With major street construction coinciding with a pandemic, it’s been a tough year for downtown shop owners.
But it’s been even more difficult for Sunny Jung after her Dunlop Street shop, Everleigh Garden, was burglarized twice.
The first break-in occurred during the spring and summer lockdown.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, it happened again about three weeks ago.
“Someone smashed out the front window with a construction sign,” Jung said. “They took cash and merchandise. That was actually tough.”
But as her first name suggests, Jung likes to look on the positive side.
The setback brought her many well-wishers and some new business when a customer who works at Bohemia, a downtown restaurant, posted Jung’s circumstances on her Instagram account.
“We got some publicity... it was really nice. I was really pleased by that so I made 450 dumplings — thank you, dumplings — and did a window decoration as my way of saying thank you.”
It’s the kind of small-town flavour that makes shopping at locally owned stores even more special.
Sandi McMillan, co-owner of Our House, knows all about it.
McMillan said customers are getting the “shop local” message and are helping out by going out of their way to spend money in downtown stores.
“People are supporting the small guy,” she said. “They are coming out purposely to shop local, there’s no question about it.”
After 27 years in business, 2020 has been the most arduous.
But McMillan sees the light at the end of this global pandemic.
“We are gonna make it through this, absolutely. We are not going anywhere,” she said. “It’s a huge year for supporting local and it's lovely to see.”
McMillan applauded the support downtown businesses have received from the city and Downtown Barrie, with a new streetscape and new programs.
“What they have done for us done here is just great," she said.
Kelly McKenna, executive director of the Downtown Barrie BIA, says shopping in smaller local stores is safer than venturing into the big-box behemoths when it comes to protecting yourself from COVID-19.
“It’s very important to support local and I think the safest way to shop actually,” she said.
Some local stores are even taking customers by appointment so they can shop with no one else in the store, McKenna said.
Another great way to support local shops and stay safe is through the Lifeline gift cards offered on the Downtown Barrie website.
“If you want to support local but you don’t want to come downtown to shop, you get online and we have the gift cards,” McKenna said. “The funds go directly to them, and when you feel safe enough again to go downtown you can bring your little gift cards and redeem them.”
McKenna said 100 per cent of the purchase price goes to the local stores while the BIA picks up the transaction costs.
Downtown Barrie’s Noella Festival also has other offers such as online shopping at HeyLocal.ca.
Visit NoellaFestival.ca for more details.
Rick Vanderlinde, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Barrie Advance
