Last-minute Christmas shoppers encouraged to support local Calgary businesses
With just a week to go until Christmas, local Calgary shop owners are making a final push for business in what’s typically their ‘make’ or ‘break’ season for sales.
It’s why the business districts of Kensington and Inglewood are hosting their final weekend of holiday activities to drive traffic to the areas.
Despite plunging temperatures, Calgarians are invited to enjoy free hot chocolate, live musical performances and horse drawn carriage rides with Santa Claus from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday.
Visitors are also encouraged to bring non-perishable food donations to support the community wide-food drive for the Veterans Food Bank.
Annie MacInnis, executive director of the Kensington Business Improvement Area, says the community spirit is vital for generating much-needed cash flow into the local economy.
“For every dollar spent at one of our local businesses, it generates six dollars for our local Calgary economy,” she said.
“You're supporting their employees who are your family and friends and colleagues and you’re supporting our local economy because you are buying their products and giving back to the shops, restaurants and coffee shops that you love and appreciate," she said. "We want them to do well this Christmas.”
HOLIDAY SEASON CRUCIAL
MacInnis added that about 70 per cent of the income for a small business is generated during the Christmas and holiday season.
This push for local sales couldn’t be more important for shop owners like Victor Tipper who runs the Hidden Gem Market in Kensington.
“We have 85 different small businesses packed into this one shop so you're really helping out on a great scale here,” said Tipper.
“You're getting the personal touch of walking through a store, sometimes you get to meet the vendors here, and the quality is just top notch. They put a lot of sweat and heart into it.”
Purchasing local gifts can also be helpful for those who haven’t started their Christmas shopping.
Jack Nodwell was looking for the perfect gift on Saturday. He says he can’t rely on online sales because of shipping delays and that buying local is more supportive of the environment.
“I work in sustainability so I’m always really looking at everything environmentally and (as a result) shopping local," he said. "It's just a great way to keep the miles down for transportation, anything production-wise, you know, it's a lot more responsibly made a lot of the time."
“We’re looking to just be good by the planet and buy gifts that people can also enjoy, but also it's less of an impact and saves you a lot of time too if you're waiting on something.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Something in the water? Canadian family latest to spot elusive 'Loch Ness Monster'
For centuries, people have wondered what, if anything, might be lurking beneath the surface of Loch Ness in Scotland. When Canadian couple Parry Malm and Shannon Wiseman visited the Scottish highlands earlier this month with their two children, they didn’t expect to become part of the mystery.
'It was instant karma': Viral video captures failed theft attempt in Nanaimo, B.C.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
New Indigenous loan guarantee program a 'really big deal,' Freeland says at Toronto conference
Canada's Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland was among the 1,700 delegates attending the two-day First Nations Major Projects Coalition (FNMPC) conference that concluded Tuesday in Toronto.