Things will look a bit different in downtown Regina this summer due to COVID-19.
On Monday, the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District (RDBID) announced they have cancelled Cinema Under The Stars, Clean Up Day, Summer in the Square and the Summer Concert Series.
Judith Veresuk, executive director with RDBID, said it was a difficult decision considering these events attract thousands of people to the downtown area during the summertime.
“We wanted to make sure that health and safety is our upmost priority,” she said. “We just didn’t think it would be a good idea to put people in a situation where their safety could be compromised.”
While it’s a tough pill to swallow for the organization and citizens who look forward to these family-friendly events every year, RDBID is rolling out added cleaning procedures to make sure public spaces and objects around downtown are sanitized and safe amid COVID-19.
Veresuk said while there will be physical distancing protocols in place, they still want people to visit downtown businesses. That’s why they are expanding their Clean Team starting next month.
“They are going to be doing an additional wipe down of high-touch areas that are within the public realm of our downtown,” explained Veresuk.
In the past, their Clean Team has been responsible for completing tasks like picking up garbage or sweeping sidewalks. With the added measures, Veresuk said they will be cleaning and disinfecting items more frequently such as cross walk buttons, benches, exterior door handles and transit shelters.
RDBID is also encouraging citizens to connect with downtown businesses and continue their support as the province moves on with their phased reopen plan.
One of the ways they hope to accomplish this is thanks to their partnership with GetintheLoop, a mobile tech company that has created an app which allows residents to learn about services offered by local businesses.
“We do have some businesses that prior to the pandemic didn’t really have a virtual space to sell their goods or make people aware of what they do,” shared Veresuk. “This is an opportunity for them to dip their toe into those waters, if you will.”
