Once upon a time there was a community that supported its local shop owners by purchasing presents from them at Christmas time.
The only parcels that arrived in the mail in November and December were presents — not the result of online shopping.
Businesses were able to thrive, even when a mine in the community was closed and forest industry curtailments were part and parcel of the local economy.
By the time the middle of December arrived, local residents were sharing success stories about the unique gifts they found locally and how much they appreciated being able to do all the shopping in town.
When volunteers from community auctions or graduation events came around soliciting donations, store owners remembered how those same volunteers had been in Christmas shopping earlier that year and felt really genuine about giving back in return.
As this type of shop local mentality grasped hold of residents they began thinking about Christmas shopping earlier each year.
If there was something they could not find in the town, they talked to store owners to see about bringing that particular item in.
This type of serendipity evolved into a Christmas spirit that was noticed by visitors and residents alike, causing the mayor to declare the town as “Grinchless.”
Read more: COLUMN: Avoid the online temptation and buy local
- Williams Lake Tribune