Second Avenue in Saskatoon is now the place to go for a vibrant night life in Saskatoon. That is a big change from a few years ago when the downtown would be virtually empty after 5 p.m.
“If you came down here at eight, nine o’clock at night pre-movie theatre and River Landing there was never anyone around. Now if you come down there’s people all down the streets,” said Daniel Ford Beavis, co-owner of O’Shea’s Irish Pub.
O’Shea’s has been a mainstay in Saskatoon for 12 years, and with new retail stores, restaurants, and pubs, the owners of the Irish pub are welcoming the competition.
“I think it’s great,” said Beavis. “The more we have downtown, the more we can compete with Eighth Street, Broadway, and other areas of the city.”
An example of the change happening on Second Avenue is the recent opening of Italian fine-dining restaurant, Bottega. A mere six weeks after its predecessor, The Olympia, closed, Bottega opened its doors. According to owner Amedeo Vallati it took a lot of time and effort to get everything ready in time.
“It was very intense,” explained Vallati. “We worked long days, weekends, so we could meet our opening goal.”
The Olympia quietly closed its doors in the summer, shortly after McDonalds was torn down next door. The area around those two businesses had been a trouble spot for the neighbourhood. According to Saskatoon police, the number of calls in the area has dropped since the two businesses closed their doors.
“We don’t get the calls for service that we once had there,” said Insp. Mitch Yuzedski. “We were getting 25 to 35 calls in a four week period to the area of 22nd [Street] and Second [Avenue], and we’re not seeing those numbers now.”
Several of the bars along Second Avenue opened after the Galaxy Theatre and Persephone Theatre moved in, but according to the downtown business improvement district it was businesses moving out that helped initiate the change.
“I think they have been a few years in the making from the transition from Hudson Bay department store moving out and being converted to condominiums and the King George Hotel being converted to condominiums and office space on the upper levels and retail down below,” explained Brent Penner, executive director of The Partnership.
With more people downtown now, parking has become an issue. Penner said the city should present its city centre plan later this year. The plan will address parking and transit, as well as how to plan ahead for this clearly growing neighbourhood.
