Houston involved in local business campaign

The Houston and District Chamber of Commerce has entered into a partnership with the chambers of commerce in Smithers, Kitimat, Prince Rupert, Terrace and Burns Lake for a new campaign called Live Love Local.

The campaign is intended to culturally shift and rethink how people support local business and encourages participants to take in the best of the region while keeping dollars in each local community.

“Shop Local is an initiative funded by the federal government to encourage people to support businesses as they seek to recover from the economic impacts of the pandemic. The program, delivered nationally through provincial and territorial chambers of commerce, provides grants for programs and campaigns that encourage Canadians to Shop Local,” said Houston and District Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Maureen Czirfusz.

“We hope that people rethink before they shop. Support local when you can and remember the small, medium and large businesses located in our community and region. These businesses are a vital part of all our communities,” she continued.

The campaign features free merchandise with a $50 value as well as prize draws worth $500 each.

The prize draws for cash and merchandise can be entered by saving receipts from local businesses, and dropping them off at the Houston and District Chamber of Commerce offices. Each receipt will serve as a draw ticket.

A big part of the campaign is a social media presence, in which local businesses from each community are featured with posts on Facebook and Instagram, promoting followers to shop there. You can also be entered into the draw by leaving positive reviews on featured businesses and using the hashtag #livelovelocalNWBC.

Entries for the prize draw ends on Feb. 15.

“We believe this campaign has brought the Northwest of B.C. together and will make us stronger. You might not be able to purchase something in your own community, but it may be in the neighboring community or region. Covid has shown us how fragile the supply chain can be and the importance of supporting local businesses. For a vibrant community, you need a solid and thriving business community. We see this campaign as a win-win,” Czirfusz told Houston Today.

To participate in the campaign as a local business or community member, it’s encouraged to display the campaign decal and other campaign materials to help spread the word, which can be picked up at Houston and District Chamber of Commerce offices. To be featured on either of the Live Love Local social media pages as a small business, you can reach out to the campaign team at livelovelocalnwbc@gmail.com.