Chambers of Commerce awarded a 'Shop Local' grant for video and film promotion - and more!

THIS JUST IN!

The Port McNeill and Port Hardy Chamber of Commerce have been awarded a grant under the Shop Local Initiative*

THE CAMPAIGN: SHOP LOCAL NORTH ISLAND

We are thrilled to be teaming up with the Port Hardy Chamber of Commerce and multiple partners to build a shop local mindset throughout our region. This campaign aims to illustrate, through education and awareness raising, the importance of shopping where you live. The message will be spread via social media platforms as well as traditional print and radio advertising. Also look for signage and in-person activities that will help you to engage with your customers.

Shop Local North Island will be live from January 31st until February 14th, 2022

HOW YOU CAN TAKE PART IN THE CAMPAIGN

Your ideas are welcome – join us for a round table

We will have an information session and round table prior to the campaign. The purpose of this is to share ideas, challenges, and find ways for businesses to work together to make the most of the upcoming campaign. Details on this session will be coming out shortly.

Smile, you are on camera

We will produce photography and video to show the people who are behind the purchase. Over the next few weeks our professional videographer and photographer will be out filming video profiles and taking lots of pictures, of you!

To be considered for a video profile

If you would like to be featured in a video profile, please let us know. While we would like to profile all of our businesses, it is just not possible this time around. We will select a few businesses from those who have expressed interest, and who reflect the diversity of our businesses community by sector and size, including home based, artisans, Indigenous, retail, hospitality etc.

Email us at ed@portmcneillchamber.ca with a brief description of your business and what shopping local means to you. We would like to hear from you by December 28th selected businesses will be contacted with all the details.

Photography

We aim to get as many business owners and operators as possible included in the photography element of the campaign, for a piece we are calling the faces of our businesses. We will let you know when we are doing this so you can be prepared.

NOTE: All North Island based businesses are eligible to participate in this initiative, membership in either Chamber is not required.

About the Shop Local Initiative

Funded by the Government of Canada and delivered through provincial and territorial chambers of commerce, the Shop Local initiative provides grants for programs and campaigns that encourage Canadians to shop local to help businesses navigate through and beyond the pandemic. The federal government is investing $33 million in the initiative across Canada, of which project funds of $5 million are earmarked for British Columbia. The Chamber have awarded $59,125 for its proposal to create and implement our own unique North Island campaign. Thank you to Port Hardy Chamber for taking the lead on this program and supporting all of us in the region - together!

By hiring local contractors, and buying all of our marketing materials, advertising and supplies locally, we are proud to say that the entire grant will be spent right here where we live.