Brockville shoppers, businesses enjoy final 'Shop the Street' of summer

Shoppers enjoy the 'Shop the Street' event in Downtown Brockville Saturday, Aug. 27, 2022. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

Downtown Brockville was bustling with traffic on Saturday, just not the vehicular kind.

Shop the Street returned for the fourth and final time this year, with businesses and shoppers promoting and buying local.

"We love it, the more people shop local, the more we grow, the more we learn about each other and the more we can make good things happen," said Jasmine Jasani, Executive Director of the Downtown Brockville Business Improvement Area (DBIA).

King Street was transformed into one giant sidewalk, with shoppers checking out new businesses.

"It's nice, we got to see some shops today I haven't been in before," said Dave Fisher. "There's actually more promotion of the local stuff, so you're seeing local artists’ work, some local photography pieces, so it's nice in that sense to get out and walk around."

His wife, Patricia, getting her Christmas list off to a good start.

"I bought some gifts I can't really show but, River West Company, fantastic," she said. "We saw so many things; we've found Christmas items we planned to buy for people. Planning ahead!"

Business owners say shoppers have returned in high numbers to the downtown core since they fully reopened.

"We've had our three best months since prior to COVID," said Jennifer Robinson of Savvy Footwear & Fashion. "People are excited to come out and shop and socialize and we are ready for them."

"We're on our way back (to full normalcy)," she smiled. "(People) are very friendly, they are very happy, they are very excited to be out, just like us. We have a lot of beautiful unique boutiques in Downtown Brockville."

A challenge was also held in front of the Shoppers Drug Mart to help fill a school bus for the Brockville and Area Food Bank.

The Brockville and Area Food Bank held a fill the bus challenge to collect supplies for the upcoming school year. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

"We need juice boxes, soup is a big thing, cereal, ketchup, mustard," said Alee Andrews D'Orazio." "Those things that you don’t necessarily think of, but they huge needs in the community."

She says the food bank has seen a 45 per cent increase in users over the past month, and they want to make sure kids can eat healthy when they return to school.

"School snacks are a big thing right now. We provide kids’ snack packs to families and we are going through those very quickly," Andrews D'Orazio said. "Those donated items, granola bars, pudding cups, fruit cups, things like that are huge."

The food bank ia also promoting their Sept. 3 fundraising event, the Dare to Care Family Fair, that will include breakfast, lunch and a silent auction.

"That 45 per cent is a huge increase for us and we really rely on our community around us to help us provide for our community, so we have this big fundraiser coming up to help with that," she added.

Beside the bus, the Lost and Found Society of Canada were also raising funds with a dunk tank.

And after a slam-dunk mayoral campaign, acclaimed Brockville Mayor Matt Wren couldn't help but get dunked himself.

"I am ready; I am nothing but not ready," he laughed.

Acclaimed Brockville Mayor Matt Wren gets dunked at the dunk tank during Brockville's Shop the Street event. Aug. 27, 2022. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

Acclaimed Prescott mayor Gauri Shankar helped Wren out by pouring ice into the tank, and taking a few shots, hitting the bullseye.

"Supporting a good cause and we're all having fun in Downtown Brockville today so good to be part of it," Wren said, drying off.

"Shop the Street is more than just meeting new businesses and knowing what they are about," added Jasani. "It's about engaging with them and it's about people just feeling happy to be out and about. We've been in for so long. I am impressed with the turnout."