County defends Downtown Dig business support strategy amid calls for relief
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Casandra Turnbull
Managing Editor
As concerns continue to mount over the impacts of the Downtown Dig on local merchants, County of Brant staff are defending the strategy used to support businesses during the multi-year infrastructure project, emphasizing that provincial legislation prevents municipalities from directly compensating businesses for lost revenue.
The issue was the focus of a staff report presented to the county's Administration and Operations Committee on June 16. The detailed report outlined the planning, mitigation efforts and legislative constraints that shaped the county's approach to one of the largest infrastructure projects ever undertaken in downtown Paris.
The discussion comes as a community petition calling for relief measures for downtown businesses continues to gain traction. Launched roughly two weeks ago, the petition had attracted nearly 1,500 signatures by mid-June. The petition urges ‘Relief Measures for Downtown Paris Businesses During Extensive Construction Disruption,’ and calls on the county to provide additional support to merchants facing prolonged construction-related challenges.
County staff, however, reiterated that direct financial assistance is not an option available to municipalities under provincial law.
"We are prohibited from providing any compensation for business loss, so our strategy was to focus more on mitigation as opposed to compensation," said Adam Crozier, the county's general manager of strategic planning, during the Administration meeting.
Crozier pointed specifically to Section 106 of the Municipal Act in Ontario, which prohibits municipalities from providing bonuses or financial assistance to businesses. As a result, staff said their efforts have focused on reducing the impacts of construction rather than reimbursing businesses for lost sales.
That strategy included encouraging residents to shop locally, directing businesses to programs offered through Enterprise Brant and the Brantford-Brant Business Resource Centre, and implementing a range of mitigation measures before and during construction.
Crozier told committee members the report was intended to provide context about the county's planning process leading up to the Downtown Dig.
"The intention of the staff report brought forward to the committee was to step back a few years and explain the county's strategy going into the Downtown Dig project," he said.
According to the report, planning began years before construction started. County staff researched best practices used in other municipalities undertaking major downtown infrastructure projects and identified business communication and construction liaison services as two of the most effective tools available.
"Communication and construction liaison were identified by other municipalities as key initiatives the county could take to help businesses," Crozier told council. "We took those lessons and applied them."
One of the key recommendations identified through the county's research was the creation of a dedicated downtown construction liaison. According to information provided by Paris Ward 2 Councillor Lukas Oakley, the role was designed to serve as a direct resource for businesses navigating the impacts of construction, helping to relay concerns, coordinate communication and connect merchants with available supports.
Oakley noted that assigning the responsibility to a dedicated liaison, rather than existing county staff, ensured businesses had a consistent point of contact focused exclusively on construction-related issues. He said the role allows project staff to remain focused on delivering the infrastructure work while ensuring merchants have someone available to address day-to-day concerns, answer questions and help resolve issues as they arise. He added the liaison attends construction meetings, gathers information from contractors and county staff, communicates directly with business owners and helps coordinate efforts to reduce disruptions whenever possible. He noted the position has provided businesses with a single point of contact for updates and concerns throughout the project.
To help with mitigation efforts, the county secured $225,000 provincial funding through the Rural Economic Development (RED) program. In February 2025, Council approved an additional $142,500 in tax-supported funding, including matching funds for the RED grant and $30,000 intended to double the Downtown Paris BIA budget.
Oakley said those investments funded initiatives such as free downtown events, marketing campaigns, beautification efforts, expanded wayfinding signage, construction liaison services and direct business support programming. The funding also supported paid advertising campaigns through billboards, television, print and online media, downtown signage, business directories, window displays and free Tasty Road Trips walking tours designed to encourage residents and visitors to continue supporting downtown merchants during construction. The funding will also help support the upcoming Paris Promenade and Downtown Block Party later this year.
During the Administration meeting, Councillor Ella Haley asked whether staff were aware of businesses that had closed during construction and whether merchants had been successful in accessing available grants.
Director of Economic Development Zach Gable said staff were aware of one retirement in the downtown core and two businesses in a market space that had closed.
"I am sure there could be some attribution of the dig to this," he said. "We are dealing with a difficult economic situation. Discretionary spending is declining, so there are a few factors at play."
He added that staff were aware of only one business that had accessed an available grant program.
While acknowledging the challenges faced by some merchants, the staff report pointed to indicators they believe demonstrate continued confidence in the downtown core. One of the key metrics tracked by staff is the downtown vacancy rate, which has declined during the Downtown Dig. According to the report, 12 new businesses have opened in downtown Paris since the beginning of 2025, including six new businesses in 2026 alone. Staff said those trends suggest many entrepreneurs continue to view downtown Paris as a desirable location despite the temporary disruptions associated with the infrastructure project.
However, Crozier did acknowledge the financial pressures facing many merchants.
"I didn't want this report to insinuate that we don't appreciate there are some business suffering," he said.
He noted that surveys conducted by the county have shown varying experiences among businesses, with some reporting relatively stable sales while others have experienced significant declines.
"We are heartened to see the vacancy rate is low and there are businesses that are doing pretty good and down a little bit, and we appreciate there are some businesses that are quite down," said Crozier.
Despite ongoing challenges, county officials pointed to what they describe as the project's next major milestone: the opening of the pedestrian promenade through the construction zone.
Councillor Steve Howes said he believes public morale surrounding the project could improve significantly once the promenade opens.
"The construction project is running a little bit behind but personally I believe if the promenade had started a week ago, instead of two weeks from now, the moral would be much higher," said Howes.
Crozier confirmed staff continue to meet weekly to coordinate the remaining work required to complete the first phase and open the pedestrian corridor. While no exact opening date has been announced, the county continues to target a July opening.
At the conclusion of the discussion, councillors emphasized the importance of ensuring residents understand both the work being done to support businesses and the legislative restrictions facing municipalities.
"We want to ensure the community knows their municipal government is working for them," said Crozier. "The intent and the focus and the desire to do whatever we could to allow this portion of the community to get through a significant construction project — this is what we've done."
He added that the report provides residents with the information needed to draw their own conclusions about the county's response to the challenges facing downtown businesses during construction.