Gastown opens with care this Monday, June 1

Gastown businesses Open With Care

Vancouverites welcomed to safely rediscover and support the local food, shopping, and entertainment options available within the eclectic neighbourhood.

Businesses in Gastown have today announced they will ‘Open With Care’ on June 1, safely welcoming Vancouverites to the community following some closures and restrictions as a result of COVID-19. This Monday marks the date for the official reopening of Vancouver’s favourite historic neighborhood, with over 70 stores including clothing, interiors, gifts and more, as well as cafes, bars, restaurants, galleries, barbers, salons, and other services open for business. To ease back into a new sense of normalcy, many will begin with reduced hours with up to date details found through gastown.org/openforbusiness/.

As the province of BC announced its restart plan, the Gastown BIA and its members began developing a viable reopening strategy, one that could sustain the pivoting of operations while prioritizing health and safety in line with WorksafeBC guidelines. Enhanced power washing, street cleaning, and beautification measures have been put into place to ensure the streets of Gastown are clean prior to the reopening.

The Gastown BIA is providing businesses with ‘Open With Care’ kits including hand sanitizers, masks, safe-distancing floor stickers, and Worksafe BC guidelines and resources. All contents of the kits were sourced locally, fostering community support and ‘shop local’ mentality, and are being delivered by the BIA through June 1 as they welcome back businesses to the community.

The reopening will be accompanied by live-mural paintings on Buro Cafe (356 Water St.) and Kimprints (41 Powell St.), and Vancouver locals are invited to visit the area and see the painting of these murals in real time.

ABOUT GASTOWN BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY

The Gastown Business Improvement Society (GBIS) is a non-profit association created in 1989 as an organizing mechanism used by business owners and commercial property owners to work together to promote and enhance Gastown’s unique assets, improve conditions for businesses operating in the area and improve the quality of life for those who work in and visit the area (BIA – Business Improvement Area). The GBIS is governed by a volunteer board of directors composed of both property and business owners from within the area who represent a broad range of members and community stakeholders.

FACTSHEET

Businesses ‘Open With Care’ as of June 1. Some businesses have opened with reduced hours which can be found on Gastown.org). This list continues to be regularly updated.

Restaurants