Can We Please Stop Focusing On the, "(T)"ariff Word and Start Focusing on the, "(S)"upport Word?

Supporting Small Town Businesses: A Cause Beyond Politics

In today's increasingly polarized world, it's easy to feel divided on numerous fronts. However, one area where unity can and SHOULD be found is in supporting small town businesses. Regardless of one's political/economic opinion, the benefits of championing these enterprises extend across communities and economies, creating a common ground for collaboration and growth.

Yet increasingly one can easily see the affect political affiliation and in particular the, "T-word," are having on rural businesses. Case in point : Since 1846 the tiny exclave of Point Roberts has sat below the 49th parallel, however the land is not physically connected to the United States. This article sums it all up really well, and is a fun read (I'm guessing whoever drew the map lines was immediately annexed from the cartography company).

Needless to say over the past two centuries Canadians and Americans have built an incredibly supportive community.....let's call it Canamerida. No? Okay then we're sticking with Point Roberts! Speed limits are posted in miles, while gas prices are posted in liters. While at one time the majority of residents were American, now it's closer to 50/50, and had it not been for Canada's investment in the region in the 1950s it's extremely likely Point Roberts would not have survived.

Source : https://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/comment-point-roberts-should-be-canadian-so-lets-go-for-it-10447053

So there you have it, Canadians and Americans living side by side in (mostly) perfect harmony. All's well that ends well, right? Not so fast, especially for the small businesses in Point Roberts that are stuggling to survive, even though they are located next to the 5th busiest Canada/U.S. border crossing.

Rural businesses in other small towns are seeing the same thing, especially those towns close to the border. From Canadians (a minority of them) exclaiming, "I'm not supporting the U.S. until this debacle is all over" to Americans (also a minority of them) increasingly resisting traveling north of the border, the impact can be harmful to many businesses. For small town businesses however, the impact can be deadly.

It's actually difficult to fathom how just a month ago those same individuals who were supporting a small town business, that same small town business they have supported for years, immediately decide to stop doing so due to an economic policy that regardless of one's support or lack there of, the owners of the business literally have zero control over.

Of course emotions can run high when dealing with political/economic issues but try to remember : When you support a small town business, you are supporting a community, often one nearby or even your very own! When all is said and done economic policies come and go, they always do, and it may take a while so in the meantime, be grateful to have all those incredible small town spots that have always been there for you. Now is certainly an important time to be there for them as well.