If there is much new in the latest report for the downtown area, it’s that this report is the result of the collaboration of many groups and agencies in the city.

It involved the city, Northern Health, Chamber of Commerce, Initiatives Prince George, Downtown Prince George, the Native Friendship Centre, social service providers, the RCMP, ministry of social housing and development representatives, and more.

It is a broad-based report. Of that there is no doubt. Does the report have any new magic bullet for the downtown area? Not really. It’s nothing we haven’t heard before. We’ve all known for a long time what needs to be done to improve the downtown area. It’s just a matter of getting it done. And that’s not an easy task.

First and foremost is to deal with the social issues that plague our city. Homelessness, crime, addictions, and all that go with that are also the most difficult issues to deal with.

The Mayor’s Task Force for a Better Downtown did not gloss those issues over. And, it contains recommendations to start dealing with those difficult issues.

Any plan to improve the downtown must encompass and deal with the wide range of issues that are prevalent downtown – from crime to air quality to green spaces.

The report released this week does encompass those issues. It is a good report.

The true test of any report, however, is whether it gets implemented. We’ve seen too many reports for the downtown area sit on the shelf.

It’s heartening to see that 19 recommendations are going to be implemented immediately, with 24 being rolled out over the next three years.

Improving the downtown will not happen overnight. But it will happen as long as successive councils have the will to make it happen. We have enough reports. Now is the time to start implementing the recommendations.