THUNDER BAY - Open Streets, which is meant to give the streets back to pedestrians and cyclists, is being called a success by organizers, but its future remains up in the air.
On Sunday, the last of three Open Streets Thunder Bay events was held on Court Street between John Street and Van Norman Street in partnership with the city of Thunder Bay Culture Days. The three-hour event closed the street to all vehicular traffic and is meant to build stronger neighbourhoods by allowing people to take to the road on foot, by bike, or rollerblades.
This year, with the help of an Ontario 150 grant, three events were held including one on Algoma Street in August, and on Simpson Street in September.
EcoSuperior executive director, Ellen Mortfield, said she was happy the program was offered in three different neighbourhoods throughout the city this year.
“That was an interesting experiment to see if it would work in all types of neighbourhoods and I think we’ve shown that as well and that there is support in every neighbourhood for this type of event,” she said.
According to Mortfield, participation was consistent across all three events, however, the future of Open Streets Thunder Bay will depend on securing future funding opportunities and support.
“They are fairly expensive events to put on but there definitely seems to be an appetite for Open Streets in all areas of the city,” she said. “We never know what funding opportunities are out there, what kind of municipal support is out there, and the business community needs to be behind it as well. That kind of dictates the kind of neighbourhood Open Streets might appear in next.”
For people taking a leisurely walk down an open street with their family, the experience can be rather unique.
Steven and Keshia Johnson were participating in their first Open Streets event and while they expected a little more to being going on, they did enjoy the concept.
“It’s an afternoon to take it easier and get a chance to walk around and see the local businesses and not have to worry about traffic,” Steven said.
For Malcom Hope and his nine-year-old son, Thomas, Open Streets is a really good family event because it’s nice to get out and not have to worry about competing with cars for space on the road.
“We had been to the Algoma Street one and it’s nice to walk around and have the freedom to walk around the street and there are activities for the children to enjoy,” Malcom said.
“I like walking down the streets in general and seeing what everybody’s doing,” Thomas said. “It doesn’t happen a lot and you don’t have to worry about any cars coming down and hitting you accidently.”
And that is what is at the heart of Open Streets, Mortfield said, getting people out to discover their neighbourhood and leaving the car back home.
“Thunder Bay is still a car dependent community and that is one of the things we are trying to change with events like this, to get people out of their cars and to recognize they can get out into the neighbouhood on foot and build so much more community that way,” she said.
