2021
DOWNTOWN
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DOWNTOWN LETHBRIDG The Downtown Lethbridge Business Revitalization Zone, (BRZ), established in 1987, is a collective of business leaders who believe that the heart of the city beats in its core. As a non-profit organization, the BRZ is funded by the 500+ businesses it represents through a tax levy. Membership in the Downtown BRZ is automatic; each business continues to be a member if it falls within the downtown commercial district. The BRZ is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who represent businesses within the zone. The BRZ serves its members by implementing programs to promote Downtown Lethbridge. It highlights downtown through beautification, marketing, public relations and street maintenance initiatives.
Mission
Educate our members about resources, tools, and services. Support the community with impactful and valueadded services. Advocate with a strong voice on policies, issues, and concerns. Promote and champion the downtown as a destination to live, visit, shop, and invest. Pillars of the BRZ Advocacy Promotion & Marketing Vibrancy & Beautification Cleanliness & Safety
What is a BRZ? A Business Revitalization Zone (BRZ) is also known as a Business Improvement Area (BIA). These organizations are comprised of commercial owners and tenants in a certain geographic area. They often work with the cities they operate in and other community-focused organizations to create thriving, vibrant, and safe business zones that attract shoppers and new businesses. The perks of operating in a BRZ (or BIA) include access to support (such as grants), advocacy (power in numbers), activation of space (through events), and a collective marketing effort.
David Velazquez DT Ambassador
Lana Van Genderen DT Ambassador
Tanner Potaka Summer Ambassador
Sarah Amies Community Director
Emily Chong
Marketing & Communications Manager
Scott Ritter CSP Manager
Gordon Hann Summer Ambassador
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OKI & HELLO
I bring greetings to the entire membership on behalf of the Downtown Lethbridge BRZ board. It has been a privilege serving as a member and as its interim Chair. Like for many of you, it has been a challenging year as we navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, Executive Director changes, and the resignation of a key BRZ employee as well as several board members. These new challenges forced us to look at the operation of the Board and BRZ to see what works and what needs improvement. This opportunity to have greater insight into overall operations has allowed us to evoke changes regarding policy, procedures, training, and goals that will better serve the needs of you, the members. We are pleased to welcome your new Community Director, Sarah Amies, to the BRZ team. Sarah brings a fresh and energetic outlook to the organization. We are pleased that she is engaging with the members to learn what matters most and to advocate on your behalf to make change happen. I want to express my sincere thanks to my fellow Board members for their time and commitment over the past year and look forward to working with you all in 2022.
Lance Gilchrist
Lance Gilchrist
Chair Lethbridge Odd Fellows
Scott Warris
Vice-Chair
Citizen-At-Large Treasurer
Cara Draffin
Draffins Pharmasave Director
Steven Foord
Owl Acoustic Lounge
Chair
Kendal Hachkowski 2021 has presented a great deal of change for the BRZ. I am the third person to sit at the helm this year and we have also bid farewell to our long-standing CSP Manager. While there have been difficult transitions, we now have a robust, well-qualified team that is committed to delivering strong, effective, and valuable programming for the BRZ membership and the public. We have many exciting events to look forward to in 2022. The construction of Festival Square is almost complete! While the construction has taken longer than planned, it will be worth it. The CSP has continued to respond to clean-up requests across the city and its footprint is expanding. Our Ambassador Street Engagement Program also had a busy year. You will recognize the Ambassadors by their cheerful and welcoming demeanor as they greet, inform, pay for parking, surprise folks with small gift cards, and generally ensure a hospitable destination in which to shop, work, and live. The BRZ is committed to strengthening itself as an organization by developing policies and procedures. As well, as the new Community Director, I am pledging to get out and about to meet as many of our members as possible. I look forward to strategizing with the core about increasing and maintaining vibrancy and safety in downtown. The BRZ is motivated and inspired by its members' tenacity, determination, and resilience in the face of so much adversity. We are committed to working harder with and on your behalf as we embrace and celebrate the heart and soul of our city - our downtown.
Sarah Amies
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Community Director
Director
Sumus Properties Group
Sheri Kain
Director
RBC
Kim Overes
Director
Naturistas
Dean Wilson
Director King Of Trade/Serious Music Centre
Thank you to our outgoing Board Members:
Justin Tavernini
Former Chair
O2 Training Centre
Sabelo Makalima Able Dental Group
Director
January 2021 - December 2021
Downtown Lethbridge by numbers:
549
BRZ Website
businesses
456,410 profile views 721 average views
27
square blocks
18
patios and parklets
per profile
275,325 website
86%
referrals
434 average per profile
street level occupancy rate
137,301 calls initiated
(This means 86% of street level storefronts are currently filled)
Downtown Lethbridge Compared to Other BIAs: City Population (Most recent)
# of Businesses in Zone
101,324
~500
Lethbridge, AB
107,646
~500
Red Deer, AB
93,800
600
White Rock, BC
121,297
225
Abbotsford, BC
78,000
348
Kamloops, BC
City
2021 Tax Levy
$0
$100,000 $200,000 $300,000 $400,000
Business Breakdown: Organizations 8.2% Beauty/Wellness 9.8%
Professional 29.9%
Last year, the BRZ leveraged the annual tax levy of $198,300
Other 7% Retail 28.3%
into $500,000 worth of services, events, marketing and community building initiatives for the downtown and its members.
Food Services 11.4% Financial 5.2%
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Marketing in Numbers:
40+
January 2021 - December 2021
The Downtown Lethbridge BRZ executes events, promotions, and campaigns that promote the downtown and its members. Events and campaigns range from small social media promotions to large scale events. The BRZ concurrently runs several social media accounts, in-person events and online events aimed at growing our downtown community.
A Dragon's Den-style pitch competition to connect entrepreneurs with landlords in downtown. The winner received $12,000 towards rent for a year and other prizes. Celebrate Downtown Awards Award event celebrating the hard work and achievements of the downtown community and its businesses.
30% w
w
20%
10% M
M
w
6
M
w M
+
4
w
65
4
-6
55
4
-5
45
-4
35
4
-3
25
-2
M
4
M
18
Women 76.8%
In grants for marketing & event initiatives
Building Business Downtown
End of Year Followers: 5961 +86 in 2021 1.46% Gain in Followers in 2021
0%
$21,000+
Downtown Farmers' Markets The Downtown Farmers' Market hosts local vendors each Wednesday of the summer in a downtown location. Markets include artists and food trucks.
End of Year Followers: 5174 +1150 in 2021 29% Gain in Followers in 2021 Reach in 2021: 31,379 83.9% Increase in 2021
w
spent on BRZ events, initiatives and promotions in 2021
History & Beer Tours The annual History & Beer tours, in collaboration with the Lethbridge Historical Society, were once again self-guided in 2021. Attendees visited 4 different restaurants, tried 4 different beers, and learned a little about downtown's history.
End of Year Followers: 5405 +289 in 2021 5.67% Gain in Followers in 2021 Reach in 2021: 97,631 30.5% Increase in 2021
Men 23.3%
$60,000+
Event Highlights
Social Media Growth
Social Audience:
BRZ events in 2021
Heart of the Holidays Heart of the Holidays included the Outdoor Holiday Market, Fri-Days of Giving, Holiday Small Business Boxes, and Free Parking Friday initiative.
BRZ Newsletter
667 subscribers 28 newsletters sent 38% open rate
BRZ Blog
58 blog posts 34,967 total blog views
May 2021 - December 2021
The Ambassador Program is a fee-for-service contract funded by the City of Lethbridge that allows the Downtown BRZ to facilitate programming to promote Downtown Lethbridge. The Ambassadors work year-round on efforts related to community and business engagement with a focus on promoting vibrancy and safety. You can find the Ambassadors at events in the community, walking the streets of downtown, creating videos about local businesses, writing blogs, and on social media.
First Friday First Friday is a monthly event held on the first Friday of each month. Participating businesses promote discounts, contests, and giveaways. 7 new businesses participating consistently in 2021 8 radio remotes & over 150 radio commercials over $4000 invested in First Friday promotions & marketing 48 gift cards to downtown businesses given away for First Friday
1383 61
hours on the streets
events attended
13,000 1768 22
visitors engaged in downtown
business visits
videos created
AMBASSADORS
brz_ambassadors
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New in 2021: Added 2 Foreman positions Increased service to 7 days a week
May 2021 - December 2021
Added new programming with the Shelter Expansion Contract
The Clean Sweep Program (CSP) is an essential part of the BRZ programming. The CSP team spends 2 hours each morning, 7 days a week to clean the 27 blocks of the downtown core. The team of stipend volunteers follows designated routes to clean the streets and alleys of garbage, needles, and debris. The CSP team contributes to leaf removal in the fall, snow removal in the winter, and graffiti removal on private buildings yearround. The CSP team ensures the downtown is clean and tidy before businesses come to work in the morning and before customers show up to shop!
3612
hours spent cleaning Downtown
3738
needles collected downtown
743
bags of leaves collected
2694
bags of garbage collected in DT
Hotspotting Hotspotting is a CSP program that sweeps areas within the community for needles and needle debris. There are four zones that the city has designated as areas of high drug use. Our stipend volunteers follow routes to accomplish the mission.
CLEAN SWEEP
1831 needles collected 766
bags of garbage collected
Meet The Team
Jett Pedersen CSP Foreman
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Louis Badoun CSP Foreman
The Crew
CleanSweepYQL
January 2021 - December 2021
Needle Debris Hotline
(403) 332 - 0722
The Needle Debris Hotline is a dedicated phone number that has been established for citizens to call and report needles and needle debris. A technician attends the calls and recovers the needles and cleans up the debris. The CSP took over this program in September 2020.
needles collected throughout the city
5998 132
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pipes collected
Shelter Expansion This project centers on Alpha House and the businesses surrounding the shelter. The stipend volunteers pick garbage and collect needles from the shelter area and its adjacent businesses.
3998 551
needles collected at the shelter bags of garbage collected at the shelter
Thank you, CSP Crew!
We want to extend the biggest thank you to our team of stipend volunteers. Each and every day they show up and clean the core, often in the dark and in the cold. The work they do is highly appreciated by the businesses and us! They play an integral part in the cleanliness and maintenance of downtown. We could not do this without them. Thank you CSP crew!
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CleanSweepYQL
BEFORE
AFTER
The Downtown Lethbridge BRZ (BRZ) and the downtown community have an exciting year ahead! Many of the projects that were started over the last 2 years were completed in late 2021 or are finishing up in 2022. Our current programs are expanding this year through new contracts and building on existing programming. Through these expansions we expect our small BRZ team to grow, increased Clean Sweep Program hours and services, and more engagement and promotion opportunities through our Ambassador Team.
Festival Square In 2021, Festival Square on 6th Street S was given a grant from the provincial government to recreate the tired space. The new Festival Square will be a vibrant event venue that will host music, arts, sporting events, patios, and community gatherings. This unique addition to Downtown Lethbridge will benefit the entire community.
Economic Development Lethbridge Contract Services The BRZ contracted services from Economic Development Lethbridge (EDL) to assist in updating and creating internal policies. This work with EDL will strengthen the BRZ by aligning and improving policies created in 1987 with the current day BRZ. EDL provides a wide range of expertise and understanding of policy that will provide direction and professionalism in writing our policies.
Member Engagement Engaging our members is a 2022 priority. We will engage our members through a variety of initiatives. Our Ambassador program will continue to visit businesses on a weekly basis and build stronger connections. Other initiatives include one-on-one meetings with members, open houses, virtual sessions, formal interviews, and the implementation of an annual BRZ membership survey.
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The Downtown Lethbridge BRZ works with a wide range of community partners who have helped us build downtown into what it is today. Our organization thrives on the expertise, knowledge, hard work, and creativity of our community. Partnerships strengthen our organization and our connection with the community.
Here are just a few of our partners: Allied Arts Council Analog Books Avail CPA Casa Catwalk Salon & Spa City of Lethbridge CJOC & 2Day FM (Vista Radio) Community Futures - Lethbridge Region Dawn Leite (A-Win Insurance) Economic Development Lethbridge Gentlemen ||| Heather Simon Assets LTD. Heart of Our City Committee King Of Trade Legend Productions Lethbridge Exhibition Park Lethbridge Chamber of Commerce Lethbridge College Lethbridge Historical Society Lethbridge Public Library London Road Marketing North & Company LLP Prime Catering Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta Sandman Signature Lethbridge Southern Alberta Art Gallery Sumus Properties Group The Fiorno Family The Port Co-Working Space Tim Hortons (B1 Investments) Tourism Lethbridge University of Lethbridge & more
Thank you to our partners!
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DowntownLeth
Downtownleth
309 6 Street S | Lethbridge, AB | T1J 2C7 www.downtownlethbridge.com 403-327-9002
Downtownleth