It’s arguable that no province has felt the fallout from the pandemic more so that Prince Edward Island.
Home to little more than 150,000 residents, the Island hosts more than 1.5 million visitors each year, adding up to a robust industry that keeps shops open and the economy running.
This season, business owners are depending on community members to be mindful of keeping their purchases local more than ever.
As it nears 50 years in business in Charlottetown, Bookmark has been rewarded by loyal local shoppers for years. Although the vast selection of books written by local authors has always made it a stop for tourists, throughout the pandemic, community members have stepped up to keep owner Dan MacDonald and long-time manager Lori Cheverie busy.
“We lost the tourist business but because there are more people reading, it helps even out the losses from the tourist business,” says MacDonald. “I think it's pretty widespread in the community that we have to support local stores.”
During a normal year, Bookmark holds upwards of 100 events for book launches and authors. But this year, everything has been done virtually. Throughout the lockdown, Cheverie and MacDonald kept busy with deliveries and curbside pickups to accommodate readers.
“Dan and I delivered for an hour each every day. I think a lot of people appreciated that and are supporting us because of that,” says Cheverie.
Some small businesses on the Island felt the pandemic more than others, especially those depending on cruise ships for their seasonal boost. Bill Watters, owner of Northern Watters Knitwear and Tartan Shop in Charlottetown, along with his wife Wanda, have felt the difference and are continuing to run their business with only 25 per cent of regular sales.
They are pushing to increase their online presence to recover losses, not only for their store but for the more than 250 artisans they purchase work from across the country. It's involved putting a lot of time into completely redoing the store's website but Watters acknowledges it won't mean an immediate difference.
“We probably won’t see major results on that for the next six or seven months, it takes time,” says Watters.
Kimberly McIntyre, a well-known jeweler in Charlottetown, owns Crows Nest and Kuriosities on Victoria Row, a popular destination for visitors. She says due to a slow summer season, keeping local shops in mind this holiday season could make or break many favourite shops in the city.
“In order to maintain a diversity of our retail offerings locally, if ever there was a time to shop local, it’s now. Because if local retailers don’t have good Christmas seasons, they may not be there for you anymore. It’s hard to carry through a whole year without a tourism season; that just makes the Christmas season more important,” says McIntyre.
Kuriosities offers McIntyre’s handmade jewelry that has a strong following across the Island and the country. Her neighbouring shop carries a wide selection of locally-made crafts and art, which is in turn supporting other local artisans on the Island.
“Crow’s Nest is all small producers, many of them local to Prince Edward Island, which is important to them because they are not having a craft market season this year and that’s when most local crafters make their money, so we are fully stocked with local makers. Pottery, jewelry, crochet, fibre, you name it,” says McIntyre.
When it’s time to shop for holiday gifts for loved ones, keep in mind this year that a locally crafted or sourced gift will not only please your family and friends, but the community members in your own province.
