Unfortunately, this pandemic continues to wreak havoc on our business community and the economy. New modelling and community transmission has placed us into another state of emergency to control this virus. With the goal of reopening businesses, we must as a community follow the strict public health guidelines and rules.
The past year has been incredibly hard on our business community; however, it is becoming clearer that in order to get our economy back, we need to get the number of infections under control. That means we need to be more diligent than ever in making sure that we are following public health guidelines to stop the spread.
The Oakville Chamber continues to encourage the Government to focus on improved tracking and tracing, rapid testing, speeding up the current vaccination roll-out, and getting support to those who need it most, so we can get the province re-opened and back on the path of economic prosperity.
We had businesses that barely made it through the first lockdown, and for some the reality of surviving a second economic shutdown can feel like an impossible task. We learned last spring that businesses with an online presence were better positioned to manage the pandemic restrictions and an emphasis continues to be placed on online platforms to be incorporated into businesses plans. Both the Federal and Provincial Governments have recognized the importance of assisting businesses to move online by their significant investments in programs like the Recovery Activation Program and Digital Mainstreet. Many Oakville businesses have completed these programs and are stronger for doing so.
Ultimately, the pandemic has also highlighted how resilient our local businesses are and it has to be said that our community has done an incredible job supporting local. As we enter a difficult period of new restrictions, we must continue to do everything we can to support local and give our businesses a fighting chance to survive:
- Buy online from local stores
- Use curb-side pick-up
- Order take-out or delivery
- Purchase gift cards for future use
- Look for virtual options for services (where possible)
- Reschedule rather than cancel previously planned trips/appointments
- Recommend local businesses and leave positive reviews online
- Share your favourite local businesses with your network
We are lucky to call Oakville home, and our community is a stronger community when we have a vibrant and thriving local economy.