Newsletter

It has been a few months since our last published newsletter highlighting all the amazing things happening in Summerside. During our hiatus, it has been interesting times and our office has been working hard with helping our incredible businesses navigate this unprecedented situation. We do hope this newsletter finds you, your family and coworkers safe and healthy and able to continue to adapt and pivot during these challenging times. We truly understand the firsthand challenges our local business community has faced, and our office has been trying its best to help navigate the complex environment we are all in. 

We have had some fruitful discussions with many of our businesses on addressing these challenges head-on and pivoting to adapt to delivering business continuity and our high-quality products and services. We are seeing the amazing efforts of our Business Community as they continue to demonstrate resiliency and creativity. While it has not been an easy transition, the spirit of Summerside business is finding ways to make things happen.

We want to assure you that the Summerside Economic Development Team is here for you. We, along with our committed partners, will work collaboratively to ensure the needs of our businesses are a top priority and do whatever we can to support your needs.

If you want to connect to share a good news story, update us on your operations or need help in solving a problem, please reach out and ask us, we are only too happy to assist. 
 

Investing in Downtown is one of our Council’s Top Priority
The City takes a bold step through the acquisition of properties to facilitate future renewal
 

The City of Summerside City Council is turning a new chapter in its downtown rejuvenation strategy and putting words into action by acquiring several strategic properties in the downtown core. The City has finalized the purchase of four properties for just over $900,000 to start the process of upgrading and enhancing our municipal infrastructure critical to growing our downtown. The four properties include 8 Summer Street (Former Cooke Insurance Building), 285 Water Street (Former Purple Parrott Building), 4 Summer Street (Former Crockets Jewelry Building) and 12 Summer Street (Former Regent Building). 
 
“We are excited to be taking this positive step in furthering our investments and growing our Downtown”, said Councillor Brian McFeely, Chair of Economic Development. “Not only does it allow us to address some infrastructure challenges in our downtown and open up lands for future investment, it allows us to further cement recommendations from our Public Urban Core Plan of 2017 and our Four-Year Economic Development Strategy.” 
 
“These key properties have been discussed and debated for well over four years on how to facilitate a rejuvenation strategy in collaboration with all our partners, and more recently given the decaying condition of the properties being vacant in some cases dating back to 2012. Council felt something bold had to happen to support our growing downtown and investments in the core” said Deputy Mayor Norma McColeman. “This decision was not taken lightly, but when you get into a situation where there’s really no one that’s going to do it and the property and underlying infrastructure will deteriorate and negatively impact neighbouring businesses, buildings and significant investments in downtown, we as a City needed to fill that void.”
 
Immediate plans for the block and surrounding infrastructure are still being developed, but within short order, all four buildings will be demolished. This will address the public-facing condition of the buildings and allow for easy access to the municipal infrastructure. The buildings are now well beyond salvage and the only economical way forward is to remove them. The goal of this project is to help address key recommendations from our Urban Core Plan, with the overarching goal to ensure we have people living and working in downtown. 
 
“This direction is consistent with the past actions of City Council,” the Deputy Mayor stated. “One of Council’s top priorities is redeveloping downtown. Before we entered this deal, our administration did due diligence to determine the fair market value, opportunities for collaboration and an exit strategy for the property once our work was complete, including an exit strategy that any sale will be subject to the terms of an acceptable Development Agreement that best serves the interests of the area.”
 
We will continue to explore funding opportunities with infrastructure funding programs, and it is our hope to have the required infrastructure updates completed during the 2021 construction season. Post demolition and infrastructure enhancements, we will be going to the market for redevelopment options for the property which will include residential and commercial opportunities. The goal is to complete this work in order to provide a clean development opportunity for this site once all the work is complete.
 
Today we have taken a major leadership step for our downtown and while it is not the City’s common practice to acquire properties outright, we felt there has been a huge void in regards to addressing gaps in our city, supporting both our public and private sector investments in downtown and one of our goals has been to find a collaborative way to address significant issues in our community when it comes to our building stock. This strategic move for the citizens of Summerside will bring many benefits to the business community and further strengthen our downtown to enable further growth within our city.

 

 

Newcomer Corner
 

The Economic Development Office is pleased to add a new section to our newsletter coined “Newcomer Corner”. Over the past couple of years, the EDO has been working on helping Immigrant Investors who have chosen Summerside as a place to invest, settle and raise a family in Summerside. As part of our continued effort to support local businesses and shine a spotlight on the diverse and growing offerings, we will be running “profiles” of our new business enterprise.  This month we are featuring Moments Café and Z&G Fusion Cuisine.

Meet Zenaida & Glenn Saldanha
 

Zenaida & Glenn are two of the newest members to Summerside’s business community. Our office first met Zenaida & Glenn when they visited in April 2018. They were enthusiastic and felt strongly about doing business in Summerside right from the outset. According to them, “While touring Summerside, we realized there was greater potential and unique opportunity to set up a dine-in concept here. We felt the time was right for the residents of Summerside to try something new. Summerside was also a warm and hospitable place – one where we felt comfortable bringing our hospitality and home-style cooking.” Zenaida and Glenn are originally from Mumbai, India and join us most recently from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Two of their children, Keegan and Kristen, live here with them while another daughter, Denise, lives in Ontario.

Zenaida & Glenn’s business is called “Z&G’s Specialty Fusion Cuisine” and they opened their doors in April 2020 at 98 Water Street in Summerside (Downtown Holland College campus building).  At first, they offered take-out only due to COVID-19 regulations, but the dining room has been open since June. Z&G’s strives to bring Summerside a unique fusion of flavours from around the world, adapting home-style cooking to international cuisine through the menu designed by Glenn, who is head chef. Z&G’s achieves a wonderful customer experience through its warm ambience, friendly staff, and mouth-watering selections that feature 80% local produce.

When it comes to Summerside, Zenaida & Glenn still feel as strongly as they did two years ago. In their words “The scenery and beauty of the City is complemented by the warmth of the people. Being a small population, everyone knows everyone else and there is a feeling of oneness, community networking, and balanced living. It is a unique City where family values, old-school chivalry, and traditions still hold great importance.” They are also pleased with their business experience so far, stating “The City has a low-cost operating environment and the procedures for setting up a business are clear, straightforward, and transparent.”

Meet Moment Wong
 

Moment is a new member of our community. Our office first met Moment when he visited in May 2018 where he expressed interest in opening a business here. When asked why he chose Summerside as a place to do business, he claimed “When I explored in Summerside, I talked to many people and knew they wanted to try a different style of food. Therefore, I thought it would be an opportunity to develop my business.” He joins us from Hong Kong and lives here with his wife.

Moment’s business is called “Moment’s Café” and he opened its doors in early June 2020 at 12 Cedar Street in Summerside (former location of Lin’s Gourmet Express). His café offers a Hong Kong-style cuisine and is best known for its Bubble Waffle with ice cream, sweet and sour pork, and specialty teas. The iconic and decadent Bubble Waffle can be spotted on Moment’s road sign.

Moment feels right at home in Summerside. When asked about his experience so far, he replied “Summerside is a small community with nice people and I can easily develop good relationships. It is peaceful and simple here and lets my family get settled very fast.”

Summerside in Numbers


Next Month’s Issue
 
We are already working on next month’s issue where we will be discussing in detail the finishing of the infrastructure of Summerside Business Commons Eco Park and the start of our first building.





If interested in learning more about investment opportunities, economic development support or opportunities for growth, please call our Economic Development Professionals.
We would love to chat.

Alternatively, you can email us at mike@summerside.ca. 
It could be the most profitable email you have ever sent.

Michael Thususka
Director of Economic Development City of Summerside
275 Fitzroy Street, Summerside PE C1N 1H9
M: 902.432.0103, E: mike@summerside.ca

LET’S BUILD THE FUTURE TOGETHER!