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th ei fp .c a Th e IF P -H al to n H ill s | T hu rs da y, M ar ch 25 ,2 02 1 | 8 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 70 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca newsroom@theifp.ca IndependentAndFreePress @IFP_11 WHO WE ARE Publisher Kelly Montague Regional Managing Editor Catherine O'Hara Managing Editor Karen Miceli Distribution Representative Iouliana Polar Real Estate Kristie Pells Regional Production Manager Manuel Garcia Halton Media General Manager Jason Pehora CONTACT US The Independent & Free Press 280 Guelph Street, Unit 77 Georgetown, ON L7G 4B1 Phone: 905-873-0301 Classifieds: 1-800-263-6480 Fax: 905-873-0398 Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at theifp.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, please e-mail lpolar@miltoncanadianchampion.com or call 905-234-1019. OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT THEIFP.CA It's about trust. Our re- lationship with our read- ers is built on transparen- cy, honesty and integrity. As such, we have launched a trust initiative to tell you who we are and how and why we do what we do. This column is part of that pro- ject. News of how the dread- ed COVID-19 pandemic has affected local businesses was all over our websites and in our print editions last week. #LoveLocal is an exten- sive special series pro- duced by www.insidehal- ton.com and www.theifp.ca and our associated com- munity newspapers. It takes a close-up look at the vital role businesses across Halton play in our commu- nities, the financial pres- sure they are under and what people can do to help them survive. Hopefully you con- sumed every article from start to finish, but in case you missed all or part of the series, you can catch it at bit.ly/3lr2DKp. Special series projects like this one are our news- papers' way of delving into a topic that is complex and simply can't be properly ex- amined in one article. We have published these in the past address- ing important issues af- fecting our communities, such as homelessness, hate crimes and human trafficking. Our modest team of re- porters, photographers and editors put a lot of hard work and effort into our special series projects and generally feedback from your readers is positive. Expect to see more special reports on our pages in the future. If you have an idea for an in-depth series of articles on an impactful topic, I would love to hear about it. Please write to me at my email address below. Karen Miceli is manag- ing editor of Metroland's community newspapers in Halton. She can be reached at kmiceli@metro- land.com. We welcome your questions and value your comments. Email our trust committee at trust@metroland.com. OUR SPECIAL REPORTS DELVE INTO ISSUES THAT MATTER #LOVELOCAL IS OUR LATEST SPECIAL SERIES, WRITES KAREN MICELI A vibrant and almost rainbow-like morning sky hangs over the Georgetown Fairgrounds on International Women's Day (Mar. 8). Do you have a great local photo you'd like to share? Send it to sleblanc@metroland.com, along with a brief description. Mary Siddall photo SNAPSHOT Locally owned and oper- ated businesses are the so- cial, cultural and economic heart of a community. Unfor- tunately, this past year has left many unsure if they can continue. In a 5-part online series, we looked at the vital role local businesses play in our communities, the finan- cial pressure they are under due to COVID-19 and what we can do to help them sur- vive. Locally owned and oper- ated businesses are in trou- ble. While it's true that some creative and enterprising entrepreneurs have been able to find a way to succeed under COVID-19, there are many other businesses whose survival is at stake. The Canadian Federa- tion of Independent Busi- ness is warning that this pandemic could force 75,000 Ontario businesses to shut down. Talk to a local busi- ness owner and they will likely tell you about their fear they may have to close their doors for good. Such a loss would be dev- astating for towns and cities across the province. These businesses are the fabric of a community. They provide jobs, products, needed services, and much more. Local owners are often heavily involved in various volunteer causes and ser- vice clubs that improve the overall quality of life in our towns. They run food drives and fund minor sports teams. They organize pro- jects to improve neighbour- hood parks or revitalize neighbourhoods. The storefronts of these businesses make up the character of our neighbour- hoods; they define our downtown. Once gone, we lose much more than just a store. Last week, we highlight- ed the important role local- ly-owned businesses play in communities across Onta- rio, the pressure they are currently under and what may be gone if these stores can't survive. Yet they can survive. But it requires help. Each of us has the ability to lend our support to these businesses that played a role in build- ing our community. What can you do? Here are five options. 1. Shop local. It sounds simple and it is. You no lon- ger need to physically go in- to a locally-owned store to shop local. Many are now offering online sales with either curbside pickup or delivery. Shopping at a small business has proba- bly never been easier. 2. Support locally-owned businesses on social media. You could share your favou- rite restaurant's menu on so- cial media. Share a photo of what you purchased at a lo- cal shop. Come up with some creative shop-local games to play with friends on social media. And make sure to al- ways tag the business. 3. If you don't need any- thing right now, but still want to help a local busi- ness, buy gift cards. 4. Write a positive online review. A good word about any business can always help attract new customers. 5. Focus on buying di- rectly. Shop at your local farmers' market to buy di- rectly from producers. Many communities even have a virtual farmers' mar- ket. Where available, call lo- cal restaurants directly to order a meal rather than us- ing a delivery app. The res- taurant keeps more money from the purchase that way. HERE IS HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED BUSINESSES BUSINESS KAREN MICELI Column