REGINA — The re-opening of Dewdney Avenue has businesses along the road excited and relieved.
On Monday, the City of Regina officially reopened the road, which underwent construction for two years as part of a $32-million revitalization project.
“It feels great. It's like a dream come true. We've been waiting for this day for so long,” said Grant Frew, bar and marketing manager for Bushwakker Brewpub.
Frew described seeing the livelihood return to the area this morning, with cars driving by and people parked on the street.
“It was so fantastic.”
Further down the street, Mark Heise, president and CEO of Rebellion Brewing Company, called the road re-opening a “huge sense of relief and excitement.”
“The future's bright. [The] Warehouse District [and] Dewdney Avenue is the place to be.”
While excitement is in the air for businesses, the two years to reach this point haven’t been easy.
“Canada Post shut off our mail because they said they could not figure out how to deliver our mail. Google Maps, for the last two years, was not updated and could not show anyone how to get here, so ride services didn't work,” said Heise.
Heise also mentioned shipments of empty cans worth $50,000 would circle the area for weeks without knowing how to access his business.
“No one should have to run a business like that. That's tough,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Frew described losing out on tourism this summer with the road being closed for the entire year.
With the pandemic and two years of Dewdney being closed down, Frew called it a tough past five years.
Even with the hardships, Dewdney Avenue businesses can see the potential for more revenue going forward.
“This is going to become a tourist destination. I think it's very good for the local economy. It's a big investment. It's going to take years to see the return on that investment, but it's fantastic,” said Frew.
Heise mentioned the work Regina is doing to transform The Yards, an empty space south of Dewdney Avenue.
City administration is preparing to partner with a developer to transform the land to include residential properties, which will be discussed by council on Wednesday.
“[So], having just a few more residents down here completely transforms it. It improves the safety, it improves the viability of businesses, it just activates the whole place and creates a ton of energy,” said Heise.
