Vibrant main streets help attract visitors, create jobs and increase the competitiveness of small businesses, which are the backbone of small, rural communities. At this year’s Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) announced the Main Street Revitalization Initiative, a new initiative that will be administered by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and its rural arm, ROMA, to support the revitalization of downtown and main streets across Ontario.
The province is investing up to $26 million in the initiative, which is part of a larger $40 million investment in the Main Street Enhancement Initiative focused on strengthening communities’ planning and implementation activities in downtown and main street areas, as well as providing business support for capital improvements, enhanced digital capabilities and improvements to energy efficiencies. Through the Main Street Revitalization Initiative, municipalities across Ontario will receive support to enhance and revitalize their downtown and main streets through assistance and/or funding for a variety of projects including landscaping or installing pedestrian crosswalks. Municipalities can also direct funding to local businesses for projects like improving the appearance of their storefronts by renewing their façade or installing new signage.
Municipalities can contact OMAFRA’s Agricultural Information Contact Centre (AICC) at 1-877-424-1300, or ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca if they have any questions about the Initiative.
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