Support for businesses a priority for City Hall

May 6-11 is provincial Economic Development Week, a topic that City Hall does it's best to focus on not just this week, but year-round. 

Jim Dixon, manager of economic development here in Moose Jaw, spends a lot of time paying attention to the economic situation in the city. He regularly meets with business owners to hear their feedback regarding the state of business here.

“It's important that we connect with our existing business, find out what are the barriers to growth, if there are any, and how can we help to grow,” said Dixon. “You take notes and you collect data and you have some intelligence about the business community.”

Staying in contact and addressing the concerns of business owners is key to keeping the local economy thriving, says Dixon. According to Dixon, 80 per cent of new job creation in a city takes place at existing businesses, so paying attention to the continuing business owner is just as important as welcoming new ones.

Mayor Fraser Tolmie also takes care to visit business owners to check in — every Wednesday he takes a walk downtown and talks with a few business owners. The purpose is to connect with business owners and use their perspective to inform future decisions regarding the retention and expansion of local business.

“Sometimes people don't expect to kind of see you show up, but you get a real sense of the pulse of what's actually going on in our community,” said Mayor Tolmie.

This week, Dixon and Mayor Tolmie invited the Moose Jaw Express to join their walk, which stopped at Trino’s Menswear, Gemmell’s Shoes, and Oliv Tasting Room. 

Trino’s Menswear

The Regina business just opened another storefront, this time in Moose Jaw, and shares space with Bib & Tucker Clothing — a partnership that store owner Kim Martin thinks is beneficial to everyone involved.

In terms of being a business in Moose Jaw, Martin feels that the new store has filled a gap in the men’s clothing niche and the city has responded very well. 

“I think everybody that comes in absolutely loves the building, just the way that it's set up. . .  we're getting a lot of Moose Jaw people and we're getting really good feedback from that as well,” said Martin. “We're doing a lot on social media, so it's nice to see people following social media, you know, and different generations of people following, not just the young people.

“The heritage buildings are great, that's another thing. So it's nice and I think people really appreciate that, and I think that's why Moose Jaw does so well with tourism,” Martin added.

Gemmell’s Shoes

This business is a mainstay in downtown Moose Jaw; Gemmell’s Shoes is a third generation store, originally owned by Norm Gemmell and now run by his grandson, Nigel Gemmell.

The continued support from the City has helped Gemmell’s adapt and grow throughout the years, and Nigel has found that the relationships that a local shop builds are really the key to success.

“I think just that's really important, to build those relationships and the reason why people come back and will buy our product when they can get the same thing online,” said Nigel. 

He is impressed with the camaraderie that downtown business owners have, and the continued efforts to keep improving the downtown experience — whether it's flowerbeds in the spring or Christmas lights in the winter.

“We have a really beautiful downtown here that a lot of other people have come together, all the small businesses and mom and pop shops, that work together to try and make it appealing, beautiful for everybody and successful for everybody,” said Nigel. “It's really nice to see stuff happening.”  

Oliv Tasting Room

Another long-time business in the city, Oliv Tasting Room and owner Charmaine Frankel continue to offer an experience that focuses on her product. She finds that curating that memorable experience is what brings people back, and it's a tactic that Moose Jaw businesses do well.

“This is a very friendly — notoriously friendly — city and we're known for that, but we need to be known for the experience we provide down here as well. And if you can give that, I think it's going to build the city up because we can own that,” said Frankel. 

Part of that experience is connecting with other businesses and collaborating: Frankel has fresh bread from Taste by Katrina in the store on Saturdays, and Ellen’s on Main brings flowers over, a team-up that promotes all three businesses at once. 

Sharing the experience of business can only be positive, Frankel assures, and she is pleased to be able to offer her feedback to the city to inform the future.

“I think the city involving us is wonderful. It's a great feeling because you feel valued,” said Frankel. “There's a lot of business owners within the city that have a lot to offer, and if we share everybody's experiences there can only be room for success.”