Business
Warming up to winter on the Ross Street Patio
By Mark Weber
We may be into the coldest chill of the winter season, but Red Deerians will find a warm, engaging and inviting atmosphere on the Ross Street Patio just the same. The Ross Street Patio is a spot everyone needs to put on their to do list, even in the winter.
Amanda Gould, executive director of the Downtown Business Association explains the DBA has been bringing special events to the downtown core for several years now. “Every year, we deliver more than 100 events in the downtown core with a favourite being the Ross Street Patio. This marks the first year we will be continuing with programming throughout the winter,” she said, adding that the Patio was opened last winter as well, but with the ongoing pandemic there was no programming. “So we aren’t really counting last winter as our first go-round, we are counting this winter as our first.”
“You will see public art, fire pits, a giant metal ‘locks of love’ heart, free hot chocolate, a Frosty the Snowman bench where you can take pictures with friends, a live music stage for the warmer days, and an ice sculpture will be (featured) on the music stage, too,” Gould explains.
“So we’ve got lots of activity happening down here, and we are really trying to capture the people’s hearts with interesting ideas that we can create that will bring people downtown,” adding that another key goal is to help folks realize there is indeed plenty to enjoy downtown through the winter months.
“We aren’t going to do things on those minus 25 days, but those other days where it’s around minus 10, you can still come outside – the restaurants are open – come down and enjoy a drink, get a hot chocolate and relax on the Patio!”
“Another goal is to just generally increase traffic and overall awareness about all that downtown Red Deer has to offer,” says Gould.
“It’s really also about engaging the general audience with activity, public art and live music that you can’t really get anywhere else,” adds Gould. “It’s also about showing people the fun that you can have downtown.
“The businesses here are absolutely thriving, and their individual patios kind of spill out onto the streets.” Wednesdays in particular are busy especially during the warmer months when special performances are held along with the weekly downtown market.
“During COVID, we’ve still been seeing great numbers with that,” she said. “There will also be the annual car boot sale that we have on Wednesday afternoons as well, where people can come down and sell their wares out of the backs of their cars all along Little Gaetz which is great fun.
“One of the other things we are also working on this year is establishing a new brand for downtown, so that we can really start to change the rhetoric that is happening down here.”
“Yes, there is work to be done of course in other areas, but part of what the DBA can control is the messaging that comes out of the downtown. So we will see a new brand roll out toward the end of the year,” said Gould.
In the meantime, Gould encourages folks to check out the downtown core and visit businesses they perhaps haven’t explored just yet. “Come down and experience it – I think a lot of people who are (affected) by the negative rhetoric maybe haven’t been downtown for years, or they have been down recently and seen something that they didn’t like.
“But if you come down and experience the downtown on an event day, or during late night shopping, or when there is something like that when there is activity going on, you will have a totally different experience,” she said.
“Downtown is such a thriving little community as well – everybody from the various shops knows each other, (staff) from the restaurants know each other – there is a whole bunch of different personalities down here,” she said.
“So you are really ‘supporting local’ while you are down here, but you are also getting an insight into a completely unique way of life in the downtown.”
MxM News
Quick Hit:
Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Tuesday that the province is suspending its 25% surcharge on electricity exports to the U.S. following President Trump’s decision to double tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel.
Key Details:
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Ford confirmed Ontario’s suspension of the electricity surcharge after Trump’s tariff escalation put Canadian industries under pressure.
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The Ontario premier said he and Lutnick would meet with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Thursday in Washington to discuss a “renewed USMCA.”
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In a statement on X, Ford acknowledged the move, stating, “In response, Ontario agreed to suspend its 25 percent surcharge on exports of electricity to Michigan, New York and Minnesota.”
Diving Deeper:
Just hours after President Trump doubled tariffs on Canadian aluminum and steel, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Tuesday that the province will suspend its 25% electricity surcharge on power exports to three U.S. states. The policy reversal comes as Ontario seeks to avoid further economic retaliation from Washington.
Trump’s latest round of tariffs—upping duties on Canadian steel and aluminum to 50%—were issued in direct response to Ontario’s electricity tax on U.S. consumers in Michigan, New York, and Minnesota. The move threatened to escalate an already tense trade standoff, with Trump warning of additional penalties targeting Canada’s auto sector if broader trade disputes weren’t addressed.
Ford took to X to confirm Ontario’s decision to pull back on the surcharge, saying he had a “productive conversation” with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The two will meet in Washington on Thursday alongside U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer to discuss a possible “renewed USMCA,” signaling a potential shift in trade relations between the two nations.
“In response, Ontario agreed to suspend its 25 percent surcharge on exports of electricity to Michigan, New York and Minnesota,” Ford and Lutnick stated in a joint announcement.
The suspension of Ontario’s surcharge marks a significant concession in the ongoing trade dispute, which has sent shockwaves through financial markets and rattled Canadian industries. Trump had labeled Ontario’s surcharge an “abusive threat” and pledged to take decisive action to ensure American energy security.
Beyond the immediate tariff battle, Ford’s willingness to engage in talks about a “renewed USMCA” could indicate Canada’s growing concern over Trump’s broader trade agenda. The U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, originally signed during Trump’s first term, remains a key economic framework, but Trump has long criticized Canada’s tariffs on American dairy and its limited contributions to North American security.
While Ontario’s suspension of the electricity surcharge could ease tensions in the short term, the broader U.S.-Canada trade relationship remains in flux as Trump continues pushing for more favorable terms for American industries.
MxM News
Quick Hit:
President Trump announced Tuesday an additional 25% tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum imports, raising the total levy to 50%, in retaliation for Ontario’s decision to charge Americans in three border states 25% more for electricity.
Key Details:
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Trump declared Ontario’s electricity surcharge on New York, Michigan, and Minnesota as an “abusive threat,” vowing to declare a National Emergency to counteract its impact.
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The president threatened to impose a steep tariff on Canadian automobile imports by April 2nd if other longstanding trade disputes aren’t resolved, warning that it could “permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada.”
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Trump also called out Canada’s minimal contributions to military security, arguing that the U.S. subsidizes the country’s defense by more than $200 billion a year, saying, “This cannot continue.”
Diving Deeper:
President Trump took direct aim at Canada on Tuesday, unveiling an aggressive tariff hike on steel and aluminum imports from America’s northern neighbor. The move raises the current duty by an additional 25%, bringing the total to 50%, and follows Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s controversial decision to slap a 25% surcharge on electricity exports to U.S. border states.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, blasted Ontario’s move as an “abusive threat” to American energy consumers and promised swift action. “I will shortly be declaring a National Emergency on Electricity within the threatened area,” Trump wrote, saying this would enable the U.S. to “quickly do what has to be done” to counteract Canada’s pricing.
But the trade battle didn’t stop there. Trump also called on Canada to eliminate tariffs of up to 390% on American dairy exports, a policy the president previously fought against during his first term. If Canada fails to act, Trump warned he would ramp up the pressure by imposing new tariffs on Canadian car exports, a move he said would effectively cripple the country’s auto industry.
“If other egregious, long-time Tariffs are not likewise dropped by Canada, I will substantially increase, on April 2nd, the Tariffs on Cars coming into the U.S., which will, essentially, permanently shut down the automobile manufacturing business in Canada,” Trump warned.
In addition to the latest tariffs, Trump took a broader swipe at Canada’s role in global security, reiterating a long-held grievance that the U.S. shoulders an unfair burden for its northern ally’s defense. “Canada pays very little for National Security, relying on the United States for military protection,” Trump wrote. “We are subsidizing Canada to the tune of more than 200 Billion Dollars a year. WHY??? This cannot continue.”
Trump then again floated annexing Canada into the United States to eliminate trade barriers and lower Canadian taxes. “The only thing that makes sense is for Canada to become our cherished Fifty-First State,” he wrote, claiming this would bring economic relief and greater security. “And your brilliant anthem, ‘O Canada,’ will continue to play, but now representing a GREAT and POWERFUL STATE within the greatest Nation that the World has ever seen!”
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