Second closed-street Jasper in January event stresses vendors

Numbers for Saturday’s Jasper in January street party were down to about half from the week before, as cold temperatures kept people inside. The event also received a chilly response from some Patricia Street store owners, who say the closed street caused their business to suffer.

Just as the week before, some businesses experienced a significant slow-down on Saturday night. Geno Tassoni, owner of Mac’s Convenience Store, said he was down “quite a bit... I’d say well over 20 per cent.” Tassoni added he’s “not happy about any kind of road closure on this street (Patricia), it just takes away from my business.”

Dennis Zaffino, owner of Tags, echoed Tassoni’s sentiments. Zaffino said for him, business was down both Saturdays and added that closures are inconvenient for convenience stores on the street. Zaffino pointed out “there’s other venues it could be held at where you can accomplish what they want to do... while keeping all the streets open.”

Some Patricia Street proprietors were more enthusiastic about the street closure. Glen Leitch of the Patricia Street Deli thought that the event provided “great exposure,” that it should be done on a “regular basis” and that “it was great for business.” Leitch also said that he “thinks that Jasper will stand out for something completely out of the ordinary and that’s what people will remember.”

Business at the Liquor Lodge was “about normal,” said proprietor Marc LeBlanc. Although it was a “positive event,” said LeBlanc, he added, “I think it was a little too cold for most families to appreciate it as much as last week.”

According to Helen Kelleher-Empey, general manager of Jasper Tourism and Commerce, the second of two street parties was “good.”
“We had quite a few visitors,” she said. “We certainly didn’t have as many people out as the week before due to the weather, but overall it went really well.”

Jasper Tourism and Commerce plans to send out a survey to Patricia Street business owners for feedback on this year’s Jasper in January events, said Kelleher-Empey, the results of which will be taken into account when the committee makes plans for next winter’s festivities.