The other day I was walking by a business here in the Crowsnest Pass and saw a sign that said, “we’re not your neighbours, we are your friend. Shop local”. I love this. Owning our own business my family certainly practices what it preaches. This was instilled in me from my own mother who was a huge advocate of shopping locally. For those of you who knew Gail, she could certainly shop with the best of them.

I always shop local wherever I can. It’s my goal at Christmas and pretty much any time of the year to buy everything I can locally before heading out of town. Last Christmas 90% of my gifts were bought here in the Crowsnest Pass.

If we as residents don’t support our local businesses who the heck will? Don’t go to Tim Hortons, go to Stone’s Throw! Locally owned and operated, and way better food.

It’s ironic for me when I open a competitor’s newspaper and see local ads in it. I kind of think your newspaper is your local newspaper. It seems I am constantly making the dreaded phone call to a business asking them what we here at the Pass Herald did wrong that they decided to go to my competitor, who isn’t local by the way, and spend their local money. I know things are tough out there so every dollar counts.

I’ve had to make this phone call three times in the last two weeks. “Hi it’s Lisa at the Pass Herald, do you mind if I ask why you chose to not buy an ad in your local newspaper?” I hate making those calls, but as the owner I must. My employees, all nine of them, depend on me making this paper profitable so that they can work and live in this community.

The Pass Herald has been a huge supporter of local groups, we donate to Minor Hockey, the KRA, Ducks Unlimited just to name a few. I’m constantly giving away advertising to senior groups in the community and the general public. I’m a softy when it comes to families losing their loved ones and memorial ads for people remembering those they have loved and lost.

Sometime I get a card or a hug and always a huge thank you for our generosity. I then wonder why some businesses and groups in the community don’t recognize their newspaper for all the wonderful things it does and support it.

We are a verified newspaper not a give a way, which means that I can tell you exactly how many people are reading the Pass Herald. I can tell you that we mail 700 papers weekly here just in the Crowsnest Pass. We have over 600 papers going into Pincher Creek and we sell an additional 1000 papers throughout Alberta and Canada and the United States in businesses and mail. If you want I can even provide you with names.

For all of those businesses who have been loyal to the Pass Herald I thank you on behalf of my staff and myself. You are the ones that keep us in business. We have made it through two competitors in the Crowsnest Pass to remain the second oldest business in this community and we will fight tooth and nail to keep the tradition up.

I will always support my local businesses and I ask you before you spend your hard earned money, think about spending it in your local newspaper.