Chamber launching Rediscover Local campaign

By Sean Feagan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The Strathmore Wheatland Chamber of Commerce (SWCC) is launching a new campaign to encourage people to support local businesses this holiday season.

The campaign, called Rediscover Local: Home for Christmas, will encourage people to visit both retailers, restaurants and other local businesses, instead of their big box counterparts.

“We all know that everybody’s been hit super hard, so we wanted to figure out a way to give back,” said Hayley Poirier, SWCC chair.

As part of the campaign, visitors to SWCC member businesses will receive a free shopping bag and a card. On the card is a place to mark each time that person visits a participating business, much like a rewards program at some ice cream or coffee shops. If they support any participating businesses 10 times and have the marked card to prove it, they will be eligible to enter a draw for gift cards that will be given out throughout December.

“It’s that whole idea of encouraging recurrent shopping experiences for people,” said Poirier.

A list of all participating businesses will be provided, but Poirier recommends people follow SWCC’s social media to learn more about the campaign. Currently, there are about 50 businesses in the Strathmore area on the list, but the chamber is working to expand that number and include more businesses into Wheatland County.

“A big focus of ours is ensuring Wheatland County is included as much as possible,” said Shawn Kisling, SWCC executive director, who added the chamber is planning a Zoom call with CAOs and mayors of some of the county’s villages to expand the reach of the campaign. “It’s a filter effect, where once we get these players bought into it, then the businesses all fall in line,” he said.

The Rediscover Local: Home for Christmas campaign will continue into the spring and summer to help keep businesses supported into the new year, said Poirier. But with new COVID-19 public health measures recently enacted that could disproportionately affect small businesses, the campaign comes at a time when help is needed most.

“These measures that have been put in place, including reducing capacity to 25 per cent, are going to make these store owners even more vulnerable,” said Poirier. “But if you can convince moms to take their kids shopping at our small businesses instead of the mall, Hallelujah! – let’s do that instead.”