by Sue Hodgson –
Thank you to all of our readers and advertisers for the lovely words of support we have received over the last several months. There have been some wonderful messages showing you’ve enjoyed reading the magazine as much as we’ve enjoyed producing it. We have worked hard over the past months to make sure we can continue delivering a print edition, when many others could not, and feel so proud and grateful that we have been able to bring our community positive and engaging content during a time that has been difficult for many of us.
In this issue come celebrate Small Business Month with us! In our special Professionals section (pg 13) you will meet many of the local entrepreneurs who make important contributions to our community. “Small businesses really are the cornerstone of their communities. Think of your favorite independent coffee shop, the plumber or local mechanic, or the family owned corner store where you had your first job,” says Canadian Federation of Independent Business President, Dan Kelly. “These entrepreneurs work hard every day to create jobs, keep our neighbourhoods vibrant and bring quality products and services to our markets.”
In addition to reading the Professionals, you’ll discover in the next 80 pages (or maybe even rediscover) many of the other incredible entrepreneurs that make up our community: from our local restaurants, service industry, shops, health professionals – all the skills and talents that make the Peninsula such a busy, thriving place. I think everyone who takes the spark of an idea and turns it into a business deserves to be celebrated, and those stories can be inspiring for our whole community. Not everyone will want to run a business, but we certainly benefit from living somewhere that so many people do.
Make sure you take a look at our special giveaway this month too. With a change of season, many out-of-towners are gone from the Island; now it’s time for us to support the local travel and tourism sector. Have you ever thought about taking a getaway without having to travel? There are some ultra-local suggestions in our feature article “Fall Getaways Close to Home” (pg 27), and a contest for you to win a night at The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa!
Good luck!
