The Reid Street Revitalization Project was completed in 2018, which included the modernization of the main downtown street. Upon completing this large capital project, it was clear that the downtown is still in need of a bold community space; Spirit Square was identified in the City’s Placemaking Strategy1 as a priority area. The current stage infrastructure in Spirit Square sits awkwardly and lacks significant features to inspire visitors and residents. As such, the area is underutilized and the current street orientation of the stage limits the types of events that can be held in the Square.
In order to enhance the community’s public spaces and outdoor event venues in the downtown, the City of Quesnel will be moving forward with a project, dubbed “Alive After Five”. This project will include the renovation of the existing Spirit Square stage, provide additional electrical capacity for lighting and potential food truck usage, build a wood façade on the Spirit Center building facing the parking lot, and increase storage capacity for outdoor seating and stage equipment.
The City of Quesnel has worked to obtain funding from Northern Development Initiative Trust for this project. This project funding also includes a one-year pilot project to make the Square the community’s hub for small-scale live outdoor entertainment and events. However, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the events will now be held in 2021. The Quesnel Downtown Association (QDA) will be taking the lead on organizing the events. President of the QDA, Sandra Lewis “The Quesnel Downtown is very excited about our project at Spirit Square which will enhance our ability to host events for everyone to enjoy. Special thanks to the City of Quesnel for their work on this.”
Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson stated, “The Reid Street Revitalization Project was a significant improvement to our downtown core. Reid Street is now a retail-pedestrian friendly street and a beautiful spot for people to shop, hang out and to socialize. The development of Spirit Square allows the City to take another step forward in rejuvenating our city centre.”
Residents identified Spirit Square as the “Heart of Quesnel,” and was also mentioned by stakeholders as an under-whelming space and one lacking identity. Currently, the community lacks consistent weekly entertainment that is free and accessible to all residents. These weekly events will help increase the downtown foot traffic after 5:00 pm, promoting and supporting our local businesses and growing tourism sector. This project will tie together the recently completed Reid Street Revitalization project, the Hosting Precinct, the Waterfront Development Plan2, and the LeBourdais playground refresh projects. The project will also connect the downtown business wood-façade improvements that have helped to enhance our downtown appearance.
Joel McKay, CEO of Northern Development Initiative Trust, stated “Northern Development is very pleased that construction is moving forward for both the Spirit Stage and Spirit Centre building façade. The true purpose behind the Strategic Initiatives Fund program is to allow communities to submit proposals that are broad in nature and support economic transformation. Quesnel’s ‘Alive After Five’ initiative checks those boxes and many more. We look forward to seeing this project come to fruition.”
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