The holiday season is upon us in Edmonton, and this year more than ever it feels important to work together to support one another as a community. Back in May, we launched into a month-long Local Goodness Project sharing Edmonton-specific ideas for supporting local during the Covid-19 crisis.
For the next twelve days, we’ll be revisiting some of those ideas to bring some local goodness into this season, while still keeping ourselves and one another safe. Join us for #12DaysOfYEG as we explore the best ways to sustainably support our local community throughout the holidays. As a bonus, everyone who participates using the #12DaysofYEG hashtag will be entered into a draw to win a gift basket, filled with local goodness, on the Winter Solstice.
This year, the holiday season will be different for all of us. You may be staying home instead of travelling to see family, or your holiday traditions may be smaller to keep everyone safe. But we can still find ways to celebrate and make this holiday season a memorable one. Consider shopping local for decorations to add to your home, for fun projects to keep you busy at home this winter, or for any of your gift-giving needs. Local creators have so many options for unique, thoughtful gifts for your loved ones.
Large corporations like Amazon have thrived throughout the pandemic, increasing their wealth by billions of dollars, while so many local businesses have closed their doors forever. We know this season will be tough on many people, and it may require us to be more intentional about our spending. While Amazon can seem like a convenient and safe alternative, many local businesses offer online shopping, contactless pick-up and some will even deliver right to your doorstep. Even makers markets, which may have been a holiday tradition for you in past years, have online alternatives this season!
We ask you to consider supporting local businesses this holiday season where you can and help spread some cheer and local goodness through your community. Even a small purchase can make a huge impact on businesses working hard to survive this year.
Don’t have the budget to purchase extra gifts this year? You can support local businesses without spending any money by sharing their wares. Go ‘window shopping’ online, ‘like’ your favourite items, give their profile a follow and share them on your social media or send the link to a friend. If you have purchased something in the past, be sure to leave a review, or share your past purchase on social media and tag them! Your share could create a domino effect that leads to several more people viewing and purchasing from your favourite local shops and creators.
Some of our favourite places to find unique gifts, YEG-specific items, and locally-made wares include:
Winter Markets to check out online:
- Royal Bison (online)
- IAM Collective Indigenous Holiday Market online
- Black-Owned Market online
- Shop Indigenous Women’s Holiday Market! online
Consider local businesses for services and goods you already need or enjoy:
- Check out Edmonton’s Indigenous Shopping Guide for everything from gifts to local options for services you already need or enjoy.
- We love Glass Bookshop and Audrey’s Books for supporting local when we buy any book (plus, check out this great list of books by local Edmonton authors)
- Workhall Studio will help fill your closet with fashion staples (did you know they offer lifelong repairs and alterations, also?)
More resources you can check out for ideas to support local:
- Spin the Wheel of Local created by Linda Hoang
- Check out Yarrow’s YEG local gift guide
- Edmonton Made’s 2019/2020 Gifted Catalogue
- U of A Business recently shared their holiday gift guide
- Holiday gift guide from the Royal Alberta Museum