LETHBRIDGE, ALTA. -- Ever since the provincial government declared a state of public health emergency, small businesses have seen their number of clients plummet due to self-isolation and physical distancing, forcing them to reinvent themselves.
The community is relying on one another to get through these hard times, and one way Josh Dumoulin and his four-year-old son has found is to keep sharing their passion for the martial arts with their clients online.
"While we are teaching the classes and they are following along at home, there are about 10 to 20 kids that participate," explained Dumoulin. "In our regular classes that we run we'll usually have 20 to 25 people watching (online)."
The father of two hopes it will help the community to stay connected.
"The main reason is to keep people involved," he said. "Keep them healthy, keep them active. That's really important especially while there is so much uncertainty. We want people to stay connected and give the kids something to do while they are off."
Although he is concerned for his finances in the future should the pandemic last too long, Dumoulin remains optimistic. He says his clients are messaging him every day and are always eager for their next lesson.
Tuesday night, the federal government passed an emergency bill aimed to help families who are forced to self-isolate.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Wednesday morning that anyone who is self-isolating and out of work because of COVID-19 will receive $2,000 each month until this summer.
