Downtown Sydney's 'Experience' Is Icy and Unclear

Last Tuesday at 9:50am, I saw a senior lady slowly making her way up Charlotte St. Despite being well into business hours, the snow from the night before remained. It ranged from just a few inches to as much as 8-12 inches at the harbour side corner of Falmouth and Charlotte St. As I wondered how far she might need to go, I noticed her pause. She would lift her cart a little bit to get it to advance just a few inches further.

How discouraging living in the downtown as a senior must be when the municipality fails at providing essential services including timely snow removal.

This lady's struggle in the snow is just one recent example. I've also seen seniors in the roadway on Reeve's street - including those on handicap scooters - on many occasions. They had nowhere else to go, so they walked in the snow covered streets. Ditto for International students that are so vital to the sustainability of CBU and our local economy.

When I returned a few minutes later to check on the lady with some colleagues who had suggested we go help out in whatever way possible, she was gone. We checked the bank and book store, but she wasn't anywhere to be found. Fortunately, she probably took the bus at the nearby stop. It was very unlikely she would have made it any further in the deeper snow had she attempted to continue.

Downtown Sydney Has An 'Experience' Problem

It seems that downtown Sydney is lacking in experience in many different ways. Let's review some examples.

The second berth at the Joan Harriss cruise pavilion was funded by three levels of government the week before last. A report stated that it had "merit" in the midst of outlining several problems, including both cost overruns and poor experience.

There are several local stakeholders, including CBRM representatives, still stumbling over how to make the downtown sustainable. The boarded up windows apparently don't do much to improve the experience for either cruise visitors or those who are completely happy with the retail experience of the Mayflower Mall. It turns out that ample parking space, a warm interior, and a wide variety of retail outlets that are open 7 days a week with evening hours, is quite appealing. BTW: Cruise visitors make their way to the Mayflower Mall too.

As for the committee advocating for a new library, they aren't buying into Mayor Clarke's suggestions of tagging one onto a casino in order to share a heating bill. It doesn't quite seem to be the atmosphere or experience they are trying to create.

With the CBRM council seeing fit to rob the sustainability fund, the most controversial attempt to improve the downtown experience was spending about $500,000 over three years to hang perishable flowers in front of some of the buildings. The flowers were lovely. The flowers, however, didn't do anything to change the experience. If you spotted them, you might appreciate them. They certainly didn't motivate anyone to visit or go spend money in Sydney's downtown.

Whether it's for the benefit of cruise passengers, local shoppers, or the arts and technology communities, the decision makers don't seem to have any practical awareness of what to do - besides spending our tax dollars willy nilly.

The Struggling Senior Is Symbolic of the Lack of Practical Awareness

We live in Cape Breton. As a reminder, that's a part of Canada. For as long as anyone has lived here, for hundreds of years, there have been snowy winters. We're also in the year 2017. For perspective, Henry Ford created the Model T in 1908. Over a hundred years later, we've developed some very impressive technology, including stuff to remove snow and clear sidewalks.

If we want people to spend time (and money) in our downtown, it would therefore follow that we need to make sure the conditions are right to allow people to do so. We have to motivate them, make it compelling, make it convenient, and make it safe for all.

For the relatively few significant snowfalls we get each year, I believe it's reasonable to expect that we could have the sidewalks of our downtown area ready before the start of the business day. With the CBRM's bias to downtown Sydney, you would think it would be self-explanatory.

When it comes to money, there was $500,000 for flowers. There was over a million for a damaged fire truck. There was almost $7 million for a second berth. There's money for political assistants to the mayor, and $200,000 a year for a port CEO, and for fancy clocks in front of police stations.

When local leaders want to fund their ideas, whether reasonable or ill-conceived, they find a way to spend our tax dollars.

When it comes to keeping the downtown core's sidewalks clear for business hours, we can't seem to muster enough budget for an additional sidewalk plow, or part-time crew members to get the job done (on time).

When the second berth arrives and doesn't improve the feedback on experience by cruise passengers, or the summer flowers don't boost activity and spending, it'll be because the people we have working on these problems lack practical awareness of what experience really is. Fortunately, while the municipality squanders resources, entrepreneurs are moving forward.

As for the CBRM's track record with experience: If they don't understand it, they can't improve it. If they can't improve it, they can't create the measurable, observable results we need.

The senior was struggling to move forward. The municipality seems like it's moving backwards, and fooling itself into believing it's achieving positive change simply because they spent a great deal of money doing it.

NOTE:  The views expressed above are my own and do not represent lokol (goCapeBreton.com). Read more

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https://capebreton.lokol.me/downtown-sydneys-experience-strategy-is-icy-and-unclear
A senior moving inches at a time due to uncleared sidewalks in Sydney calls into question the downtown "experience" challenges.
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Allison MacDonald Follow Me
Took our kids to the Y on Saturday, and parked on Bentick (close to the Cape Breton Shop). Not only were the sidewalks covered in snow and ice, but there was a giant mound of snow between the Y and the Ally Centre. Scaling it with two young kids was enough of a challenge - can't even imagine how someone using a cane, walker or wheelchair would've managed that. Most people were walking on the street to get where they needed to go. Awful!
Bill Goldston Follow Me
It would help if private plows would refrain from piling snow on sidewalks.
Joe Ward My Post Follow Me
Agree, if they do so, there should be some form of fine. As service providers for hire, they need to be able to clear snow without blocking public streets or walkways. Local plow operators are certainly "hit and miss". My mom has one that can't seem to stop running into the step and garbage box, both now badly damaged. The same happened last season with a different plow truck operator. Though she discontinued using him, the replacement has been more destructive.
Rebecca Davis Follow Me
Although I don't live in Sydney, I've experienced the same problems in the surrounding towns which I do frequent and work in. It seems to me that the residents have to strongly petition the municipal government in order to make change. And the more the merrier. As it's said, the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Good Luck in your endevours and don't give up! :)

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