Shop Local and Invest in Your Community Your Province Your Country
It is no secret that Alberta's (and all of Canada's) economy is struggling, thanks to our lagging oilfield and the worldwide pandemic and Covid 19.
It is also no secret that we have some amazingly talented craftspeople, artists and entrepreneurs. I have read in numerous places that during a recession it is a great time to dig deep and revamp and existing business, start a new business or follow a new path entirely. It seems like that is what a lot of people are doing right now. Digging deep, working hard and getting on with it.
My husband and I were talking about how if everyone started to buy items local, from small business, or at the very least Made in Alberta or Made in Canada what kind of a difference would it make to our economy. Now I fully admit that sometimes I am pretty cheap, and used to occasionally buy a t-shirt from Walmart or SuperStore. But every time I looked at the tag that says Made in Cambodia, China or wherever I cringed a little inside. We have all heard about the unethical work conditions overseas, and if we won't work for $2.00 an hour here in Canada, why are we buying $5.00 t-shirts? ( that are pretty much garbage in a couple of months)
So in the long run is that $5.00 t-shirt really a bargain? What if we bought Made in Canada t-shirts? From a Canadian retailer, or from a small home business. Not only do we know that it was ethically made, we also know that we may be keeping our neighbour employed. We know that we are keeping money in our local community. We are helping a local family pay for their groceries or put their kid in dance class. We in a very small way can help eliminate corporate greed..... 
The scenario of a $5.00 t-shirt may seem really small....but if everyone started to look at the labels of where they buy products from I think it would really make a difference. I know in my own life, I am looking at things a whole new way. Up front....it may cost a bit more to buy local. But in the long run supporting products made here saves us all.
The same goes for absolutely everything. Including our food. You can buy meat and produce direct from many local producers. This is vital since a lot of the meat packing plants are having Covid 19 issues and they 'the government, and the media' are calling for food shortages. There is no food shortage...there may be a factory food shortage, a grocery store shortage, but there is no food shortage. Find a local farmer!
Read your labels... where is your grocery store food processed and packaged?
Start your own garden, support you local greenhouses.
Support your small independent grocery stores. As much as I love Costco, it is time to let it go.
Support your local hardware stores.
My goal from now on is to buy as much as I can of locally made/grown products. Alberta made, Canadian made. I also want to move away from purchasing cheap, disposable products. Quality items can be reused, repurposed and resold.
Big box stores may save us a few dollars, but these corporations are not the heart and soul of our communities. Believe me, they are in it to win it for their CEO's.
I hope this is something everyone will begin to consider! Shop Canadian, Shop Albertan. Lets keep our own economies, our communities, our province and our country going!