Downtown Association pulls plug on private security patrols

After years of shelling out for private security patrols of the city core, the Downtown Association has decided to let city police handle the job.

A planned $6,000 expenditure for security was removed from the business association's proposed 2024 budget this week after chair Nicholas Rosset reminded directors that police are working to establish a downtown precinct station.

"They'll have a station downtown," Rosset said. "We felt that, just looking at that bottom line, we were having more expenses than we were comfortable with.

"The police are going to be picking up some attention here. $6,000 wasn't actually going get us a lot, and it was a lot of dollars.

"So we thought that was one that we can trim off to try and get that bottom line more favourable," Rosset said.

The Downtown Association definitely had an eye on its bottom line this week, because it's expecting to have a $24,000 deficit.

But the assessments paid by its members won't be raised in 2024 because many of them expect a rough year with the Queen St. reconstruction.

The deficit will be managed using a $40,000 budget surplus from last year.

The Downtown Association's budget still requires city council approval.

Rosset hinted that the issue of private security patrols might be revisited

"We're also looking at some some grant opportunities and other funding opportunities to do something there," he said.

In other Downtown Association news, the annual general meeting is planned for Wednesday March 20 at the Grand Theatre, with doors opening at 5 p.m and the event starting an hour later.

Included on the agenda are a presentation from city officials on the Queen Street reconstruction and an open discussion with members of the association and the public.

This week, the association's board noted the presence of three new businesses on Queen Street:

• Venue on Queen is located at 482 Queen St. E. and is the newest private event space in Queenstown. The owner, Trisha Mitchell, renovated the existing space and has already begun booking events for baby and bridal showers, rehearsals, birthdays, anniversaries, meetings and parties
• Shileen Lunelli’s Soaps by She opened at 518 Queen St. E. with a soft launch on Feb. 1 and grand opening on March 2. Lunelli creates bath and body and has recently offered soap-making classes
• Ojas will be moving into 685 Queen St. E., formerly Muio’s. It will offer a plant-based vegan and vegetarian South-Asian fusion cuisine. The opening will occur once renovations are complete, possibly March 30