Meet Board Candidate:
Ed Smith
Retired owner of Windmills restaurant
166 Princess St, 270 Bagot St
Builder/Investor | |
Lower (Montreal to Ontario) | |
51+ | |
Property Owner | |
Current Board Chair |
Candidate Profile
Hello, I am Ed Smith, current Chair of the Board of your Downtown Kingston Business Association. As one of four current board members who are seeking re-election, I bring institutional experience and memory that will be crucial in the next board term. In addition to my experience on the DK BIA board and many BIA committees, I also bring experience working with current municipal staff and council as a former two-term City Councillor. I have worked in the hospitality and retail sectors having owned and operated Windmills Restaurant for 25 years and been a partner and buyer at S&R Department Store for 13 years. One of my important roles has been acting as a mentor and support to our new Executive Director, Marijo Cuerrier who I think we can all agree has done an excellent job. Downtown Kingston is currently in a strong position, as tourism returns, commercial vacancies lower, new businesses invest, and locals come back for shopping, dining, and the return of signature events. Our board has worked hard on the housing intensification strategy, supporting developers, city staff and the council to approve more downtown housing projects. The Crown Condos will be welcoming residents soon and Homestead will begin its apartment tower projects in November so thousands of new customers will soon be within walking distance of your businesses. A Downtown Conference Centre is back in the picture as well. While we still face challenges such as competition from other shopping districts, online shopping, and bureaucratic roadblocks, we will continue pursuing strategies that keep Downtown Kingston front and center in our customers, the city, and investment communities' minds. How do you feel about the Tannery project? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ How do you feel about a Conference Centre/North Blocks development? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ How do you feel about investment in community spaces? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ How do you feel about walkability living? ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ |