VICTORIA -- A new Langford campaign is putting the spotlight on local businesses at a time when shop owners and service providers are re-emerging from some dark times.
“There was the fear in the beginning and the fear of the unknown, and I think we’ve done a heck of a job in this province with Dr. Bonnie Henry and the messaging,” Langford Mayor Stew Young told CTV News.
“And everybody took it to heart in Langford, and now we want to make sure we have that reward for the people, that the businesses are now open. We now have to help the businesses get through this as much as we have to get through it ourselves,” he said.
The city has now launched its ‘I Am Langford’ campaign, and its message is that local businesses are resilient, open and safe.
Storefronts that display the I Am Langford logo in their windows are letting people know that they have been working with the municipality to ensure that best practices for public safety are being met.
“We have screens in place. We have social distancing with customers in place. We’re sanitizing all the common surfaces every 20 minutes,” said COBS Bread franchise owner Andrew Anglin.
The participating businesses are also featured at iamlangford.com.
“We want to make sure that we get the message out there that we are open for business in Langford. We are Langford. We are strong,” Young said.
“We will fight this pandemic together and we’ll make sure we support our community, our residents and our businesses all at the same time.”
As the campaign continues, Langford’s mayor and council will be paying visits to local shops, and randomly picking up people’s tabs as a way of spreading kindness though this difficult time.
