Cambridge closing streets again to create community spaces

Pedestrian-friendly spaces are returning to the City of Cambridge this spring.

They were first introduced in Galt and Hespeler Village back in 2020. Since then, the Downtown Cambridge Business Improvement Area’s (BIA) executive director, Brian Kennedy, says it helped boost tourism and bring people into the downtown areas.

Main St. in Galt between Ainslie St. and Water St. will be closed seven days a week starting May 17 and running until October 14. Queen St. East in Hespeler Village will be closed on weekends, starting May 31 and running until September 1.  The closure on Queen St. runs Fridays from 4 p.m. to Sunday at 5 p.m. this year.

“To be able to host events right in the heart of downtown on Main St. allows businesses to get a lot more exposure, people who come to these events have a chance to really take in the downtown and see all the new businesses,” Brian Kennedy, executive director of the Downtown Cambridge BIA, said.

Last year, the city requested feedback from the community and BIA membership about the Seasonal Road Closure program. They found more than 75 per cent wanted to see the road closures continue for another summer.

“We’ve had live music which has been really well received, both from indie artists right through to of course the Galt Jazz, which brings out hundreds of people on a Sunday to make jazz more accessible to people in our community,” Kennedy said.

“Family Fun Days was another one that was really well received, where families can come out and just enjoy a day downtown together.”

The support for the program empowered the city to continue closing the streets for pedestrian use only.

Hespeler Village will be hosting the fourth season of #Walkqueen this summer. While Queen St. is closed, concerts and other community events will take over the area.

Kennedy said the road closure also enables them to host dog-friendly events or a pop-up shop where a small business can get a feel for the downtown before they decide to rent a space.

Kennedy added that Main St. is only losing 12 parking spaces for the road closure but the city has a list of parking options on their website for anyone wanting to visit.

“There is more than half a dozen parking lots within a very short 5-minute walk of the Main St. closure area for which there are over a thousand parking spaces,” said Kennedy.

Kennedy added that one of the biggest benefits is their ability to host larger events right in the heart of downtown areas.

“When there isn’t an event or something that draws people down, we struggle sometimes with the perception that perhaps downtown is not a safe place to be. So, when we have these events these events help dispel any sort of perception that downtown isn’t safe, which we think its obviously a beautiful downtown,” said Kennedy.

Any local businesses in Cambridge that want to expand their space outwards as part of the program are able to apply online through the City’s website.