Downtown Barrie Thriving with New Businesses

0:00Downtown Berea is buzzing again as a prime spot for new local businesses, drawing in owners who see it as the perfect place to set of shop. Vacancy rates have dropped sharply compared to past years, with empty spots filling a fast. Take ol' beehive refillery for example. Owner Allison Oaks just shifted her zero-way store from the waterfront to Dunlop Street this month, calling it the vibrant downtown vibe she craved. Examples are showing massive love, fueling that community energy Oaks raves about. The Downtown Berry Improvement Association backs it up, noting how stores snap up spaces quicker than ever before. Post pandemic, the push to shop local has kicked into high gear. Association leader Craig Stevens highlights that downtown owners are your actual neighbors and friends, not distant chains. The Berry Chamber of Commerce reports steady growth across the city for the past five years, editing the downtown strip as the true heartbeat that keeps everything pumping strong. From your city, powered by AI, this is Canada News Today.