The Summerland Chamber of Commerce will examine ways to bolster struggling downtown businesses, but quick fix solutions are not likely, chamber president Arlene Fenrich said.
“There are no magic solutions,” she said. “Nothing is the same as it used to be and it’s never going to be the same.”
While Summerland used to hold numerous downtown festivals and special events to draw customers to businesses, she said an emphasis on festivals is not the best marketing strategy.
“When you’re focussed on throwing a party, you’re not playing to your assets,” she said.
In the 1990s, numerous downtown summer festivals were held from Easter until mid-September. Today, the only festival organized by the Summerland Chamber is the Festival of Lights, in late November.
Fenrich said the annual winter festival draws many participants, but additional special events would not have the same effect.
Instead, she said the community and the chamber must look at ways to attract more jobs and workers to Summerland.
“What we’re working on is the bigger picture,” she said.
Without a work force in the community, merchants will continue to struggle to bring customers to their stores, she said.
