The Crossfield Chamber of Commerce has announced a new program to promote spending at local businesses.
“Chamber bucks” can be purchased in $25 denominations and redeemed at various shops and services in town, according to a press release from the chamber.
“They can take them for a haircut at Sharpe as Steele or to Carmen’s Bigway for groceries, or they could take them to The Donut Man – wherever they want to take them,” said Crossfield Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors member Lyndon King, via the release. “It just keeps the money in town. The whole idea is to promote trade within the community.”
Charlotte Blackwell, the owner of The Donut Man, said she thinks the initiative is a great idea.
“Let’s help keep things within the community and see what it brings,” she said, adding The Donut Man has yet to have a customer use the vouchers, but they are looking forward to it.
King, who is the general manager of the Collicutt Siding Golf Course in Crossfield, explained that he is always looking for ways to recognize his employees during the holiday season, and said chamber bucks are a great gift idea that would help boost the local economy.
Blackwell echoed the idea, adding that while chamber bucks are great ideas for gifts, stocking stuffers, and thank yous, they can also be used to support people who are down on their luck and need support accessing local businesses.
The program is new to Crossfield, but according to King, the idea has been implemented elsewhere and has shown success. Just to the east of Crossfield, the Town of Irricana implemented similar support-local vouchers in 2020, known as “COVID Cash,” while the Village of Beiseker runs a program every November called Beiseker Bucks, to incentivize local shopping in the lead-up to the holiday season.
King said Crossfield businesses do not have to be chamber members to participate in the program.
“Quite often people will ask, ‘What will the chamber do for me? What will the chamber do for my business?’” he said. “We’re trying to spark internal trade. Crossfield isn’t the biggest retail town, but it all helps. It will help drive people to downtown.”
Chamber bucks are available for purchase at Collicutt Siding Golf Course, as well as from the chamber’s booth at the Crossfield Christmas Market on Nov. 5 and 6.
