Some downtown Kelowna businesses are still struggling, despite the city乌鸦传媒檚 efforts in closing Bernard Avenue to vehicles to promote physical distancing and encourage more people to come to the area and support local.

Blackfish Apparel owner Chris Murphy is making her concerns public. When the closure first began on June 29, she said she was optimistic.

乌鸦传媒淏ut now having seen what乌鸦传媒檚 happening, not anymore. Unfortunately, we don乌鸦传媒檛 have a lot of the restaurants and the pubs, which is drawing people to the areas,乌鸦传媒� she said.

乌鸦传媒淲e don乌鸦传媒檛 have a lot of employees to be putting our merchandise on the street. We can乌鸦传媒檛 be putting our clothing on the street because it乌鸦传媒檒l get stolen乌鸦传媒� so for us, it乌鸦传媒檚 backfired.乌鸦传媒�

Murphy said she used to have three employees but had to let them go. Currently, she said she乌鸦传媒檚 barely making enough to keep the store afloat and can乌鸦传媒檛 afford to take wages for herself.

She said she knows closing off Bernard Avenue has been beneficial for the restaurants and several other businesses, especially the ones close to the waterfront as there is more foot traffic there, but around the 400- and 500-block where she is, it hasn乌鸦传媒檛 helped her business.

乌鸦传媒淚 think our two blocks need to be opened up again, let乌鸦传媒檚 get the people parking here again. Let乌鸦传媒檚 get those people out of their cars and into the businesses here.乌鸦传媒�

Previously, Black Press Media has spoken to Funktional and Frock and Fellow owner Chantal Couture about how closing off the main drag is going to affect retailers like her.

乌鸦传媒淚 think it was primarily to increase capacity fo restaurants and then offered to us merchants to also increase our capacity but the truth is, it乌鸦传媒檚 not realistic,乌鸦传媒� she said.

Couture said it wasn乌鸦传媒檛 worth putting fragile merchandise out on the sidewalk as items could break or get stolen, as well as simply not having enough staff members to man the outdoor setup.

Downtown Kelowna Association executive director Mark Burley said he knows about the issue.

乌鸦传媒淲e have some businesses who are upset with the closure乌鸦传媒� and those include some in the 400 and 500 blocks. The city is in contact with us about (those blocks) and we乌鸦传媒檝e been back and forth and trying to come up with some solutions,乌鸦传媒� he said.

He said some of the ideas they乌鸦传媒檝e talked about include bringing picnic tables down to the two blocks to increase foot traffic in the area, as well as going ahead with Animate Bernard, an initiative that will bring entertainment in the area, starting this weekend.

READ: Bernard Avenue patio expansion 乌鸦传媒榰nrealistic乌鸦传媒� for non-restaurant owners: retailer

READ: Pedestrian numbers skyrocket on car free Bernard Avenue