The timeline at right, covering the first 450 years of St. John’s history, highlights the major events associated during this time frame. The first business transactions took place in St. John’s over 500 years ago. What were once beaches and land washes eventually became stages and wharves, St. John’s earliest business premises. As trade grew so did the need for houses and buildings. Water Street, first known as the Lower Path, was lined with shops and services busy with activity from the harbour. Duckworth Street, known as the Upper Path, housed the majority of the areas professionals such as Doctors and Lawyers.

After Confederation Downtown remained prosperous however the 1960 and early 70’s saw Downtown fall victim to the trend of the Urban Sprawl and the introduction of the shopping mall. Many businesses closed and moved to these urban centers. Some even kept their original downtown location in conjunction with the mall stores. In the end, the large commercial department stores such as Ayres and Bowrings closed in the downtown leaving behind the small independent businesses.

The eighties saw the start of the efforts to breathe some new life back into the downtown core. The financial institutions and legal offices remained in the downtown as well as a handful of determined small businesses. Across Canada a program called Main Street Canada was being implemented. In the late 1980’s this program came to St. John’s and focused its attention on George Street and a small section of Water Street. At the end of the program a recommendation was made that a similar, local group be formed to continue the efforts of the Main Street Program in the downtown core. With that, the Downtown Development Commission (DDC) was created and continues today.

Times change but some things still remain the same. People no longer refer to Water Street as the Lower Path or Duckworth Street as the Upper Path but a busy commercial trade still thrives in Downtown St. John’s. Over 550 businesses, offices and services are located between Temperance Street and Springdale Street.