Pandemic period 'a wake up call' for supporting local

Celene Dupuis says the COVID-19 pandemic has been a wake up call for Saskatchewan people when it comes to supporting local businesses they want to see survive after we pull through this. 

"We all needed to see how important it is to keep your money where your home is," said Dupuis, who owns a hair salon in Saskatoon. "If we can't sustain a local business and local community, then the whole infrastructure really falls apart." 

Dupuis had to shut her business down indefinitely when the coronavirus restrictions were first put in place. She saw so many others in the same boat as the fear set in: "How were we going to keep our businesses afloat?" 

With that in mind, she created a Facebook group that encouraged consumerism for eating, drinking and shopping in Saskatoon. She said support grew as people saw their favourite places struggle and felt compelled to help how they could by purchasing gift cards, writing glowing reviews or placing takeout orders. 

Dupuis said the shop local movement is growing. She's personally making a big effort of supporting other businesses as her doors remain closed, and she hopes that people will pay that forward once she can get back to it. 

"At the end of the day we're only as strong as our community." 

Narrow margins in food industry 

CJ Katz said what has transpired — and the continued precarious state of local businesses — has reminded people just how narrow the margins can be in the food industry. 

The Regina food expert and author started a Saskatchewan-wide support-local Facebook page mid-March for the restaurant industry. She said the talk of closures and sharp drops in revenue as business models were drastically altered was overwhelming. 

"It really broke my heart to hear how these places were suffering," she said.

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Now she and a dozen volunteers manage the ever-expanding business directory and offer practical information to workers. The virtual bulletin board has become a gathering place for people to promote each other or entice potential customers with their offerings. 

Of course, some shops are still suffering. The pandemic and economic downturn has lead to some shops closing permanently.

But Katz said it's still encouraging to watch the businesses that have become more innovative as they take risks and try to make it work. Whether it's a delivery of cocktails or Sunday brunch, or a small town shop trying takeout for the first time. Even farmers markets are trying to make it work. 

What next? 

"We've had a lot of new customers actually, and customers are ordering larger amounts," said Cheryl Kirkness, who co-owns the Go Big Treats bakery in Regina. 

She and her partner opened a storefront on 13th Avenue not too long ago because of the neighbourhood and the commercial strip's foot traffic. With the pandemic, they've lost that business and others, like hosting events. However, they're still trying to make a go of it. More than that, they're gaining new regulars.

The online networks that are allowing people to co-ordinate to support local are helping, she said, but it's impossible to say if that support will keep growing. 

"There's certainly like a level of uncertainty here. We don't know how long this is going to go on," she said. "People are really supportive right now with deliveries, but it's going to hit us hard."

The provincial government is now following in the footsteps of people like Katz and Dupuis. On May 1, it announced $1 million for a provincial marketing campaign to encourage people to support local businesses and their employees. In a press release, it said the campaign "helps bridge the gap between consumers and businesses in the province, keeping the economy moving now and ensuring the Saskatchewan business community is ready to move forward with recovery efforts." 

Dupuis is hopeful that the drive toward local shopping carries on after things become somewhat "normal" — as businesses try to recover. She said the right mindset has been established. 

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"Everybody just needed a chance to press pause on their lives and, like, go home, reflect a little bit on what's important." 

Katz also mused about what will happen after the crisis blows over and shops start to reopen. There's been a great surge in local support. On the other, the still emptied sugar and flour shelves speak volumes of what's happening at home. 

"There's been a resurgence of eating around the dinner table, gathering the family together, cooking from scratch, old-style baking," she said.

Katz is looking forward to a future that has a "better balance" in Saskatchewan: quality time at home coupled with a more consistent and widespread support of the restaurant industry.