Celebrating small business in Durham

Durham Regional Chair John Henry is recognizing small businesses as “key drivers” to the local economy.

Henry released a recent statement in honour of Small Business Week, noting the pandemic has had a significant impact on the business community – the owners, workers and their families.

“In Durham Region, our business community has a proven reputation of solving big business problems through innovation and resilience,” says Henry. “They have helped to shape the heart and soul of our community.”

Fuelled by innovation, Henry says local entrepreneurs have “drawn upon resilience and inspiration to keep driving forward, during both prosperous and difficult times.”

To help support local businesses, the region’s Economic Task Force has been working on strategies to promote the support of local businesses, “while ensuring the health and safety of our residents,” he says, noting programs such as Downtowns of Durham, which supports vibrant downtowns, and Digital Main Street, which better equips local businesses for e-commerce.

“We’re committed to supporting our small businesses – the backbone of our economy – through this extremely challenging time,” Henry continues. “We will continue to work to ensure Durham’s economy comes out of this strong and proves that it is more resilient than ever.”

Many small businesses in Durham are connected to agriculture – an industry Henry says is “vital” to ensuring residents have access to fresh, high-quality and safe local food options for themselves and their families.

“It’s times like these that our strengths shine through brightest and we see how our communities come together,” says Henry. “I am reminded just how important the people and businesses of Durham are to make our region the best place to live, work, grow and invest.”