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Kelcey Harasen would like to see more people shopping in Yorkton鈥檚 downtown.

The proprietor of Prairie Beauty and FUEL held an informal meeting at her coffee house last Wednesday with a small group of downtown business people to discuss how people might be attracted to shop downtown more.

鈥淚t鈥檚 been in my mind a long time,鈥� Harasen told the small gathering.

Harasen said individually a business might have a good following, but then asked 鈥渉ow do you share that.鈥�

The obvious answer is the need for more shopper traffic, but how to generate that traffic was not a question so easily answered.

鈥淭here鈥檚 not a lot of promotion done by our city to promote our downtown,鈥� said Erick Van Caeseele.

Phoebe Buckle noted there is the Yorkton Business Improvement District (YBID) that promotes business, adding 鈥渋t鈥檚 not just about downtown Yorkton.鈥�

Lori Glauser reasoned YBID 鈥渃ould be a starting point鈥�, adding the defunct Revitalize Yorkton 鈥渨as good when it was good鈥� too.

鈥淚 think there could be a tie in with YBID,鈥� said Jesse Ellert.

Harasen said there is a need to build a sense of a downtown connection, but asked, 鈥淗ow do we create a downtown culture people want to be a part of?鈥�

It is a challenge, said Buckle in part because 鈥渆verybody is fighting for their own.鈥�

Glauser said it would help just getting everyone on the same page in terms of approach.

鈥淚 think we have to be consistent in your message,鈥� she said.

Glauser said a step in that direction could be to get the Yorkton Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Yorkton involved in any effort generated by downtown businesses.

鈥淲hat services do we have that can help us out?鈥� asked Glauser.

Ellert said the first step is to have a game plan, which should be simple to start. Identify one problem, and then work to create one solution to that problem.

But, even then downtown businesses have to be supportive.

鈥淭here has to be a buy-in,鈥� said Glauser.

Ellert said that only happens by personal connection suggesting spending five-minutes to tell three people about what they are trying to accomplish.

鈥淏ut we don鈥檛 want to be complaining,鈥� added Ellert, suggesting complaining is not the answer. They need to have a plan and work it to improve the situation.

The group did not create a plan, but they did agree to meet again to see what might be created to help spur more traffic in downtown stores.