There will be no street festival in Canada on Osborne Village in Winnipeg this day.
Lindsay Somers, executive director of Osborne Village BIZ, said the decision to suspend the festival came after the organization surveyed businesses in the area – many of whom said they should close during the festivities.
“They said it was not good for their business because we had a lot of outside food trucks and vendors coming for the street festival,” Somers told CTV News. “It grew beyond the roots of the community where the idea came from, and so we no longer met the needs of our members.”
Although there will be no street festival, Somers said the Winnipeggers are still welcome to visit the village on Canada Day.
Osborne Village BIZ launched its Happy Friday pilot project on July 1st. The event, which will be weakened compared to the growing street festival, will include a series of concerts at the Bell Tower and encourage people to visit Osborne’s 12 courtyards.
“This is more than the scale of the Village experience, this is what we want to encourage. It’s about connecting part of the neighborhood, “Somers said. “It’s time to restart Osborne Village and give the neighborhood the love it needs, polish it and invite people back all summer.”
She said it was a step in a new direction for the village, which she hoped would lead to revitalization efforts. As for future events for Canada Day, Somers said she is open to any opportunity.
“I would never say anything about anything, but for now, this is the right decision for us.”
The last time Osborne Village held a street festival on Canada Day was in 2019.
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