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Help our small businesses

Editor: Winter is coming, and unfortunately the realities of the second wave are beginning to be better understood. As a community, we all have a responsibility to help our small business neighbours weather this storm.

Editor:

Winter is coming, and unfortunately the realities of the second wave are beginning to be better understood. As a community, we all have a responsibility to help our small business neighbours weather this storm. 

The easiest way to support small business this season is with your wallet. It’s easy to get wrapped up in the allure of free shipping, and sometimes the prices are a bit more expensive, but you’re helping businesses and neighbours that legitimately need it. Along with supporting retail stores, also consider gift cards for businesses that may be closed for the season or temporarily shuttered due to COVID like salons and spas. 

If money is tight, there is still lots you can do to help. First and foremost, say thank you to the frontline workers, including those working in retail. Our neighbours that serve in these jobs have helped our local economy stay running while bravely facing real health risks. They deserve that extra thank you. 

But most importantly, we can support small businesses by wearing masks. We now know that COVID is transmitted through the air and masks are an easy and effective way to keep our community safe. Other areas of B.C. have seen individual “protests” around mask use, often aimed at frontline retail workers. We’re better than that. We owe our customer service neighbours a debt of gratitude for their work this year, and the least we can do is say thank you and do our part to try and keep them safe. 

Andrew Rusk, Garden Bay