Beiseker Mayor Ray Courtman is hoping to open a dialogue on business in Beiseker following the closure of some establishments along the community’s Main Street in the past few months.
In a post on his blog Write Ray! Oct. 23 entitled “Beiseker is Open for Business,” Courtman wrote that the loss has “really impacted the heart of our village’s commercial district.”
“It’s very important…to have a strong business community,” Courtman said. “In a small town, every business counts.”
Courtman said Beiseker has many positive aspects that appeal to both residents and businesses. He said the matter might simply be in creating a conversation that gets entrepreneurial ears peaked.
Considering Beiseker lies along a major tourist route out of Calgary on the way to Drumheller, Courtman said the central location brings four highways together on the community’s east end and connects to a main CN Rail line flowing through it.
With land and property available to suit many business needs and a kindergarten to Grade 12 school for families, he said there are plenty of reasons to set up shop.
“I often say that Beiseker is one of the best kept secrets in Alberta,” Courtman said.
Reading the news, he said there are numerous stories of innovation or reinvention leading to a flourish of a small town’s business sector.
Courtman said the story of 25-year-old chef Carly Minish of Swan River, Man. – who created a successful mustard business in her small town using the mustard seeds of local farmers – was particularly inspiring.
“I think, you know, geez, something like that could work in Beiseker,” he said. “I don’t know what ‘that’ is, (though).
“That’s up to the entrepreneurs.”
The Beiseker Home Hardware, which closed in the summer, was a meeting place for many in the community, Courtman said.
The loss of any business forces residents to venture to other municipalities to get those same products or services, he said.
“If they’re going elsewhere for their hardware, they’ll stop and get groceries and prescriptions and everything else,” Courtman said. “Soon, we’ll lose other businesses.”
