Clearwater needs a main street, according to Randy Hedlund.
In a presentation to Clearwater Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 7 . the local realtor presented the case for highlighting the business route that runs from Brookfield Mall across Highway 5 by Wells Gray Inn and continues through the Flats to the ski hill.
There are currently more than 50 businesses along the business route, he said.
Those businesses built Clearwater and support many local initiatives, but they don’t benefit from what he called Clearwater’s new "money trail" - which he defined as the Highway 5 corridor going up the road to Wells Gray Park.
The roundabout gave the "money trail" a focus, he said, and that was followed up by the Buy-Low shopping centre.
"We have hundreds of thounsands of big money people pass by our door every year without ever stopping to see the real Clearwater," he said. "Why? Because we don’t tell them we have something to see other than Wells Gray Park."
Things for people to see along the business route include Clearwater Ski Hill, the CN station, Chad’s Park, fire hall, Dutch Lake Park, and Clearwater Trout Hatchery.
Events held along the route include the May Day parade, Canoe Regatta, Canada Day and farmers markets.
Working name for the proposed main street is Clearwater Parkway but that could be changed.
Hedlund is setting up a committee to investigate the idea and invites those interested to get in touch with him.
In the late 1980s, Jim London, then the principal of Clearwater Secondary School, suggested a similar main street proposal for Clearwater.