Tri-Local: back & better than ever

The Relaunch

After battling the COVID-19 pandemic for over a year, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, announced that the Federal Government would invest $33 million in shop local initiatives throughout the country in June, 2021. 

“Small businesses are the backbone of the economy and the heart of our communities and will be critical to our recovery from the COVID-19 recession. As our economy begins to safely reopen, Shop Local investments will encourage Canadians to support their local small businesses, helping them recover quicker.”

- The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade

The Tri-Local Collective saw an opportunity to grow our existing shop local initiative and to help the independent businesses in our community in a more meaningful and effective way. 

So, we submitted a proposal. 

The BC Chamber of Commerce was tasked with distributing the $5 million, from the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, dedicated to help small businesses in the province. Our proposal covered a variety of community investments with the goal of getting our allocated funds directly into the hands of struggling business owners in the Tri-Cities, as well as investing in legacy marketing materials that Tri-Local could use well after the final deadline for reporting. 

Our proposal was approved for our full budget of over $50,000. 

Tri-Local Community Investments 

With the initial budget of $50,700, along with a Federal top-up of $20,000, the Tri-Local Collective supported businesses in the Tri-Cities through the following community investments: 

• Tri-Local Website

• Ad Campaigns in:

  • Tri-City News

  • Anmore Times

  • Dispatch

  • Coffee News

• Tri-Local Beer Collaboration (coming soon!) with:

  • Patina Brewing Co.

  • Fraser Mills

  • Mariner

  • Moody Ales

  • Northpaw

  • Tinhouse

  • Yellow Dog

• Branded coasters from Say It Now Inc.

• Reusable Bags from Port Moody & Co. 

• $6000 in Gift Cards from businesses in the Tri-Cities, collected by the Tri-Local Collective members:

  • Austin Heights BIA

  • Downtown PoCo BIA

  • Shop Local Port Moody

  • Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce

  • Tri-City News

The goal of each of these investments is to drive traffic to independent businesses in our community, help businesses recover from the pandemic restrictions by investing in products from which they will keep 100% of sales, and educate community members on the positive impacts of shopping locally. 

What’s Coming for Tri-Local 

Now that reporting is completed and our investment funds have been allocated, the Tri-Local Collective and our community partners can begin the more exciting work of creating and distributing our products!

Coming up this year:

• Tri-Local Beer sold by the participating breweries, who keep 100% of the sales 

• Tri-Local Reusable Bags sold through participating retailers throughout the Tri-Cities, who will also keep 100% of sales

Keep an eye on our Instagram page (@trilocalnow) to stay up to date with product launches, contests and more!