For almost nine years, in the hope of paving the way for others, Greg Fischer has kept the doors to his downtown store open late.
It's all a part of invigorating Squamish's heart, an idea that has hit the spotlight with the District of Squamish's downtown transformation initiative. And although the idea is catching on, to be successful, more stores need to join the night owls, said Fischer, the owner of Newport Market.
"We're hoping more people will follow our lead," he said, noting the community needs to back the initiative with their foot traffic.
The Zephyr Café is on board, keeping its lights on until 9 p.m. There are three ways to increase business - raise prices, boost the customer count or add hours, the café's new owner Adrian Blachut said.
"The summer season is very busy," he said.
When Blachut took over the café two months ago, he was surprised at the number of shops on Cleveland Avenue that weren't open in the evening. You can't expect people to come downtown if there's nothing to offer them, Blachut said.
It's a challenge, he noted. When the café previously stayed open for evening hours, Blachut was told it wasn't well received. Echoing Fischer's words, Blachut said the move must be backed by customers.
The Ledge Café has live music some weekend nights, co-manager Nick Koole said.
"The goal is to be doing music on a weekly basis," he said.
It's something the café owners are working up to, as they try to encourage downtown Squamish's night life, Koole said. To learn more about The Ledge Café's weekend happenings, visit its Facebook page.
Keeping downtown alive at night is on the Downtown Squamish Business Improvement Association (Downtown Squamish BIA) mind, association president Scott McQuade said.
"We'd like to see more of it," he said, noting the shift in hours will likely grow on its own.
The District of Squamish is doing what it can to attract people downtown, including in the evening hours, Mayor Rob Kirkham said. Having kicked off its downtown transformation initiative, municipal staff are launching a "destination downtown program," which aims to host afternoon and evening events in Squamish's heart. Details are still being worked out, he said.
Up to 70 per cent of retail sales happen after 6 p.m., Kirkham said. Stores keeping their doors open later is a good indicator of what district officials are pushing for, he noted.
"We don't want [shoppers] heading down the highway," Kirkham said.
