LIFE’S UNDERTAKINGS...p

Since the beginning of the New Year I’ve had trouble reading and writing because I am in a perpetual state of eye-rolling.

Vaccine delays coupled with political blame games. Eye roll.

Kids to-go-or-not-to-go-to school. Eye roll.

Rumours about Mayor John Tory spending a weekend at his $10-million Florida mansion. Really? Eye roll.

As we march toward our one-year anniversary living life this way – locked down and shut down mentally, emotionally and physically – it’s tempting to lose hope that life will rebound better and brighter.

Our pandemic losses range from the indescribable, knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt your loved one died alone, to the trauma and indignity of poverty whether new because of job loss or long-time and escalating toward homelessness.

As a species we rarely, if ever, try to measure what we stand to gain from life’s cruel sucker punches.

Of course, we can easily focus on the loss of local jobs, neighbourhood vibrancy, culture, flexibility, convenience and spontaneity.

The impact of loss is especially real for me, my colleagues and the devastated families we serve because grief is acute suffering like no other; dying and death are all about loss.

Or is it?

I believe it’s still too early to talk about the “gifts of the pandemic.”

The families and individuals I watch transform and transcend their grief – in time, not overnight or by “staying busy” – are people who count all they’ve gained from loving the person who has died. A painful loss shape-shifts into a gift of gain, whether it’s life lessons, gratitude for joyful memories or the freedom of forgiveness, for themselves and/or the deceased.

As we are forced to watch our community and way of life change, might life feel better if we remain open to what good is emerging?

An example that’s close to home?

Our esteemed publisher, Roger Tumminieri. Here’s a lovely man who years ago dedicated himself (and his young family) to the rollercoaster wild ride of community magazine publishing. online format. Roger, like all entrepreneurs and small business owners, had to shift again when the pandemic hit.

Why? To feed our families while fulfilling a life purpose and calling; these are the driving forces fuelling the dreamers and doers who build small business.

The stakes are high for us. When a local business is shuttered, a bright radiant dream is smothered and extinguished, and local culture lurches one step closer toward gentrification.

Could Roger have ever imagined that by “losing” his original business model and income, he would gain new opportunities and inspiration? I sincerely doubt Roger looked into a crystal ball and saw himself renting a giant truck this winter, plastering giant stickers all over the vehicle and driving around spreading his homemade “I love Etobicoke-Lakeshore (EL)” message.

A grassroots promotion of local culture and community is a gain – for all of us. Community is immunity against fear, apathy and disconnection.

Roger, who is blushing right now, is doing his part to “love local” and “support local.” He’s assuming all the risks and we are reaping the rewards whether it’s showcasing local biz or increasing community pride.

How are the rest of us doing?

Like most people, I am not a big fan of “virtue signalling” – publicly preaching opinions intended to reflect well on personal character – so I’ll admit I often fail miserably as I make choices about what to buy and whom to buy it from.

In simplest terms, and what’s rarely discussed, is the sophisticated consumer intention and creativity that’s demanded when we want to “shop local” and “love local.”

The nefarious nature of big-box shopping has always been its convenience and uniformity. Thanks to the 12-month attack on small business and local culture (i.e., closed until further notice), uncreative thinking and shopping are becoming increasingly common.

Who has time to critically think through the lens of “How can I vote with my dollars?” or “How can I help my neighbourhood today?” or “What local business has what I’m looking for?” or “How can I stop buying from the Death Star called Amazon?”

Until we actually stop protesting the gentrification of our neighbourhoods and communities while claiming we have no power or no choice, policies will continue to favour – and bail out – big business over small; that inequality is as old as the

Let me jump down off my soapbox and invite you down into the underworld. What does “love local” mean in my industry? First off, allowing Roger to park his “I love Etobicoke-Lakeshore” truck in our parking lot!

But seriously. “Loving local” shows up as not buying caskets from China. Not giving dollars to Texasbased corporate funeral home conglomerates. Not RSVPing “yes” to a pandemic-style funeral or visitation and then being a noshow.

Didn’t see that coming? Sadly, we do all the time.

Funnelling our dollars throughout the neighbourhood so we save local entrepreneurs and community culture takes critical thinking and creativity, absolutely.

But showing up to a local funeral does not require brain power. Attendance does demand courage and bravery, and not because of Covid.

Remember being a teenager and no one coming to your party? No? Well, I know what that feels like. (I’m originally from Hamilton and loved tap dancing as a kid.)

Imagine grieving the death of someone you love during this terrible pandemic. You reach out for help, support, love, respect, friendship and compassion from your community. In many ways you are defiant in the face of fear and choose community and connection (i.e., host a service) over convenience (i.e., have a funeral “later,” which likely means “never”).

In every community across Canada (and the world) funerals are still happening. Two-day visitations are still getting booked. RSVPs are mandatory. Social distancing is in effect.

Except for a desolate outport in Newfoundland at the very beginning of the pandemic, the virus has never been traced back to a funeral home. Our “homes” have always been gathering spaces for community.

Yes, undertakers are not the sexiest advocates and allies of “shop local” and “love local” campaigns. But every day, like it or not, we open our doors to neighbours, families and friends with one single intention: to make another family, a devastated family, feel that they are not alone.

BRAD JONES

Owner, Ridley Funeral Home

When we consciously and creatively choose to “love local,” we’re doing more than saving the community. We’re protecting all that makes us human.

Let us not mask or muzzle our natural instinct to shield and show love to our most tender and fragile people.

Whether it’s a store front or a funeral pew, the world known as your neighbourhood needs us to step up and show up.

Each of us has a starring role in planting goodness into the communities we call home.

Community is immunity. Let’s see if Roger will put that slogan on his “I love Etobicoke-Lakeshore” truck.

Brad Jones is president of locally-owned, commission-free Ridley Funeral Home (3080 Lake Shore Blvd) in Etobicoke. He’s loving local by writing positive online reviews (they matter), boycotting big-box shopping (including Amazon) and streaming live local theatre so he can pretend he’s downtown, dressed up and celebrating date night. You’re always welcome to reach out by calling 416-259-3705 or emailing bradjones@ridleyfuneralhome.com .

KYLE BRUINSMA

Management Consultant at Office146 in Alderwood 146 Thirtieth St (South of Horner Ave) kyle.bruinsma@office146.com 416-834-4681 www.office146.com

I noticed many of the businesses in Office146 were approaching the building’s staff or each other asking for advice on what to do in the new landscape. Shortly after, Office146 decided to start a new division called the Business Advisory Team to help businesses navigate this confusing new world. They helped with everything from market analysis to hiring to international expansion and more. That’s when I came on board. I wanted to help. Eventually, we found that there is one primary thing businesses need now more than ever: funds.

58,000 businesses shut down in Canada during 2020. A further 181,000 are contemplating shutting down soon. That’s about one in six.

The problem is that - while businesses are well aware they urgently need funds - they have less time than ever to secure those funds. They are bogged down fighting day-to-day battles in the hopes they can eventually win the war. Get an extra sale here. Cut a cost there.

When Carlo Greco from a national media company first approached us, he knew the importance of what he was asking for. “We had been around since 2015 and our revenues had increased every year.” said Carlo. “Then came 2020.”

Carlo runs Preferred Magazine, an upscale magazine that can be found in first-class on Air Canada flights or Via Rail trips. “I had big plans, but my revenues dropped off a cliff,” he explained. “I didn’t know what was next for the business. I thought maybe I would have to pause operations. And in this business if you stop, you can’t come back, you are done.”

Getting private or government funding can be complicated and stressful. “I didn’t know which programs I could apply for. And I’ve since learned that with some grants if you apply for one, you can’t apply to another,” explained Carlo. “Some of those applications have 10, 20 pages. They ask about your back story, your financials, why you should receive the money, a breakdown of where the money is going, and more. Office146 helped me to communicate my narrative and make sure I had the best chance of getting funding. Everything Office146 did for us was based on our unique situation.”

Carlo continued, “The money I am now getting through funding changes everything. I am hiring even more staff than I originally planned back in 2020. I am expanding my business to other provinces. I am even starting a second business that helps train people in the media space. It’s made a world of difference to me and to my family.”

There has never been more funding available. Programs include CEBA (Canada Emergency Business Account), CERS (Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy), and the new Ontario Small Business Support Grant. Our Advisory Board includes a former Director at Business Development Canada, a CEO of several successful international companies, and a Scientific Grant Writer. I am proud to represent them now.

“As a Management Consultant with Office146, my team and I can help.” Right now, we are offering a free consultation to discuss grants, tax credits, subsidies, and other COVID-19 stimulus measures that might be available. Call me today at (416) 834-4681 or email me at kyle.bruinsma@office146.com.

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CARLO GRECO

Publisher, Preferred Magazine