Block Reports are hyper-local portraits of the impact of the pandemic that combine storytelling with data.
To better understand how COVID-19 has impacted main streets and businesses, Vancouver City Savings credit union (Vancity), Vancity Community Investment Bank, and the Canadian Urban Institute conducted a series of seven Block Studies in British Columbia and Ontario.
Round One Block Reports
These Block Reports were developed based on conversations with BIAs and local business owners and using a variety of data points. They uncover some trends, while also revealing where more data and analysis is needed to understand some of the nuanced findings. Some of the key findings include:
Strong local economies, and connections to the community are helping businesses through COVID-19
Main streets and businesses that cater to local residential populations are seeing advantages
Main streets that were struggling with vacancy and rising rents pre-COVID may be at higher risk
The business community is digging deep and finding innovative ways to adapt, but some are falling behind
There is a need for creative ways to finance small businesses and support recovery
Filling vacant storefronts and animating main streets will be a necessary for main street recovery
Local business organizations are critical to the recovery and resilience of main streets
The Block Reports will be updated in September 2020 with new data.
Government Street - Downtown Victoria, B.C.
Pre-COVID, this block of Government Street had a healthy mix of local retail and was a busy destination for daytime workers, tourists and locals. It includes 67 business, 61% of which are independently owned. During the COVID shutdown, many businesses on this block pivoted to online, curb-side pick-up, and new product offerings. The businesses with a strong local following and good social media presence fared the best.
East Hastings Avenue - Vancouver, B.C.
Strathcona is a residential neighbourhood and commercial district located east of Downtown Vancouver. East Hastings Street is a busy six-lane thoroughfare, and the main commercial strip in Strathcona. The reduction in social services and the closing of rooming houses during the lockdown phase of the pandemic had a major impact on this block. There was an increase in assaults and graffiti, verified by police statistics.
137th Street -
Surrey, B.C.
137th Street plays host to an active community of entrepreneurs and is made up of a variety of businesses, 76% of which are independently run. Many businesses in Newton are minority-owned or operated, representing the cultural diversity of the area. Two businesses have permanently closed: Case World, a cell phone accessory shop, and Greenfield, a small produce store.
Tranquille Road - Kamloops North Shore, B.C.
Tranquille Road includes an eclectic mix of businesses, some of which have been there for 40 years. Of the 60 businesses on the block, the majority (88%) are independently-owned. Very few businesses have increased their digital or e-commerce presence (e.g. creating new e-commerce sites or moving to online delivery systems). The high fees associated with online delivery apps presented barriers to small food-related businesses going online with delivery.
Lawrence Avenue E, Wexford -
Toronto, Ontario
Lawrence Ave East is located in the Wexford Heights neighbourhood of Toronto. It is a busy arterial road made up of a number of strip malls. Many of the business on this block are ethnic and family run, catering to Middle Eastern, Asian and African clientele (e.g., Bengali, Gujarati, Iranian, Nigerian, Somali, Filipino). Most decided not to access the federal financial aid programs, like the rent and wage subsidies or loan programs.
King and Catharine St. - Downtown Hamilton, Ontario
Pre-COVID, this block in Downtown Hamilton, was filled with daytime office workers, young professionals from a nearby co-working spot and international school students. Several bars, a pool hall and the City’s longest standing live-music venue were anchors of the ‘night-time economy’ in this neighbourhood. They have been the hardest hit from COVID and are at the greatest risk of permanent closure. So far there haven’t been any permanent business closures on this block.
Queen Street E, The Beach, Toronto - Ontario
Queen Street East is located in the east end of Toronto. The businesses on this block are mostly independently-run (75 %), with an average of one to three employees. Pre-COVID, around 12 to 13 percent of the storefronts within the BIA area were vacant, which is higher than most other neighbourhoods in the city. The city’s high commercial property tax rate is one of the contributing factors.
Funding Partners
Vancity is a values-based financial cooperative serving the needs of its more than 534,886 member-owners and their communities in the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka'wakw territories, with 59 branches in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Victoria, Squamish and Alert Bay. Vancity is the funding partner for the Block Study.
Vancity Community Investment Bank (VCIB) is a subsidiary of Vancouver City Savings Credit Union (Vancity). As Canada’s first and only values-driven bank, VCIB is committed to driving positive social and environmental change within the communities in which it operates. VCIB is the funding partner for the Block Study.