s easy!
All you have to do is take a photo/selfie while visiting your favourite downtown business or while enjoying one of their products/services. Then, post that photo on facebook or instagram with the hashtag #OurDowntownWoodstock. That’s it! A winner will be drawn randomly every-other Wednesday starting June 3rd! The winner will be announced on the Downtown Woodstock BIA instagram and facebook pages.
So get posting Woodstock! Make sure to visit your favourite Downtown business, post your picture with the hashtag #OurDowntownWoodstock for your chance to win a 100-dollar gift card of your choosing to any downtown Woodstock business!
The contest launched on Wednesday, May 20th on Facebook & Instagram. The final draw will be on December 30th!
The contest will kick-off the #OurDowntownWoodstock campaign, which will market Downtown Woodstock to Southwestern Ontario. In order for this campaign to be successful, we will need participation from merchants/businesses to support the promotion of our Downtown. Stay up to date and connected with the Downtown Woodstock BIA!
Follow our social media accounts and share this promotion and campaign with all of your friends!
NOTE: Please allow for 2-3 weeks for pick-up. Contact the BIA office before hand so we can confirm that they are ready.
LET'S GET CREATIVE: Chalk Art Project
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It’s time to spread some color and joy all around our downtown! We are in the process of dropping off sidewalk chalk compliments of your Downtown Woodstock BIA for you to decorate the sidewalk (or steps) in front of your business.
Use your chalk art as a way to welcome everyone back by advertising that you’re open and inviting them in, or to just put a smile on the faces of passers-by with a nice colorful picture or motivating message! We can’t wait to see your artistic sides (or your kids’ if you so choose)! Take pictures of your art and share them on our facebook page or tag us on our instagram page using the hashtag #OurDowntownWoodstock! |
Patio Extensions for Downtown Cafes/Restaurants |
Help Us Beautify Downtown Woodstock! |
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As I am sure some of you are aware, Woodstock City Council voted to allow existing downtown eating establishments or coffee shops the ability to extend their patios into on-street parking spaces fronting the establishment and off-street parking spaces (parking lots) for a period not exceeding 5 months. Additionally, they also voted to waive the licence and application fee for the 2020 year.
Attached you will find the most current information related to the City’s pivot to allow more outdoor patios as restaurants and eating establishments reopen after COVID restrictions. Please share this information with all to whom it may apply. In terms of downtown patios that will be on municipal land, one important requirement is that the establishment have a food menu of at least 6 items (the program is geared to eating establishments and coffee shops). For restaurants looking to have a patio and extend their liquor licence to include the patio, you must request a temporary patio extension as per Regulation 719 under the Liquor Licence Act. At the top of the page you will find both and on-line form and a downloadable form you can choose from. Please complete this request as soon as possible as it must be circulated (by City staff) to the Woodstock Fire Department, the City of Woodstock Building Department, Woodstock Police Services and Southwestern Public Health (Woodstock branch) for comment. Provided there are no concerns from the commenting agencies, the City will be able to provide a “letter of no objection” from the municipality. Businesses will be required to produce this letter if they are visited by representatives from AGCO. Here is the link for your convenience: https://www.cityofwoodstock.ca/en/business-in-woodstock/business-licensing.aspx. For downtown establishments, the City of Woodstock has approved the use of parking stalls and parking lots. There is an application before permission is granted which must be reviewed and approved by City staff. Below you will find the application as well at the associated Pop Up Patio Guidelines…please fill out this application and return to the City of Woodstock ASAP if interested. In terms of patios on private lands, because it is on private property, businesses will require permission from the property owner / landlord. Another important note is that outdoor patios are not permitted in a yard abutting a residential zone. When a property does abut a residential zone, there must be at least 20m separation between the patio and the residential property line. Please find the application for patio extensions here. Please submit if interested to the City of Woodstock ASAP! Please find additional information about patio extensions including the regulations here. Ministry extends working-at-heights training deadline
The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development is giving workers in the construction sector an extra year to renew their training if they work at heights.
The mandatory training of more than 120,000 workers was due to expire over the next six months. However, many training providers have either cancelled classes or shut down due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The extension will apply to workers who successfully completed their working-at-heights training between February 28 and August 31, 2017. The validity period, normally three years, would have ended this year. It will now end in 2021. The extension will ensure affected workers can continue to work when possible. Construction will move ahead without interruption. For more information, visit https://www.ontario.ca/page/training-working-heights. |
Please clean-up your storefronts when possible to help us beautify and keep our Downtown clean!
As of July 2020, the Downtown Woodstock BIA Board of Management hired a beautification's assistant to help with cleaning the Downtown streets. Chloe White will be with us for the duration of the summer and into the Fall. However, we need all Downtown businesses to do their part in keeping our Downtown clean. As such, we would kindly ask that all businesses keep their storefront clean, even a simple sweep will do. We hope that in doing so, we can assist our Summer Student in keeping the streets clean and beautiful for both locals as well as tourists! FREE PPE Kits for Downtown Merchants
The BIA is currently in the process of creating FREE PPE kits for Downtown BIA Businesses! We hope to have these kits completed in early September.
These kits will offer the following PPE products:
Extended Parking Hours in Downtown Woodstock!
Woodstock City council received a request from the Woodstock BIA at Thursday's virtual meeting, asking for the extensions of both the time and the length of the program.
They supported the request unanimously, so now spots on Dundas Street and in short-term municipal lots have three hours of FREE parking until June 14, 2021. Given the current situation with COVID-19, we hope this will encourage individuals to shop, dine, work, and play in the Downtown core; helping BIA merchants make-up for lost business and to help revitalize Downtown Woodstock. |
Downtown Woodstock BIA Budget Approved for 2020 |
Federal Government Rent Relief Program |
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We understand this is a difficult time for all of our Downtown merchants. To help in this regard, the budget for the Downtown Woodstock Business Improvement Area was approved for the upcoming year – but at a reduced rate.
Council approved $204,720 – a decrease of about $41,000 from the previous year – for 2020. The largest aspect of the BIA’s budget – about 80 per cent – comes from its levy of member businesses. This year, that levy will bring in $159,630, compared to $191,870 in 2019. So what does this mean for you? As a Downtown Business, you will be paying lower taxes for the 2020 year which we hope will assist in the maintenance of your business during these difficult and unprecedented times. Ultimately, we will continue to assist our local businesses and will keep supporting them as additional supports are introduced. |
Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses provides relief for small businesses experiencing financial hardship due to COVID-19.
For more information, please contact your local MP (Dave MacKenzie) by e-mail at: dave.mackenzie@parl.gc.ca or by phone at: 519-421-7214. You can also visit the website for further information: https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/finance-and-investing/covid19-cecra-small-business. |