The Town of Cochrane's Economic Recovery Task Force (ERTF) has launched a new campaign that focuses on shopping local, safely. 

Business Development Manager with the Town of Cochrane and task force lead Mike Korman says research shows that health and safety is a major concern for consumers, so they did some research, gathered some feedback and decided to launch this campaign.

"It came from the Economic Recovery Task Force, we did a survey of many of the businesses in town and they overwhelmingly wanted the task force to help with a shop local campaign and promote the local businesses."

He says consumers want to feel safe while shopping and business owners want the same. 

"We also found that citizens were hoping that they know how to be safe and the businesses want to ensure to the customers that they are safe, so we sort of put the two together."

Korman says local businesses can sign up to participate by going here

"The Open and Safe program basically makes the businesses sign a pledge that they are following the Alberta Health authority laws and that they're doing what they can to ensure their customers are safe."

The Town will then provide businesses with checklists, door signs and stickers. 

"We'll give them a package that they have with stickers and signs and graphics to put all over their stores that says that they are open and safe and we will promote them as such on cochrane.ca."

Korman says this is an important step to help local businesses thrive. 

"I think it's really important. I think the residents of Cochrane have done an incredible job of keeping the pandemic away from Cochrane and I think that they want to continue to do so and we want to ensure stores are open and open appropriately and that we do see that come-back happen in a safe manner."