tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-969156847256652198.post4389775568604025137..comments2023-06-21T11:58:47.093-04:00Comments on West Side Action: cycling is an artEric Darwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01042460139621819388noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-969156847256652198.post-20087518066066625692010-05-18T10:32:23.040-04:002010-05-18T10:32:23.040-04:00Isn't there a cyclists' gear shop in the M...Isn't there a cyclists' gear shop in the Market itself these days?Dwight Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14389833479219422837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-969156847256652198.post-29700979651125855532010-05-16T11:06:30.387-04:002010-05-16T11:06:30.387-04:00chris: only two admins? NCC, Sparks St BIA, city ....chris: only two admins? NCC, Sparks St BIA, city ... ouch and ou-la-la that would be burdensome. <br /> radionx: I was a downtown merchant for 21 years, not touristy, not lunch trade ... and believe me the options to do anything are very limited. We changed window posters ... put out a potted tree (repeatedly stolen and or vandalized)... the best reaction we ever got was putting out a wad of what looked like US money in a bundle and watched people scoop it up. Actually, second best was using a remote control radio shack racing car on the sidewalk controlled from inside. Part of this time was the heyday of cycle couriers and we had so much traffic (4-6 outbound items per hour) they all sat on our window sill waiting for the next order -- now that was live art!Eric Darwinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01042460139621819388noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-969156847256652198.post-43442686921970943992010-05-16T07:11:37.475-04:002010-05-16T07:11:37.475-04:00While it's fair to say that Ottawa's busin...While it's fair to say that Ottawa's business community can be said to be "comfortable" and more often than not, "timid", I do think that if the city's by-laws had been implemented with more an eye to the entrepreneurial (read: more freedom for business to operate), we would have attracted businesses (and business people) that are interested in trying new and bold things. Unfortunately, with the example of Sparks St., you have two lethargic elephantine administrations sitting on you.Chrisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-969156847256652198.post-76900131579457154692010-05-15T15:14:23.560-04:002010-05-15T15:14:23.560-04:00You really think the merchants of the central busi...You really think the merchants of the central business district are itching to do something bold, if only the City of Ottawa would let them? Personally, I don't think so. They make their money selling stuff to civil servants on lunch break and to tourists the rest of the time. Give them all kinds of freedom, and they wouldn't change a thing.rodionxnoreply@blogger.com