This week the Fernie Chamber of Commerce launched a new campaign to support Fernie’s businesses and their frontline workers. The campaign encourages residents and visitors to be “respectful, patient and kind” with staff as our local businesses navigate unprecedented worker shortages and the evolving public health guidelines, including BC’s recently introduced Vaccine Card.

Brad Parsell (Executive Director of the Fernie Chamber) explains, “Fernie’s frontline staff are absolutely critical to the success of our businesses and local economy. Unfortunately, there have been a handful of recent incidents of staff in local businesses being treated poorly by customers. We understand that people are tired, and frustrations are high. Fernie businesses are doing their best to provide exceptional customer service, but there are strong headwinds that some of our businesses are navigating with the twin impacts of labour shortages and the pandemic.

“Let’s go out of our way to be kind and supportive to the workers we do have that show up everyday and try to deliver a remarkable experience while on the backfoot. Thank them. Let them know they’re appreciated and that these ever-changing rules are not their fault. Taking out your frustrations on frontline workers is completely unacceptable, regardless of your situation or your ideology.”

The campaign will feature posters displayed in local business shopfronts that will be supported by an ongoing social media campaign by the Fernie Chamber. Residents are encouraged to share these messages in support of frontline workers.

Posters are available to be printed from the Fernie Chamber website or you can pick up a professionally-printed poster from 2nd Edition Coworking in the Free Press building between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.