They won't be able to duplicate the lake but the brain trust behind Winnipeg's Academy Road is doing all it can to capture the feel of one of Toronto's most famous neighbourhoods.
Merchants and restaurateurs along the popular street are taking their cues from the Beaches, the kitschy lakefront area in southeast Toronto that's renowned for its heavy walking traffic from morning until night.
The goal on Academy is to avoid the heavy nightlife scene of nearby Corydon Avenue and instead increase the mix of unique boutiques, coffee shops, patios and restaurants.
To make it more walk-friendly, the Academy Road Business Improvement Zone has completed the first of what it hopes will be many "pocket parks" along the street. Consisting of some park benches in some areas of green space and a historical plaque denoting local landmarks, it's hoped pedestrians will be encouraged to take a load off to people watch or rest their weary legs.
"Walking leads to patronizing more businesses," said Jenny Tasker, chair of the business improvement zone.
Some merchants are even hoping to take a page out of Academy Road's history and relaunch a cable car - modernized, of course, and minus the wiring and rails - or rickshaws to connect the east and west ends of the street during certain times of the year.
from Western Investor, March 2011
