Grey County is launching a shop and explore local campaign and contest called Rediscover Grey.
Over the next nine weeks, it will highlight businesses and activities in each of Grey's nine municipalities and talk about why it's important to support locally-owned businesses and how it can be done.
One of the suggestions the campaign makes, is to leave a good review online for a local business if you enjoyed your time there.
County Marketing and Communications Specialist Heather Aljoe says the contest encourages people to post photos of places around the county with the hashtag #Rediscover Grey and post it on social media.
A winner will be selected by County Staff and will receive one of two prize packs each week with $150 in gift cards for businesses around the county.
Aljoe says giving out gift cards instead of local products encourages people to physically go these businesses and see all they have to offer, “Maybe go places they wouldn't go regularly but if they have a gift card, they get encouraged to go in and explore something they haven't done before.”
The county has created some useful online resources during the pandemic, including the online Business Resiliency Map and the new Outdoor Activity Map.
The locally run Business Resiliency Map shows local grocery, food and retail locations that are currently open and their hours. It also has restaurants, pharmacies, healthcare, community food programs, and other businesses.
The Outdoor Activity Map shows local patios, canoe and boat launches, beaches, scenic areas, trail access, waterfalls and parks.
The Rediscover Grey campaign's weekly spotlight on each of the county's municipalities highlights places that are considered 'gems' and places people may not have been to before or know about.
So far, the County has profiled Chatsworth and the Town of the Blue Mountains and Meaford is next on the list.