It’s hard to believe another summer in Oceanside has come and gone, and Thanksgiving is only weeks away. Could it really be the start of the holiday season already?
We get a bit more of a respite than our American counterparts, having Thanksgiving earlier, with a grace period before the impending yuletide festivities.
Christmas ... really? We’ve only just got the kids back to school, and undoubtedly most have not even thought of what mask they will don for this year’s Halloween festivities, or what manifestation of Denim & Diamonds is going to wow the party goers at the 27th Annual Fantasy Auction on Oct. 22. Never mind what they will get for that hard to buy for person on their list.
With a bit of forethought though, you could give your favorite local retailer the heads up, with plenty of time to bring in that special something, should you not be able to find it locally. Just sayin’.
Parksville is set to be the premier destination for all things festive, thanks to the Christmas Committee headed by Carrie Powell Davidson, so I challenge you to keep your local retailers in mind when you start to head out to find that special something.
I will certainly be shopping in town as much as possible, and encourage you to do the same.
Here’s a quick message for the retailers, as we start to see the rain and wind of our west coast winter bear down upon us: your customers are going to want to park as close to your shop as possible, so ensure you and your staff make the extra effort to park further away, and allow access to as many customers as possible.
Peter Morrison is 1st Vice-President of the Parksville and District Chamber of Commerce