• Downtown Halifax

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  • Downtown St. John's

    Newfoundland

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  • Downtown Shediac

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  • Downtown Charlottetown

    Prince Edward Island

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  • Downtown Dartmouth

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  • Downtown Woodstock

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  • Downtown Bathurst

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  • Downtown Moncton

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  • Quinpool Road

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  • Downtown Truro

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  • Downtown Fredericton

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Representing over ≈15,000 businesses in Atlantic Canada
We are a network that represents and advocates on behalf of BIAs across Atlantic Canada

Thank you to all who attended this year's Downtowns Atlantic Canada Conference.


DAC Awards Program

Great thanks to our members who submitted applications to Downtowns Atlantic Canada's inaugural Awards Program and congratulations to those who won! We received twenty very strong and diverse applications in the four awards categories. Together, the Awards Committee and Awards Judges were so impressed with the number and quality of applications that they increased the four awards categories into six. Submissions in the Marketing & Promotions category were divided into those below and above $25,000 in value and submissions in the Public Realm category were divided into those below and above $100,000. 


A very special thanks to the Awards Committee members - Michelle Champniss, Chair, Scott Cluney, and Saribel Deslauriers and to our illustrious and very meticulous judges - Bruce McCormack, Ron Casey, Michelle Wilson, Anne Poirier Basque, and Manas Mukhopdhyay. 


2025 Applicants and Winners

The Future of Atlantic Canada’s Downtowns & Main Streets


This report contains the results of research carried out earlier this year with 4300 businesses in fifteen Business Improvement Districts [BIDs] or Business Improvement Areas [BIAs] in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. Over 1700 businesses of these businesses completed an opinion survey about business challenges and opportunities. We invite you to read the report. 

What is Downtowns Atlantic Canada?

The downtown business improvement areas (BIAs) of Atlantic Canada, with representatives from New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Prince Edward Island, merged together and joined a Memorandum of Understanding to create Downtowns Atlantic Canada (DAC). Together, they represent over 15,000 businesses and are a network of advocates from BIAs across Atlantic Canada. DAC works to improve the positioning of the BIAs as unique, diverse, vibrant, and economically healthy urban cores. 

DAC’s mission is to be recognized as the collective voice of the downtown business improvement areas of Atlantic Canada. DAC’s goal is to increase partnerships with provincial and municipal governments, as well as with the federal government to achieve their goals of growth and investment in our urban cores. In addition, DAC members strive to bring the challenges of urban economic development to the attention of decision- makers and to facilitate actions that will result in prosperous and vibrant business improvement areas. 
Join Now

50

DOWNTOWN BUSINESS  ASSOCIATIONS 

≈5,178

SHOPS, BOUTIQUES
AND RESTAURANTS

1,000

VILLAGES,TOWNS AND CITIES

1,477,200

PERMANENT AND
SEASONAL RESIDENTS   
The Value of Investing in Canadian Downtowns
Downtown’s and business districts across Canada punch well above their weight with their economic, social, and cultural contributions to Canada’s economic prosperity.

This study is the first of its kind. Developed with the input of hundreds of city-builders from across the nation, it reports on the performance of 10 Canadian downtowns over the past decade and provides an extensive portrait of the contributions being made by downtown areas across Canada. (Downtowns Canada)
The Value of Investing in Canadian Downtowns
Ed. 2: October 2013
This study provides an extensive portrait of the contributions being made by downtown areas across Canada, highlighting innovative approaches to revitalization and efforts being applied across the nation. It builds on last year’s initial phase of the study examining 10 of those downtowns.
Read more
The Value of Investing in Canadian Downtowns
Ed. 1: May 2012
This study is the first of its kind. Developed with the input of hundreds of city-builders from across the nation, it reports on the performance of 10 Canadian downtowns over the past decade (Halifax, Fredericton, Ottawa, Toronto, London, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Vancouver and Victoria).

Read more
Interested in starting a BIA?

Is a BIA in your community’s future? Downtowns Atlantic can help. We can provide information on the steps that need to be taken, attend meetings with your Municipality and/or speak to your community. 

 Contact Downtowns Atlantic



Learn More About 
Downtowns Atlantic

Downtowns Atlantic represents and supports local BIAs to increase their effectiveness and their contribution to the economic, cultural and social well-being of communities across Atlantic Canada.


SHARING BEST PRACTICES

Downtowns Atlantic understands that strength in numbers and a strong networking community can help communities find resolutions for common concerns. Working together individual Atlantic communities can be stronger. Our members share Best Practices through a Member Needs Assistance E-Blast. Members request a question to be sent out and the responses are posted in a Blog that members can access and/or print off reports. Samples templates and documents can also be uploaded through this system.