St. Catharines Downtown Association

Like any good Christmas elf, Pat Foster likes to spread holiday spirit.

Seems the ticket to bringing people joy in downtown St. Catharines is saving them some change.

Wearing a festive candy cane-striped cap with pointy ears, Foster spent Friday morning telling drivers that parking is free in the city's core during December.

"I've saved five or six people from feeding the meter, which made them very excited," said Foster, one of 10 "elves" hired this season by the St. Catharines Downtown Association.

"There you go, it's a pre-Christmas present, you don't have to pay the meter."

The inaugural band of merry elves is an attempt by downtown merchants to highlight all the core has to offer.

Besides parking tips, the elves will be handing out store coupons, downtown dining and city guides, and candy canes, of course.

"It's a goodwill ambassador concept to let people know what else is in downtown," said Elizabeth Fritshaw, events and communications director for the downtown association.

It's also a way of kickstarting the holiday shopping season, which is chugging along despite a flagging economy.

Like all retailers, the 200 downtown merchants and restaurateurs need to find new ways of attracting customers.

"I think every little big helps," Fritshaw said.

The whole economy has not recovered. Of course, the downtown merchants are in the same boat as everybody else."

Downtown elf Claire Rouleau, an Ottawa native and Brock University student, said she was happy to spread the good word about downtown.

Rouleau, a child and youth studies student, said she was targeting people who might not frequent downtown to encourage them to come back.

She hadn't encountered too many Scrooges on Friday.

"People have been pretty nice," Rouleau said.

"Some are hesitant. You'll offer them something and they're kind of like, 'How much do I have to pay you?' or What do you want from me?' We're just trying to help out."

Complimentary horse-drawn carriage rides will be offered at Market Square today and Dec. 12 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Santa Claus will also make an appearance on both days.

Free parking at city meters and lots begins at 12 p.m. daily and is limited to three hours.

Story published by M. Beech in The St. Catharines Standard at: