Shop Local this Holiday Season

It’s hard to believe Christmas morning is now less than two weeks away. Whether you celebrate the festivities or not, the weeks leading up and following December 25 are the busiest time for the retail sector.

According to Daily Hive, Canada just had their biggest Black Friday to date, and December 21 is forecasted to be the next busiest day of 2018. Locally, store owners are preparing for the days to come and can further expect Boxing Day to be a big blowout.

And because small businesses are the backbone to our community’s economy, the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo recently launched the ‘Vocal About Local’ initiative to help ensure “our neighbours have employment and that we continue to have shops and services available in our region for the future.” For more information, updates and announcements, visit the Vocal About Local Facebook page.

The following lists products and services our local businesses have to offer during the holiday season with mentions to deal days and events happening throughout the city.

Your McMurray Magazine 2018 Holiday Guide

Our sister publication – Your McMurray Magazine – has a lot of great stories and information on the 2018 holiday season in its annual Holiday Guide. The Local Gift Guide features plenty of ideas for presents. Pick up a copy or check it out online.

And there’s more inside…

Canadian Tire – Tagged as ‘Your Holiday Experts,’ the staff at Canadian Tire have been prepared and stocked for weeks to help residents get their homes holiday-ready. As for gifts, the store has something for anyone and everyone with thousands of products available in each of their departments including tools & hardware, home & essentials, sports & recreation and a grand selection of toys. Check out the feature story inside the Holiday Guide available online.

The Wood Buffalo Brewing Company – Locally-made beer and spirits can make the best of gifts for adults enjoying a few festive drinks around the turkey spread. Drop into the Wood Buffalo Brewing Company to learn more about Fort McMurray’s best locally-produced alcohol products and how to make some seasonal mixers like the ‘Spruce It Up’ cocktail. Check out the feature story inside the Holiday Guide available online.

Keyano Theatre – Give the gift of theatre this holiday with tickets to the upcoming line-up at Keyano Theatre & Art Centre. Gift certificates are also available for any amount online, by phone at 780-791-4990 or in-person at the Keyano Box Office located at 8115 Franklin Avenue. Gift certificates do not expire. Click here to learn more about their policies. Check out the feature story inside the Holiday Guide available online.

Moonlight Madness

Starting today (December 13), the Moonlight Madness #iShopYMM event is happening at participating businesses throughout the city. Over 30 local businesses are offering customers discounts, deals and giveaways including:

Absolute Serendipity, Achieve Wellness Spa, Angela’s Unique Boutique, Benjamin Moore, Campbell’s Music, Caribou Flowers, Chocolates & Candlelight, Chow’s Variety, Clearwater Physical Therapy, Colour Me Pretty, Drop Dead Darlings, F&A Aquarium, FMGC, Fort McMurray Auto Body, Hair Affair Salon & Body Studio, JHG Automotive, Just Kidding for Kids, Kathy’s Fiber Arts, LifeForce Herbal Healing Centre, M&M Food Market, Modern Barber, Mr. E’s Solve-It-Torium YMM, Nerdvana, Northern Pet Emporium, Opa Fort McMurray, Piga & Pop’s Thrift Shop, Prime on Franklin, Spotlight Performance Wear, Sprouting Fawn, The Flower Studio, The Personal Florist/Blossoms, Timeless Bridal, Trapped Fort McMurray, Voigt Harley Davidson, Wood Buffalo Wine Cellar and Yvonne Lauren.

Click here for a list of flyers or see in-store for details.

Peter Pond Mall

The Peter Pond Mall is a convenient place to do a one-stop shop. It will be open on Christmas Eve (December 24) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and open again on Boxing Day with extended hours from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Click here for more information on store hours. Extended Holiday Hours start this weekend.

A special shopping event will also be taking place at Peter Pond on December 23 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. A number of participating retailers will be taking part for customers to complete some last-minute shopping. One lucky shopper will win a $200 shopping spree. Watch for more announcements on their Facebook page.

For those looking to have photos captured with Santa, he will be at the Mall from now until Christmas Eve. Click here for Santa’s Photo Hours. Pets will also have a photo opportunity with Santa Paws on Fridays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Happy Holiday Shopping, YMM Parents!

Dawn Booth, Editor of YMM Parent

About the author

Dawn Booth

Editor-in-Chief at YMM Parent | dawn@balsom.ca

Dawn Booth is the Editor-in-Chief of YMM Parent Magazine and Your McMurray Magazine. She has actively worked in the Wood Buffalo region's media industry since residing in Fort McMurray in 2007.

Her passion is writing poetry and puts it at the forefront of the community through her volunteer work as the President of NorthWord Magazine. Most important, Booth puts her family of five first, which includes her husband Ryan and their three children, Landon, Dawson and Tessa.