Does London need a nightlife mayor?

Despite the seemingly long lines outside bars on London's Richmond Row every Friday night, Joe Kools co-owner Sam Smith says the city's nightlife scene has changed over the years.

People go out earlier than they used to, and are more selective about how they are spending both their time and money, Smith said.

"Canada faces a lot of things that make it attractive for entertainment, and a lot of things that are challenges, both in terms of economics and what the customers really want," said Smith, whose family's business also represents Toboggan Brewing Company and Fellini Koolini's.

It's not just in London, according to data from payment processing platform Square, which shows that nighttime spending is down in major cities across the Canada for the second year in a row.

With changes to nightlife across the board, some London leaders say it's time for somebody to step up to boost the nighttime economy.

“Cities are judged by their downtowns whether you like it or not,” said London Chamber of Commerce CEO Graham Henderson. “We know that we’ve got a problem in our downtown … so how do we harness culture to make it better?”

London has made some progress developing a nighttime culture in recent years, such as through the creation of the London Music Office and city-run events along Dundas Place, but there is still work to do before the city can earn a reputation for its nightlife, Henderson said.

To improve this, he wants London to hire a "night mayor."

“I would call them a broker and translator. They act as a go-between between venues, residents, police, transit agencies, city hall and the business improvement associations,” Henderson said. 

There are a handful of cities that have their own version of a “night mayor,” including New York’s office of nightlife, Toronto’s night economy champion and London, U.K.'s night czar.

The City of Ottawa hired its first-ever nightlife commissioner Mathieu Grondin in June 2024.

“Bigger cities will sometimes look into this because they want to manage their nightlife, especially some of the negatives of nightlife, so for instance noise complaints or incivilities,” Grondin said. “Sometimes it’s more because the cities feel that they need to develop it more because it brings the quality of life to their residents.”

According to Grondin, his nightlife commissioner role is much more bureaucratic than the name suggests.

In 2023, Ottawa city council approved its “nightlife economy action plan,” which included 10 recommendations to develop and grow nightlife for locals and tourists between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m.