BRAMPTON, ON (September 13, 2022) – The City of Brampton, together with its partners the Downtown Brampton Business Improvement Area (BIA) and 8 80 Cities, have transformed Vivian Lane into a vibrant destination for people of all ages as part of the broader Activate Downtown Brampton program supported by the My Main Street Community Activator Program.
Vivian Lane has been transformed with a colourful new ground mural designed and produced by local artist Abiola Idowu. He was assisted by over 40 community volunteers, creating a public space that fosters connection and social exchange. The laneway also features new pop-up trees, flexible seating, sandboxes, lighting, and decorative yarn bombing. Through Activate Downtown Brampton, Vivian Lane has been programmed with a variety of activities for all ages including musical performances, art workshops, dementia friendly community experiences, chess lessons, a pop-up night market, and a wellness market. Much more is planned for September!
About Activate Downtown Brampton
Activate Downtown Brampton aims to increase opportunities for social connection, civic engagement and to stimulate local economic activity. The program, started in May 2022, has included free weekly musical activations every Saturday in various gathering spaces across the downtown. Activations have been ongoing during the summer and the Vivian Lane programming will continue through to the end of September.
The Activate Downtown Brampton programs will be running until October 11. For more information on upcoming free activities for all ages and how to get involved visit https://downtownbramptonbia.ca/activatedowntownbrampton/.
The My Main Street Community Activator is a two-year, $23.25 million investment by the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) that is being delivered by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) and the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO). Through Activate Downtown Brampton, this series will help build a more vibrant downtown that draws visitors and increases foot traffic to shops, restaurants, and exciting new public spaces, supporting local businesses in their recovery from COVID-19.
About the Integrated Downtown Plan
The City’s Integrated Downtown Plan (IDP) is a roadmap for action coordinating Downtown Brampton’s many ongoing initiatives and infrastructure projects while guiding future growth and strategic investment. The IDP team also helps deliver meanwhile strategies – stimulating and leveraging the short-term, cultural value of “place”.
Downtown Brampton is undergoing a transformation, beginning with construction by the Region of Peel to replace watermain and sanitary sewers in the area, followed by the City’s work to replace and widen sidewalks, and repair and resurface roads.
Activations, such as Vivian Lane, play an important role in bringing energy and vitality to Downtown Brampton.
For more information on the IDP, visit www.brampton.ca/IDP/
For more information on Downtown Brampton, visit www.brampton.ca/downtownbrampton.
Quotes
“Together with our partners, we’re working to revitalize and unlock the potential of Downtown Brampton by creating quality urban spaces and an enhanced pedestrian realm. Thank you to the residents who have taken part in Activate Downtown Brampton events this summer and I encourage those who have not had the chance to join in on the fun see how we are improving our public spaces.”
- Patrick Brown, Mayor, City of Brampton
“The City of Brampton continues to take steps to transform our downtown and create lively public spaces for residents and visitors of Brampton to enjoy. We thank FedDev Ontario for this key investment, and I appreciate the ongoing collaboration with our partners to build a more vibrant downtown and support our local businesses as they continue to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
- Martin Medeiros, Regional Councillor, Wards 3&4; Chair, Economic Development, City of Brampton
“At the City of Brampton, we are dedicated to improving quality of life for our residents and supporting local businesses through local investments and partnerships. We’ve been excited about the positive response we’ve had to Activate Downtown Brampton and will continue to work to understand the impact of this pilot project and use the lessons learned to inform our longer term Integrated Downtown Plan.”
- Paul Morrison, Interim Chief Administrative Officer, City of Brampton
“We are so excited to be working in collaboration with the City of Brampton and 8 80 Cities to activate our downtown this summer and fall and support our amazing local businesses through community placemaking efforts.”
- Carrie Leigh Percival, Chair, Downtown Brampton BIA
“The Vivian Lane transformation and musical activations have been part of a broader strategy to bring more people into the downtown and to visit local businesses. We are keen to build more of these types of beautification and activation programs well beyond the lifespan of the My Main Street funding. Vivian Lane is a showcase for what is possible for the downtown and our commitment to supporting businesses through creativity and new collaborations.”
- Suzy Godefroy, Executive Director, Downtown Brampton BIA
“We’re really pleased with how the community has come together to help us transform Vivian Lane into a vibrant destination in the downtown.”
- Jiya Benni, 8 80 Cities Project Manager
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As one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada, Brampton is home to more than 700,000 people and 75,000 businesses. People are at the heart of everything we do. We are energized by our diverse communities, we attract investment, and we are embarking on a journey to lead technological and environmental innovation. We partner for progress to build a healthy city that is safe, sustainable, and successful. Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Learn more at www.brampton.ca.
8 80 Cities is a non-profit organization with a mission to ignite action and challenge the status quo to create healthier, more equitable, and sustainable cities for all people. We are guided by a simple but power question- what if everything we did in our cities was great for an 8 year old and an 80 year old? We believe starting with this question can help create great cities for all people. Our team has worked in over 350 cities around the world leading transformative public space projects.
The Downtown Brampton Business Improvement Area promotes the commercial area as a vibrant business and shopping district. Through special events, advertising, and beautification programs, we aim to keep the area foremost in the public’s mind as an attractive, pleasant place to shop, to be entertained, to work, and to live.
The Canadian Urban Institute is the national platform that houses the best in Canadian city building — where policymakers, urban professionals, civic and business leaders, community activists and academics can learn, share and collaborate with one another from coast to coast to coast. Through research, engagement and storytelling, our mission is to ensure Canada builds vibrant, equitable, liveable and resilient cities. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
For more than 12 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, job creation and growth in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving their productivity, growing their revenues, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
MEDIA CONTACTS
City of Brampton Media Relations
mediarelations@brampton.ca
Jiya Benni
Project Manager, 8 80 Cities
jbenni@880cities.org
647 800 5590
Suzy Godefroy
Executive Director, Downtown Brampton Business Improvement Area
Suzy.Godefroy@brampton.ca
Nick Hanson
Communications Lead
Canadian Urban Institute
media@mymainstreet.ca
