Guelph’s downtown dining district to stick around for the summer

The City of Guelph says its downtown dining district will be a permanent fixture for the summer, closing parts of Wyndham and Macdonell streets, until Labour Day.

The road closures allow 17 restaurants to expand patios onto the street while indoor dining is closed due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Starting Friday at 8 a.m. and lasting until Sept. 7, Wyndham Street will be closed from Carden Street to just north of Macdonell Street, while Macdonell Street will be closed between the Macdonell parking lot and just east of Wyndham Street.

A map can be found on the city’s website.

The city said the dining district is in an effort to maximize the economic recovery efforts from the pandemic.

The dining district was tested out last weekend and city officials said it was met with mostly positive reviews, but they have changed to a slightly smaller area due to the feedback it received.

“We learned a lot from the initial closures,” said Cristine Chapman, Guelph’s acting manager of economic development.

She said the city and the Downtown Guelph Business Association will work on refinements throughout the summer.

Outdoor patios will still need to comply with public health requirements and provincial orders, including maintaining physical distancing and wearing a mask when going inside a business to use the washroom or pay.

2:20 Peterborough re-configuring the downtown to expand local patios and businesses

The city parking is available in nearby lots or on adjacent streets.

Guelph Transit will be forced to detour several routes around the closure until Labour Day. Pedestrians can still walk through the closed-off area and cyclists are asked to walk their bikes through.

“Whether you visit by bus, car, bike or on foot, you can easily access your favourite restaurant or shop,” said Marty Williams, executive director of the Downtown Guelph Business Association.