Talk Local is a new initiative created through a collaboration between the City of Swift Current and the Swift Current Chamber of Commerce.

The 10 part zoom cast series initiative aims to get the message out to shop and support local.

CEO of the Swift Current Chamber Karla Weins details a focus of the series.

"What we want to showcase is that you can shop locally in various different ways. So lots of people like to shop online, it's easy, it's fast, it's convenient that is absolutely the truth. You can shop online locally."

Weins adds that many local businesses have gone online in various forms including social media and online stores. 

Michael Boutilier, Communications & Stakeholder Relations Coordinator for the city said when coming up with the idea for the initiative they wanted to do it in a different way and they knew they wanted to talk to local businesses and create a conversation despite being limited by current restrictions. 

COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of supporting local businesses any way we can according to Weins. Gift cards are an effective method of support and although you may not be able to use them now it allows a person to use or purchase products or services later when needed. 

We should support local businesses as they support us. Weins points out that local business owners employ family/friends and neighbors who in turn shop at other businesses and need to support their children. Supporting local businesses has an expansive snowball effect going out to the community as a whole. 

When local sports teams and organizations are looking for sponsorship dollars or donations for raffles, the local businesses are always ready to support these causes. 

Weins stresses the importance of having open conversations with local businesses.

"Each business is very unique. Each business has and is facing different challenges that we can bring to light and hopefully then help them mitigate those issues. Having conversations with our business community is the best way to get information out there." 

 The series which began on Monday is posted each day at 10 am and will feature conversations with different local business owners each day discussing issues such as what shopping local means and challenges they have faced in 2020 and how they are adapting to those challenges.

As this is a social initiative, the videos can be viewed on both the city's and chamber's social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

The series is hosted by Chamber of Commerce board of directors member Lindsay Gerbrandt. 

Boutilier adds that the initiative provides such an opportunity to get ideas on the table about how we can support local in our own way.