Photo: City of Penticton

Mural behind Penticton's The Book Shop, painted by its owner.

The City of Penticton is bringing back its ‘Love Local’ campaign.

“By shopping local, we help each other out as a community, and this is especially important during times like these,” said Mayor Julius Bloomfield in a press release, ostensibly referring to ongoing fraught trade relationships with the United States.

“By purchasing locally grown food, for example, it supports local farmers and creates demand, making it possible to scale up operations, which would also benefit our food security. With the markets opening soon, this is a great opportunity to shop local, while being mindful of where our food comes from.”

The Love Local campaign was first launched in 2020 during the pandemic. Decals were distributed to local businesses to display in their windows, and a series of videos, blog and social media posts were launched.

City council has now agreed to renew the campaign, revamping the look and working with the Penticton & Wine Country Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Penticton Business Improvement Association and Travel Penticton.

“As the commercial hub of the South Okanagan, Penticton has all the conveniences of a big city – including a wide variety of shops, businesses, specialty services and some pretty incredible wineries and breweries that are being recognized on a global scale,” said Michael Magnusson, the chamber’s executive director.

“Love Local is about celebrating these businesses and showing how much they mean to our community.”

A limited number of "Love Local kits" will be handed out to businesses while quantities last, which can be applied for online here. There are also free Love Local decals available.

“Small businesses are the heartbeat of our community and we’re supportive of any campaigns that showcase downtown Penticton and the wonderful goods and services on offer,” said Brett Turner, executive director of the Downtown Penticton Business Improvement Association.

“Above all, we hope this Love Local campaign will continue to instill community pride and raise awareness of the importance of supporting our 3,600+ local businesses,” said Blake Laven, Penticton's development services manager.

There will be reels, blogs and social media posts rolled out in the coming weeks showcasing local shopping options.