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Friday, May 25, 2012 The Parksville Qualicum Beach News
QUALICUM BEACH
Downtown street market getting bigger and better STEVEN HEYWOOD editor@pqbnews.com
It’s official: the name of this summer’s Qualicum Beach Downtown Business Association street market is the Qualicum Beach Uptown Summer Market. The name was announced Thursday, after the QBDBA board selected Michelle Brown’s contest entry as the winner. That moniker is only the beginning of a project that organizers hope will continue to grow. On Wednesday, project spokesperson for the QBDBA, Katherine Wilk, told THE NEWS she was pleased the town council that morning approved this year’s market location. It will take place on Second Avenue, where
STEVEN HEYWOOD PHOTO
Katherine Wilk and Tom Pope of the QBDBA say this summer’s street market is only the beginning.
the majority of downtown businesses are located, between Memorial and Primrose avenues.
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“It was all or nothing,” she said, noting town council had asked if another location could
be chosen. “This is the downtown location and we are starting here and hope to expand it in the future.” The QBDBA brought council multiple letters of approval, signed by area businesses — a fact the council cited for their approval of the market. Wilk said they will be hiring a market co-ordinator to help attract vendors and businesses. She added they are hoping to get around 40 confirmed for each of the nine evenings of this summer’s markets. They will start July 5 and then run each Thursday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. until August 30. “We want to bring people to this town,” Wilk told council,
“and it’s something to do in the evening.” The QBDBA will enlist the services of local Citizens on Patrol to take care of barricades and traffic control, lessening the event’s impact on the town’s bottom line. They also addressed safety concerns by contacting the local RCMP — who stated they had no issues with the event. Mayor Teunis Westbroek credited the QBDBA with their level of planning, adding it is a good example of collaboration. “I don’t think you’ll be disappointed,” said QBDBA member Tom Pope. The market actually began last summer and was met with limited success.