Now more than ever, there is a push for communities all over Ontario to support their local businesses.

Chambers of Commerce in North Wellington, alongside the Northern Wellington Economic Development Partnership, have come up with a contest geared towards helping businesses during this second lockdown.

Dale Small, economic development officer for the Township of Wellington North, explained the #LockdownLove contest.

“We’re asking people to do a post on Facebook or Instagram, whatever they do on social media and just give a plug for a local business that they love or like, or recommend people go to,” Small said.

People are then to tag their local chamber of commerce in the post, in relation to wherever the business they are promoting is located.

Small said some businesses have had to change their whole business model because customers can’t simply walk through the doors of particular businesses anymore because of lockdown rules.

“I think it’s also different depending on what sector they’re in,” Small said. “Our manufacturing sector is booming, and they’re looking for workers. So, there’s been a lot of businesses that even though they’ve been affected by COVID-19, and they have to change, you know, how they operate, they’re trying to recruit people.”

Small said Dana Incorporated is trying to recruit people, as well as, Vintex Inc., and Musasi Auto Parts Canada Inc., but when it’s boiled down, it’s really the core retail sector that is being impacted the most right now.

He said there are some businesses that don’t even have a social media presence.

“They really had no way of trying to contact their customers, so, they have learned,” Small said. “We’ve had some digital main stream support going on where we’ve been providing free consulting support to businesses who need to come into the 90s any way in terms of technology.”

Small said businesses have to have an online presence and they need to be active on social media.

He said he recognizes that businesses are spending a lot of time and effort trying to build their online presence, and they are trying to help them out as best they can.

People can enter the #LockdownLove contest as many times as they want, and they have the chance to win up to $2,000 in gift cards from local businesses.

The contest ends Feb.12, 2021.

Dale Small, economic development officer for the Township of Wellington North: