Downtown Timmins to roll out new gift card and phone app program

Cory Robin, executive director of Downtown Timmins, says a new digital gift card program will make it easier for people to spend more money in the heart of the city.

He said any merchant who can accept a Visa card will automatically qualify for the new program.

“We're retiring the gift certificates and transitioning to a card that is both a physical card that you can give to your friends and family that will be used at downtown merchants and restaurants and nail salons and anything we want to do,” Robin said.

“And then also a digital version where you can download an app, put it on your phone, and you can tap and go with your downtown cards completely digital or completely physical. It's up to you. And we're working on launching that now. We're getting all the details now and we're going to roll it out to all of our members as soon as we can.”

That’s one of several initiatives taking place in Downtown Timmins in the coming months.

Plans are underway to get the Urban Park Market going again this summer. Market goers will find it back on Third Avenue this year and Robin is hoping to hire some summer students to help with it.

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“And if I don't get summer students and we'll lead on the community for some volunteers, it's only a couple of days a week,” he said.

Robin said he’s been working in the Downtown for 10 years and has seen it undergo many changes.

He’s happy to see many of the streets already swept this spring and people milling about.