Kitchener announces revitalization of main street businesses through partnership

Kitchener announces revitalization of main street businesses through partnership with My Main Street

Kitchener, Ontario – Today, the City of Kitchener is pleased to announce that the commercial streets within the city’s urban areas will soon be able to participate in the My Main Street Local Business Accelerator program to help revitalize our main streets.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), announced a $23.25-million investment to the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) and the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) to establish My Main Street — a two-year program to support the recovery and revitalization of main streets and local businesses in southern Ontario through two program streams.

EDCO is delivering the My Main Street Local Business Accelerator program stream, which supports the revitalization of 65 main street communities, and provides non-repayable contributions for more than 650 local businesses across southern Ontario. The program focuses on creating and maintaining vibrant and inclusive local main streets while providing residents, new entrepreneurs, and existing businesses with economic opportunities in our main street communities.

Downtown Kitchener, Belmont Village, Lancaster St. West, Victoria St. North, and King St. East will all be supported with dedicated Main Street Ambassadors, customized market research, data analysis, and non-repayable funding contributions for new and existing small businesses.

“The Government of Canada recognizes the challenges that main street businesses are facing as a result of the pandemic, and we are taking action to help mitigate the strain,” said the Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. “Programs like My Main Street offer critical funding and services for local businesses as they find ways to adapt and create new and inclusive economic opportunities that will help them rebuild and restore vibrancy to their main streets.”

“Over the last two years, COVID-19 has made for some very challenging times for many of the small, local businesses, which are part of our city’s business corridors. As a community, we need to do everything we can to support their recovery in these unusual times,” said His Worship Berry Vrbanovic, Mayor of the City of Kitchener. “The City of Kitchener is appreciative of the federal government in partnering with us in the My Main Street Local Business Accelerator program to help support these valued businesses and entrepreneurs through recovery and revitalization."

For program details and further information, please visit the My Main Street website. For media inquiries, please contact media@mymainstreet.ca.

For more information contact:

Shawn Falcao
Manager, Corporate Communications
City of Kitchener
shawn.falcao@kitchener.ca