Some of the hand-made Christmas ornaments available from Burk & Co. (CHAT News photo)

By Alex McCuaig

Showing support

Hat businesses helping each other as part of the shop local drive to survive

Dec 17, 2020 | 5:12 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Shop local is not only a philosophy the city’s small businesses are espousing but one which they are among the first to practise as this holiday season has seen Medicine Hat retailers re-write the rules due to the pandemic.

Mad Hatter Roastery owner Katrina Borrows says her business would usually see lineups out the door this time of year as Christmas shoppers would stop in for a quick break or families and friends would use the usually bustling coffee shop as a meeting place to get reacquainted during the holiday break.

The public health restrictions enacted earlier this month have taken those options off the table.

But Borrows has created gift packs to give a taste of Mad Hatter to take home.

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And she is trying to help out other small businesses such as the newly open Annegretes Chocolates and Medalta by including their products with her own.

“We are that down-home community. We care for each other. We will show up and actually put our money where our mouth is,” said Borrows. “I wanted to be the first to do that by saying, ‘hey, let’s bring their products in. Let’s bring Medalta’s products in. Let’s do anything we can to bring other people’s products in here or send people to them.”

It’s a philosophy that is far from unique among the city’s small business community.

Fresh Flowers and Gifts owner Brenda Ruckaber has a whole cabinet of beauty products locally made by Skin Passions along with colour prints by local artist Michele Winger.

This trend of businesses supporting each other has been only growing since the beginning of the pandemic as owners realized what they each were facing.

“When we go to that point, we all realized that your neighbour wasn’t any different than you are,” said Ruckaber. “And I think that’s when it turned to, ok, I have a bit of extra money. I’m going to spend it at another store, another shop that I know is a local enterprise.”

Interior designer Jenelle Lesmeister believes in the principle of local businesses supporting their counterparts to the point she has created a blog on her company Burk & Co’s website to provide gift ideas.

“Being brought up in a small business that’s been here for 30 years, I’ve seen the struggles myself with how hard it is and so many of my friends run their own businesses or small shops,” said Lesmeister.

Tourism Medicine Hat is also trying to help local businesses by asking shoppers to help promote them by posting on social media. They are also giving away $50 gift certificates this week from local operations with details on how you can win on their social media sites.