A program designed to polish the image of downtown will kick off Monday morning with the launch of the Healthy Community Ambassador Program.
"It will focus on engaging vulnerable people, ensuring they are connected with available services and supporting downtown business owners and patrons by responding to situations that do not require the assistance of the police," according to a news release.
It comes on the heels of concerns voiced about mental health and addiction problems in the downtown and the feeling that it's no longer a safe place to visit.
"This is certainly not going to be an answer to what ails the downtown, this is just the beginning of initiatives," Councillor Dave Mendicino told BayToday.
The Downtown Improvement Area is looking into hiring a security company to patrol the downtown, and city police say they intend to be more visible.
See: Details still to be worked out before the DIA hires downtown security
"The end goal ultimately is to make the downtown a healthy and vibrant place to be," added Mendicino. "This is not going to solve everything, but it's a step in the right direction."
Mendicino says the merchants are highly anticipating the launch of the program.
"The merchants in the downtown have been looking for these kinds of initiatives The response has been positive. They've seen what it's done in Guelph and how the business owners in Guelph are extremely receptive."
The Healthy Community Ambassador Program is the result of a partnership between a group of social service agencies and downtown businesses.
