A new family-friendly StoryWalk launches today in downtown Grimsby, Ontario, turning a walk along Main Street West to Elm Street into a construction-themed children’s book adventure. From July 2 to August 28, 2026, pages from the popular story “Mighty, Mighty Construction Site” will be displayed in the windows of 16 local shops, giving families a reason to get outside and explore the downtown core while its biggest infrastructure project in decades gets underway.
The initiative is a collaboration between the Town of Grimsby, Downtown Grimsby, and the Grimsby & District Chamber of Commerce. It comes as construction on the $9.1-million Downtown Reimagined Project ramps up on Elm Street. The Town says the StoryWalk is meant to remind everyone that local businesses are still open and that construction is a sign of growth.
“Mighty, Mighty Construction Site” by Sherri Duskey Rinker follows a team of hardworking construction vehicles that learn how teamwork can tackle even the biggest jobs. Organizers say the message fits perfectly with the community effort needed during the downtown improvements. The book is part of the bestselling “Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site” series, which has sold more than five million copies.
The StoryWalk route takes visitors past participating businesses, with each stop featuring a new page of the story. The downtown revitalization work began with a groundbreaking on June 22, and active construction on Elm Street between Gibson and Mountain Streets starts the week of July 6, running until October 31, 2026. The project is backed by $1.9 million in joint federal-provincial funding for watermain replacement and streetscape upgrades.
The Grimsby & District Chamber of Commerce, a volunteer organization founded in 1953, says the StoryWalk is one way the community is working together to keep the downtown vibrant. The Town encourages residents and visitors to follow the story, support local shops, and see the construction as an investment in the future of downtown Grimsby.
