In this issue:
Trick or Treating Downtown
Get Ready for the Annual DDBIA Christmas Kick-Off Event! NEW TIMES
Help Make the Christmas Kick-Off Event a Success!
Station Street Common Update
Reminder: Duncan Farmers Market Night Market – TONIGHT!
Get Ready for the Christmas Window Decorating Contest!
Laine Vintage Underground Mall
Request for Proposal: Cowichan Women Against Violence Society (CWAVS)
BIABC Election Update
Future Events
Trick or Treating Downtown
Join us for the annual Downtown Duncan Trick-or-Treating event on Saturday, October 26, from 10 am to noon! If your business would like to participate and display a pumpkin poster in your window to show you're part of the fun, please let us know so we can distribute the pumpkin posters to you! The pumpkin will have a QR code on it listing all the stores that will be participating in Trick or Treating so please let us know if we are adding you to the list!
We'll be promoting the event on social media, and kids will be on the lookout for the pumpkin posters to know which businesses are handing out treats (and checking out the QR code on the Poster). Let’s make this a spooktacular event for the community!
Get Ready for the Annual DDBIA Christmas Kick-Off Event! NEW TIMES
Join us on Friday, November 22nd, for an evening full of holiday cheer and festive fun. With live entertainment, food trucks, and a visit from Santa, this year’s celebration promises to be unforgettable!
Event Details:
Start Time: 5:00 PM
Santa's Schedule: Arrives at 5:30 PM, departs at 8:30 PM
Event End Time: 9:00 PM
Street Closures:
Craig Street: From Station to Ingram
Kenneth Street: From approximately Fabrications to the Nha Trang parking lot (Kenneth Street parking lots will remain open)
City Square: Including Lois Lane
Station Street: Will remain open due to construction in Station Street Common
Highlights:
Fireworks at 8:45 PM in City Square
Enjoy roasted chestnuts, carolers, a dance stage, and a warming tent for the whole family!
Help Make the Christmas Kick-Off Event a Success!
We need your support to bring the magic to life. Whether you can volunteer for an hour or the whole evening, your help is invaluable—especially at the start and end of the night. If you’re interested in volunteering, please reach out and be a part of this festive community event! Call Gill at 250.715.1700 or email us at ddbia@downtownduncan.ca
Station Street Common Update
Exciting news! The construction contract for the Station Street Placemaking Project has been awarded to Echelon Creative Inc. from Nanaimo. The contractors have two weeks to complete the required documentation, which will finalize the contract and include an updated construction schedule. Discussions are underway regarding laydown space, sidewalk closures, and street closures. There will be, from time to time, street closures on Station and Craig Streets (not guaranteed but likely) and the loss of two or so parking spots as well (again from time to time as large equipment is moving in and out) but we are committed to giving you as much advance notice as possible when these occur. Additionally, the Nha Trang parking lot will be impacted most as the main construction equipment and trailers will be located there to avoid street closures. As the contractor confirms their work schedule, the City will be in touch with businesses most impacted (temporary loss of parking stalls). We ask for everyone’s patience on this and trust that the new park will drive greater visitation to us, and give our visitors and shoppers another opportunity to linger in our vibrant unique downtown (not to mention a great place for us to gather for our workday lunches and meetings and other gatherings)!
Additionally, the process of finalizing the names for the new park is also underway, with further consultations planned to ensure accurate spellings and translations of the three name pairs selected in August. Once finalized, these name options will go out to the public for a vote—stay tuned for more details on how you can participate!
Reminder: Duncan Farmers Market Night Market – TONIGHT!
The Duncan Farmers Market Night Market is TONIGHT! If your business will be staying open late during the event, please let us know by filling out our handy sign-up form. This helps us keep the community informed and ensures everyone has an updated list of open businesses. Don't miss out on this great opportunity to engage with the crowd—sign up today!
Get Ready for the Christmas Window Decorating Contest!
Our annual Christmas Window Decorating Contest is back, kicking off on November 22 at the Christmas Kick-Off event—and voting opens same day!
This year’s contest offers two BIG prizes (Voters Choice and BOD Choice). Themes are:
The Christmas Sweater
West Coast Christmas
Voting will be done online, and all participating businesses will receive a special window poster with a QR code for easy voting access. Get creative and join in the festive fun! And the best part – we will be running several social media campaigns to promote your gorgeous windows and your business!
If you plan to participate, please let us know so we can make sure you get a poster for your window and are added to the list of participating businesses.
Laine Vintage Underground Mall
Laine Vintage is moving (and expanding) with the opening of the new Laine Vintage Underground Mall!
On November 1st, Laine Vintage will open a new retail location at 79 Station St. (aka the Hudson Block and the former home of the Hospital Auxiliary Thrift Store). The new store will include a 1900 sq ft main-level retail space, and a 1400 sq ft Vintage Vendor Mall in the heart of downtown Duncan, right next door to Station Street Common. If this sounds like something you would like to be a part of, please visit their website at https://www.lainevintage.ca/laine-vintage-mall
to fill out their online waitlist form to get on the list!
Request for Proposal: Cowichan Women Against Violence Society (CWAVS)
CWAVS is seeking proposals from experienced professional services firms to develop a five-year strategic plan, guiding the organization through 2030. For more details, please see the attached RFP.
BIABC Election Update
Ahead of the upcoming election, BIABC sent six questions—developed from a June survey of small and medium-sized businesses—to the three main political parties. Responses have been received from the BC NDP and Conservative Party of BC, while the Green Party of BC did not respond by the deadline. The full responses are available on the BIABC website.
The questions addressed key issues including community safety, mental health, addictions, housing, sick leave policies, support for small businesses, and the potential creation of a stand-alone ministry for small business. Members are encouraged to review these questions and consider discussing them with local candidates. For more details, visit the BIABC website.
Future Events
DFM and downtown NIGHT MARKET – October 17th
Downtown Trick or Treating – October 26 from 10:00 to 12:00 pm (look for the pumpkin in the window!)
Sip and Shop – December 5 from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Member Social – December 12 location TDB
DFM and downtown NIGHT MARKET – November 21st
Christmas Kick-Off – November 22nd
Christmas Contest Window Themes (two BIG PRIZES this year): The Christmas Sweater AND / OR West Coast Christmas.
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