Road closures for Triathlete World Championships impacting businesses in Penticton

Some local business owners are decrying a drop in storefront foot traffic and a lack of communication with event organizers as the 10-day World Multisport Championships continues in Penticton.

The event features world championships across six multisport disciplines, marking the first time all six world racing titles have been held in one location.

The mega-event has more competitors than the Olympics, with 3,600 athletes from 40 countries.

While the influx of visitors is benefiting some local businesses, others are suffering due to the temporary road closures during race events.

The downtown core was essentially shut down Monday morning to accommodate the standard duathlon race.

Front Street, which is usually bustling with foot traffic, was isolated behind blockades.

“We became an island so it was trying to accommodate our guests in trying to arrive at the spa,” said Melt Spa owner Connie Fricke.

While supportive of the event, Fricke said she was disappointed by a lack of communication between event organizers and local merchants.

“There was nothing from them saying, ‘Hey, let’s work together, let’s maybe put some golf carts from a certain parking spot we will ferry people in.’ There was no communication from them,” she said.

Mike Hill, co-owner of Hoodoo Adventure Company, said Ellis Street was completely closed to traffic on Saturday.

“Our business itself, we had a very, very bad day that day,” he said. “But you’ve got to remember to take the good with the bad. The community in general and the valley is benefiting immensely.”

Among those businesses benefiting are Penticton’s restaurants.

Race organizers said they’re doing their best to limit disruptions and keep the public informed.

“We created a communications plan with the City of Penticton that we felt was fairly comprehensive,” spokesperson Darren Hailes said. “We’ve been speaking with businesses over the last few months, we’ve held business information sessions, we’ve done drive-bys and knocked on doors and dropped leaflets at a lot of local businesses to make sure people understand the impact that will happen.”

Penticton’s Chief Administrative Officer, Peter Weeber, said the city will improve consultation with local businesses ahead of future large-scale events.

“I think the city needs to do a better job, we’re going to look into it for next season and get more involved in what we can do to support our customers, our local businesses,” he said.

The event continues through Sunday which is expected to be the worst day for road closures.