Local Business Update

At Megson FitzPatrick, one of our core values that guides us every day is Do the Right Thing.

With the global uncertainty, and sudden instability in so many people’s lives, doing the right thing feels more important now than ever.

We have compiled a list of some local businesses who are doing the right thing, helping our community, and providing much needed physical and emotional nourishment to everyone during the COVID-19 pandemic…

• When Accent Inns Victoria heard frontline workers were sleeping in their cars, worried about endangering their families after long shifts working with the public, they offered an all-time low rate for these vital community members to stay in their hotel. Countless generous Victorians started calling Accent Inns and offering to pay the nightly rate for essential workers, so Accent Inns partnered with the United Way of Victoria and now anyone who can afford it can donate through the United Way to cover accommodation for frontline workers who need a place to stay.
• Bin4 Burger Lounge is providing a free meal every day to all essential workers staying at Accent Inns Victoria during the crisis. For everyone else, food – made with locally-sourced ingredients – can be ordered for delivery through Skip the Dishes. (I can confirm Bin4 tastes very good when eaten on your couch.)
• In partnership with a local cosmetics company, Victoria Distillers is producing hand sanitizer with leftover alcohol byproduct, and offering it to health-care workers for free. Eliminating waste and keeping people safe!
• ColdStar Solutions, Sobey’s, and Finish Line Transport Ltd., are keeping food coming to Vancouver Island and distributed to our local grocery stores.
• You have heard about distilleries making hand sanitizers, but what about breweries making Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)? Victoria’s Phillips Brewing and Malting Co. is using its 3D printer to make the various parts needed for face shields. In non-pandemic times, the printer is used for generating parts needed for the brewing process; now, it is churning out parts for four face shields a day!
• Also producing PPE is Sidney-based Foreman CNC. The bespoke machine shop is now making face shields and ventilators to support local medical efforts.
• Synq Access and Security Technology has started manufacturing protective plexiglass barriers for cashiers at grocery and retail stores.
• Ferris’ Oyster Bar is providing a meal a day to all their laid off staff, as well as meals for other out-of-work service industry folk and their families. Anyone in the Victoria area can order Ferris’ for delivery for yourself, or donate a meal, through DoorDash. For only $8, you can help Ferris’ provide a meal to one laid off service worker, and $24 will provide a meal for a whole family.
• For ethically-sourced (and delicious!) meals delivered to your door, try Truffles Catering. A proudly local company, they are offering ready-to-heat meals (and some freezer-friendly options) at reasonable prices for everyone to enjoy. Delivery is free on orders over $40, and the menu changes weekly!
• One Yoga Victoria Ltd. now offers virtual yoga classes! For the low price of $20 per month, you can stretch and strengthen from your home with livestream and recorded videos for all skill levels. They are also offering some free livestream classes on Instagram.

We give our thanks to the businesses in our community helping those in need, and those adjusting their operations to ensure we can all still enjoy the service we are accustomed to, and we encourage everyone to support local business where they can!

Morgan Thomas, BA (Dtn.)
Project Management & Customer Experience Coordinator