Yes, #YYCisOpen despite the adversity that all those nifty local businesses have to encounter.
The flood knocked the power out in most of our inner-city hotspots and drenched many storefronts, but to top it all, it threatens their viability. Small shops and eateries in the core are facing the challenge of recouping lost revenue from the height of the flood; most were unable to open due to insufficient resources, the situation exacerbated by the lack of power.
On this past Saturday, I went to Chinatown to get a haircut with my mom. As the owner of the salon worked on my hair, my mom asked her about damages they may have received. Despite the salon itself being shielded by the higher foundation, she told us that her basement area was a flooded mess. What struck her most was the insurance company’s refusal to compensate her for the damage. They claimed they were unable to accept her request because she didn’t know whether it was caused by overland flooding or a sewer backup.
The owner mentioned that neighbouring businesses were also suffering though this scenario as they deal with the double whammy of repairing flood damage and a budget shortfall. Many of the restaurants in the area were closed for several days as they replenished their food supply.
Yet there’s another imminent threat; as if these hurdles didn’t hamper the growth of the locally-owned small business scene, the so-called “failure rate” after a disaster like this could be about 40 percent, with estimates going up to 80 percent. It’s a “triple-whammy” as the Calgary Herald source article states. The Chinatown area is only one of the several devastated business revitalization zones that could be facing a downscaled retail streetscape.
All those independent retail choices are valuable to the diversity of Calgary, no doubt. It’s a breath of fresh air to see that that YYCisOpen came to fruition as an initiative for us ordinary Calgarians to help as consumers. The most vibrant areas of Calgary were the most affected, but only if you choose to spend your time in those areas and shop will they go under a resurgence.
The last step to rebuilding small local stores is to visit and appreciate what they offer. The initiative will hopefully encourage locals to form group shopping events and the likes for a day of leisure. With reviews and customer feedback, these “truly Calgarian” businesses will be bestowed with support to brace the impacts of this flood.
Go to @yycisopen for some aggregated info about the businesses that are currently open and tweet with #yycisopen. Have a look at their facebook page. Head to their main webpages to access information related to Calgary’s post-flood retail situation.
When I found this initiative, they sat at 19 twitter followers; as of Monday night, they can now boast of 1,200 followers who have taken the step to participate. I’m fond of our food trucks and my way of helping out is that you can be sure to see more of my reviews during the summer (and using the power of food photography to induce hunger).
Remember to check out the other outstanding #yycflood articles here on YAA from all those other contributors!
cool, how are the hair cuts at China Town?