Do you know the variety of businesses that are available in Port Sydney\/Utterson?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There\u2019s more\u2014much more\u2014than you may be aware of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
These villages may not have typical downtown cores of shops and offices, but the Port Sydney\/Utterson and Area Chamber of Commerce wants the community to know that the area has all the essentials and more. \u201cEven locals may not realize the extent of business that is available to them,\u201d said Chamber manager Sandra Watson-Brown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enticing outdoor features, including beaches for swimming in the summer, an outdoor skating rink in the winter, and its famous heritage tree on the banks of the Muskoka River, all draw people to live in and visit Port Sydney and Utterson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The communities are just a short drive from both Huntsville and Bracebridge, but they\u2019re surrounded by beautiful countryside. That led to the creation of their social media hashtag #CountryConvenience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are a beautiful area supported by great businesses,\u201d said Derek Watson-Brown, the Chamber\u2019s president. \u201cEverything you\u2019d need is right here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The organization recently qualified for government funding (administered by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce) to launch a Shop Local Campaign which is intended to help businesses with pandemic recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Client First Web Design and Graphics, a Chamber member, designed the campaign visuals to include nods to local waterways and the heritage tree, with leaves that fly off to form map points representing the Chamber\u2019s members in various locations. A comic strip was created too and was then turned into a video for the Chamber\u2019s YouTube channel (with audio courtesy of Country 102).<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith this campaign we want to remind people of how much there is here in the Port Sydney\/Utterson area,\u201d said Sandra. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The \u2018Shop\/Hire\/Find\/Choose Local\u2019 campaign messaging was chosen to encourage people to support local businesses in many ways. \u201cIf we want our businesses to still be here after the pandemic settles down, we need to support them,\u201d Sandra emphasized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/media-doppleronline-ca.s3-accelerate.amazonaws.com\/2021\/12\/KEnuvpkj-10407766.jpg\")
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