'People ... have this perception of the market as being unsafe or rough. But if you spend time here, it is not.'
David Mangano and Pat Nicastro want to set the record straight about the ByWard Market: It is very much alive and thriving, despite the “negativity” surrounding it.
The market has been in the news recently as headlines paint a bleak picture of a place overrun by drug addicts, gangs and homeless people — where crime is forcing businesses to close, and fun-seekers to retreat.
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But Mangano, co-owner of THE GRAND Pizzeria & Bar, and Nicastro, who owns La Bottega, say nothing is further from the truth. Actually, they say, the Market remains a safe, vibrant entertainment and tourist hub — and very much the No. 1 place people visit.
“The thing is, we suffer from a real perception problem from all the negativity,” says Mangano. “People who live outside the ByWard Market or outside the city have this perception of the market as being unsafe or rough. But if you spend time here, as a lot of people do, it is not.”
He says that beyond its historical significance, the market’s great appeal, which no other area in the city can match, is its proximity to the most iconic institutions in Ottawa: Parliament, the National Gallery, the National Arts Centre, museums and other must-see places. “The market is the launching ground for people to go and explore all that,” he says. “We offer things you can’t see anywhere in the city. There is no place like the ByWard Market on a great summer day.”
Nicastro says he is baffled by the narrative that people are becoming reluctant to visit the market. He says the market is a huge draw, and people flock in to enjoy its iconic restaurants, boutiques and array of specialty shops. “December was a very strong month for us here. We had a great year (2023),” Nicastro says.
The market has more than 600 businesses, and he points out that while places such as Bank Street are emptying, vacancy rates are at all-time lows in the ByWard Market, and investment is growing. Already, three new hotels are going up.
So, what about the rising crime that has already cost the market one business, threatening others and leaving some patrons on edge? Both businessmen acknowledge that crime is a problem, but maintain that the situation is no different from other parts of the city. “The issues we see here are the same issues we see everywhere in the city, and ByWard Market doesn’t deserve to be beat up constantly,” Nicastro says.
Mangano says business leaders have been begging the city for solutions, and in the short term, the answer lies in more policing. “Safety and security are the No. 1 concern, and every business person will tell you the same thing: we need more cops,” he says. “When the police are here, they restore order and they act as a deterrent. When police patrol, the homeless people disperse and the drug addicts disperse. It brings calm.”
The planned police “kiosk” in the Rideau Centre is a good first step, but more needs to be done, he adds. Entrenched problems such as homelessness, drug abuse and mental health disorders are all issues downtowns in major cities everywhere are facing. “We need to get people off drugs and into rehab, into treatment, and we need housing,” Mangano says.
As a first step, the social services that people need must be dispersed across the city, and not be concentrated in the ByWard Market.
But so far, the city hasn’t stepped up, he says. “The people who work here, live here, own businesses here, feel abandoned by city hall. There’s a lot of talk, a lot of ideas, but no action,” he says. Mangano says Mayor Mark Sutcliffe promised to focus on ByWard Market, but so far little has happened.
“This is the place to be in Ottawa. This is where everybody comes when they visit, and we need the city to focus on the ByWard Market.”
Mohammed Adam is an Ottawa journalist and commentator. Reach him at nylamiles48@gmail.com
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