SHOP LOCAL - MORE THAN A SLOGAN

October 8th, 2026

There was a time when, if you needed something as basic as a pair of underwear, you had to leave Wasaga Beach to buy it.

Look at us now.

We have a thriving and increasingly diverse business community — and we should be proud of how far we've come.

But here's the question I want to ask: How do we make “Shop Local” mean something 52 weeks a year — not just during the 17 big weekends of summer?

Tourism is enormously important to Wasaga Beach. But the majority of our businesses aren't seasonal.

They're here 52 weeks a year.

They open their doors in January.

They make payroll.

They pay rent, utilities, insurance and taxes.

They manage inventory.

They employ people.

They serve our residents.

And they worry about their businesses long after they close the doors at night.

So when we say “Shop Local,” I think we need to move beyond the slogan.

We need a strategy.

WHAT IF “SHOP LOCAL” ACTUALLY HELPED PEOPLE SHOP LOCAL?

Here's one idea.

Imagine dynamic QR codes at different sections of the beachfront.

You've paid for parking. You've arrived at the beach. You're ready to spend the day.

You scan a QR code.

Instead of having to figure out what's nearby, you're immediately shown the restaurants, shops, services and experiences close to where you are.

What's open right now?

Where can I get lunch?

Where's the closest coffee?

Is there an ice-cream shop?

Where can I find a gift?

Is there somewhere nearby to get something I forgot?

The information is right there on your phone.

And the same idea could work beyond the beachfront.

SHOP, EAT & EXPLORE WASAGA

I would like to see a simple, mobile-friendly “Shop, Eat & Explore Wasaga” digital hub.

Not a complicated app that people have to download.

A simple website that works on a phone.

It could bring together local:

• Restaurants and cafés

• Retailers

• Professional services

• Personal services

• Trades

• Accommodations

• Attractions and experiences

• Home-based businesses

  
  

And importantly, it could tell people what's open now and what's nearby.

Because sometimes the reason someone doesn't shop locally isn't that they don't want to.

They simply don't know what's there.

Let's make it easier to find out.

WHAT ABOUT THE VISITOR WHO BROUGHT A COOLER?

Let's be realistic.

Not every visitor is going to spend money in our stores.

Some people arrive with a cooler.

Some bring their own lunch.

Some come specifically for the beach and nothing else.

That's okay.

But if someone has already paid for parking, spent the afternoon at the beach and is now wondering where to get dinner, coffee, ice cream or a souvenir...

Let's make it easy for them to find a local business.

We don't have to force people to shop.

We can simply make it easier for them to discover what's here.

That's smart tourism.

And it's smart local economic development.

LET'S CONNECT OUR BUSINESSES TO EACH OTHER

There is another opportunity here.

A visitor staying at a motel or cottage court could receive a link to nearby businesses.

A restaurant could promote an evening event.

A retailer could recommend another local business.

An attraction could promote nearby restaurants.

Instead of hundreds of businesses marketing completely on their own, we can help create a network where local businesses send customers to other local businesses.

That's how a local economy becomes an ecosystem.

A DIGITAL SHOP LOCAL PASSPORT

Here's another possibility.

A simple digital Shop Local Passport.

Visit three participating businesses and enter a monthly draw.

Visit five and receive a small local perk.

The prizes could come from participating businesses themselves.

It doesn't have to be expensive.

It just needs to give people another reason to explore.

And it could work for residents as well as visitors.

“BEFORE YOU LEAVE WASAGA…”

Here's another campaign I think could be fun:

BEFORE YOU LEAVE WASAGA TO BUY IT — CHECK HERE FIRST.

Remember when you had to leave town to buy something as basic as underwear?

We don't have to anymore.

Let's show people what we have.

Clothing.

Gifts.

Food.

Restaurants.

Repairs.

Personal services.

Professional services.

Trades.

Experiences.

Businesses they may not even know exist.

The message isn't:“You have to shop local.”

It's: “You might be surprised by what you can find right here.”

AND LET'S MEASURE WHETHER IT WORKS

This is important.

A Shop Local program shouldn't be launched, photographed, announced — and then forgotten.

Let's measure it.

How many people scanned the QR codes?

Which businesses received clicks?

What did people search for?

How many businesses participated?

Did businesses actually see customers as a result?

And most importantly:

Ask the businesses.

Did it work?

If it didn't, change it.

If something worked, do more of it.

THIS IS WHERE THE CHAMBER AND THE TOWN CAN WORK TOGETHER

The Chamber is an important voice for our business community.

But the Town has tools the private sector doesn't have.

The Town controls or influences public spaces, municipal communications, economic-development initiatives and community information.

The Chamber has relationships with businesses and understands the day-to-day realities of running them.

So why not bring those strengths together?

The Town doesn't need to become an advertising agency.

It doesn't need to tell businesses how to run their businesses.

It needs to help create the conditions for local businesses to succeed.

And that starts with listening.

MY COMMITMENT

If elected, I will advocate for a practical, measurable Shop Local strategy developed with our business community and the Chamber.

I want to hear from the people who actually run these businesses.

Because small-business owners are the subject-matter experts.

You had the vision.

You wrote the business plan.

You sat across from the banker.

You made the financial decisions.

You hired people.

You figured out your marketing.

You learned your customers.

And you think about your business long after you go home.

You live it. You know it.

Different businesses have different needs.

A cottage-court operator has different challenges from a hair salon.

A restaurant has different challenges from a contractor.

A home-based business has different challenges from a storefront.

That's why I also want to see regular small-business roundtables at Town Hall, with different sessions for different types of businesses.

Listen.

Learn.

Identify barriers.

Find practical solutions.

And bring what I hear directly to Council.

THINKING ABOUT TOMORROW — WITHOUT FORGETTING TODAY

Destination Wasaga is a long-term vision.

As parts of Wasaga Beach develop over the next 10 to 20 years, we need to think about what our community can become.

But there are entrepreneurs here today.

They aren't thinking about 2036 when they open their doors tomorrow morning.

They're thinking about payroll.

Customers.

Inventory.

Bills.

Employees.

The next season.

The next month.

Sometimes the next day.

We can plan for the future and support the people building our economy right now.

Those two things aren't in conflict.

In fact, I think they belong together.

17 WEEKENDS MATTER.

52 WEEKS MATTER MORE.

Our local businesses aren't just part of the tourism economy.

They are part of the community economy. An important part of our "community wallet".

Let's make it easier for residents and visitors to find them.

Let's make it easier for businesses to work together.

Let's make “Shop Local” more than a slogan.

Let's make it a habit.

And if elected, I will work to make that happen — listening to our entrepreneurs, bringing their ideas to Council, and looking for positive, practical, inclusive, local and doable solutions.

I'm applying for the most important job of my career: the job of public servant.

My commitment is to be a strong voice and representative for the businesses and taxpayers of Wasaga Beach.

We build our local economy together — 52 weeks a year.

Thanks for listening!