Manitoba Chamber of Commerce
Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1061969
32 WINTER 2018 Women's Fashion, where owner Kelly Lewis remembers the days when the old downtown was the centre of all commerce. "Back in the '70s when we first bought this business, Manitoba Avenue between Main and Eveline streets was vibrant. There were three dress shops, small department stores, two jewelry stores, and that's where everyone in town did their shopping," Lewis says. But as independent shop owners retired in the '80s, it became one empty building after another. More recent big-box development on the west side of town continued to fuel the decline. "But downtown is a unique part of our city and we need to embrace it," says Lewis, a former Selkirk Biz chair. Roxi and Linda Bohemier of Roxi's by the Red Uptown Café and On the Rocks Bar, agree. They moved from a successful restaurant and hotel business in southern Manitoba to breathe new life into a dowdy restaurant and bar in Selkirk. It now has a reputation for an eclectic menu at a great price and incredibly friendly staff. "There are a lot of visionaries in this city and I want to be part of that," says Roxi Bohemier, who hosted beer, scotch and vodka tasting and hosted several chili and soup cookoff stations during Holiday Alley. "This is all about bringing people together and bringing tourists from outside of the community to see how amazing this city is," she says. "I love this downtown, and it's only going to get better and better." Her newest neighbours are also the youngest entrepreneurs on the block. They hit a 260 per cent increase in sales in the first Holiday Alley weekend. In their early 20s, Miranda Schmidt and Jocelyn Kreml moved into the main floor of Selkirk's historic Trader Bank building, opened The Mighty Kiwi Juice Bar & Eatery and became Selkirk Biz members because they saw a future in the old downtown. "The reason that we chose to build our business on Manitoba Avenue is because of the City of Selkirk's plans to revitalize the downtown," says Kreml, who was on the Holiday Alley planning committee from Day 1. Holiday Alley is designed to dovetail strategically with the City of Selkirk's own vision for downtown renewal. "It's really a demonstration sport for what's possible for our downtown," says SELKIRK — HOLIDAY ALLEY << CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS