Peace River, Alta., uses secret shopper to get ideas to boost local tourism

A secret shopper, hired by the Town of Peace River, highlighted better wayfinding and making the downtown more of a hangout as some ways to boost tourism in the community.

Disguised as an everyday tourist, tourism consultant Roger Brooks spent a week exploring everything the northwestern Alberta town has to offer, and pinpointing ways it could become more inviting for visitors.

Brooks shared his impressions and suggestions during a community presentation earlier this week, with the mayor, town staff and roughly two dozen business owners in attendance.

"After working in 60 different cities and towns across Alberta, I thought that Peace River was going to be another Prairie town," said Brooks, who works with the Destination Development Association, an organization based in Washington state.

"You have everything here."

He said the town, located about 390 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, has all the necessities, like retail spaces and quality schools and medical services. He was particularly struck by the amount of recreation.

"A five-minute drive in any direction, you will find something else that you can do. That was impressive," Brooks said.

But the activities and attractions could be better advertised, and signage needs to be improved, he said.

"Help us find out what you have," Brooks said.

He noted that Peace River is chopped up into different portions — the north, south, west and lower west sides — plus the downtown.

"Without directional signage, it's really hard to figure out where things are," he said.

According to the town, some changes are already in the works, including improving wayfinding and signage. It is considering other suggestions, like ways to advertise attractions.

One of the takeaways for Mayor Elaine Manzer was that the town has to expand where it's trying to attract people. She noted that Brooks suggested a 45-kilometre range of daily trips.

"We've basically been concentrating on the town and what the town has," Manzer said. 

"Sure, we want visitors to town, [but] to get those visitors to come here, we perhaps need more than just 'town things.'"

'The community living room'

Second on Brooks' list was giving the downtown area a little boost that would entice people to spend more time there.

Brooks suggested using empty lots as community spaces where people can gather, improving window displays for individual businesses and adding more benches.

"We want people to hang out downtown. We want it to be the community living room," he said.

The municipality has done what it can to beautify the area, he said, listing pole banners and hanging baskets of flowers as examples. But local businesses "haven't done very much to pull people in their doors. That's probably the weak link."

Local business owners say they are still recovering from the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, and experiencing more break-ins, thefts and vandalism.

Combined, those factors have made for tough sledding, they say, but they're eager to take Brooks' advice.

"He's spot on with a lot of things. I know a lot of people in Peace River who own other businesses; I think they would agree with me that what he said is true," said Pheonix Nilsson, who owns and operates the local Reddi Mart and Great Canadian Dollar Store.

Nilsson agreed particularly with the community spaces, recalling a trip he took to Seattle two years ago.

"They had that, and I thought that was freaking fantastic," he said. "I spent more time there than I did out shopping because it was a lot of fun. You got to meet people."

Nilsson said he's considering expanding the seating area outside of his store, adding some more flower pots, and investing in some life-size board games for the community to use. 

"Maybe let go of the old ways and start implementing new things," he said.