6 ways the city of Montreal is encouraging buying local for the holidays

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante announced that the city is giving local businesses a boost for the holidays and encouraging buying local because “some businesses will not survive” the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am speaking to Montrealers who are getting ready to do their Christmas shopping. I am giving us the collective challenge of taking advantage of the holiday season to save Montreal’s commercial vitality.

“Montreal is implementing a $6-million plan to encourage local commerce for the holiday season! On the menu: 6 concrete measures, including free parking meters on weekends, extended opening hours and help with local delivery.”

The measures, from a city of Montreal press release, are as follows:

1. Free paid parking on the street, Saturdays and Sundays throughout the city of Montreal from November 14 to December 31;
2. Extension of retail opening hours from November 14 to December 31;
3. Continuation of projects to promote urban delivery for local traders;
4. Animation and development of the city centre for the winter period;
5. Deployment of crowdfunding campaigns implemented by SDCs, associations of traders and chambers of commerce;
6. Addition of $ 1.5-million to the Commercial Activities Consolidation Fund managed by the PME MTL network to support merchants in the digital shift and the physical development of their place of business.

Montréal met en œuvre un plan de 6 M$ pour encourager le commerce local en vue du temps des Fêtes! ???? Au menu, 6 mesures concrètes, incluant parcomètres gratuits la fin de semaine, heures d'ouverture prolongées et aide à la livraison locale????https://t.co/ljUwAdqx11 (1/3) #polmtl pic.twitter.com/pU53jDFQvx

— Valérie Plante (@Val_Plante) October 22, 2020

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