A summer attraction in the ByWard Market has exited stage left. The ByWard Square, featuring a performance stage, local vendors, food and drink, and creative seating is now being taken down after the pilot project ended. The summer attraction popped up mid-July and ran for 12 weeks, promising more foot traffic for area businesses and renewed vibrancy for the ByWard Market. “It really livened up the area. I saw that it was being packed up today, I was kind of bummed,” said Brendan Butler, manager of Sweet Puspin Dessert Bar on ByWard Market Square. “Summer is about outdoors and that sort of thing, and [the square] really plays into what we go for, which is coming out, being out, having some nice treats and for [customers] to be able to get our ice cream or baked goods and then to go over and see a show is really good for our customers.” The installation closed vehicle traffic to ByWard Market Square for the 12 weeks it was installed and took away parking spots on the street. The square also took 17 days to set up and shut down the area around Canada Day to do so. While the space may have been a good fit for businesses offering food and drink, businesses just across the street found the set up more disruptive. “The space was simply empty far too often. The promise of regular entertainment and programming did not consistently materialize,” wrote Maxine Hill, owner of Canada in a Basket, in a statement to CTV Ottawa. Hill says because of weather, artist cancellations, and other factors, ByWard Square did not deliver the foot traffic the pilot project promised. “The result for visitors and businesses was the same: the Square was seldom the consistently dynamic, animated and vibrant space it had the potential to be.” At this time, the ByWard Market District Authority (BMDA) says it is too early to give an assessment on the outcome of the ByWard Square. “Our goal with ByWard Square was to create a vibrant and welcoming public space for residents, visitors and the broader community, and to explore a different way of experiencing this part of the ByWard Market. We’re encouraged by what we observed throughout the season and will conduct a comprehensive assessment to better understand the pilot’s overall performance and inform future planning,” the BMDA wrote in a statement to CTV News. “When I saw it being packed up, I was kind of disappointed,” added Butler, as he watched the seating and staging being removed piece by piece. “I thought it would be really something that they could use for Winterlude, get ice sculptures, get a mini skating rink. At first, we were concerned about losing parking spaces, but in the end, it was a really good addition.”
