Downtown Brockville BIA seeks council support for photo trail, year-round food bank fundraiser
Brockville’s downtown could soon gain several new photo-worthy attractions while helping raise money for the local food bank.
At their meeting this week, Brockville City Council will consider a letter of intention outlining two new initiatives the Downtown Brockville Business Improvement Area (BIA) hopes will draw more visitors downtown while supporting the Brockville and Area Food Bank.
The letter, submitted by BIA Executive Director Jennifer Robinson, asks council to support the organization’s plans to move forward with the Downtown Brockville Photo Op Trail and ‘Full Hearts and Full Shelves: Giving Through the Season’ initiative. Grant applications would be submitted through the Brockville and Area Community Foundation (BACF) on September 1, 2026.
According to Robinson, the proposed Photo Op Trail would feature a series of permanent installations designed to encourage residents and tourists to explore the downtown core and document it along the way. The BIA’s vision for these installations include a metal heart near City Hall, a decorative picture frame on or around Blockhouse Island and a restored phone booth outside of Flair FX.
“The goal is to encourage residents and visitors to explore different areas of our downtown, take photos,
share their experiences, and discover our businesses and community along the way,” explained Robinson. “We see the Photo Op Trail as an opportunity to add colour, creativity and personality to our
downtown while creating another reason for people to visit and spend time in the area.”
The second initiative, Full Hearts and Full Shelves, would partner with the Brockville and Area Food Bank to create a year-round fundraising campaign.
The BIA notes that this fundraising campaign will begin during the upcoming holiday season, however, there is the intention of expanding the initiative to be year-round. If approved by council, four 10-foot silver trees featuring QR codes would be installed throughout the downtown core, allowing visitors to make direct donations to the food bank via their phones while enjoying to the city’s festive atmosphere.
In the spring and summer, these trees would be replaced with large flower displays, continuing the campaign’s message that food insecurity is a year-round issue, not just a seasonal one.
“Our goal is to create something that is not limited to Christmas, but instead reminds our community
that the need for support continues all year long,” said Robinson.
For their part, the Brockville and Area Food Bank has already expressed its support for the initiative.
In a letter accompanying the BIA’s, General Manager Amanda Petch said the campaign would provide an accessible way for residents and visitors to support the local food bank in a “visible, accessible way.”
“This year-round Downtown Brockville initiative is a meaningful way to bring together community spirit, downtown beautification, and charitable giving in support of local individuals and families experiencing food insecurity ” Petch shared.
According to Petch, the food bank also believes this initiative has the potential to become a valued annual Brockville tradition, “growing over time to through additional locations and opportunities for participation.”
The BIA said this letter is a formal way of sharing their intention with Council as they continue to develop the details of both projects. “We look forward to working collaboratively with the City and our community
partners as these initiatives move forward,” Robinson said.
Council will consider the BIA’s proposal at its regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2026.