The Creemore
ECHO
Friday, August 28, 2020 Vol. 20 No. 35
www.creemore.com
News and views in and around Creemore
INSIDE THE ECHO
Steps taken
Support for local businesses PAGE 4
Corny or what?
Neighbours grow together PAGE 8
Publications Mail Agreement # 40024973
Farmers' Market constantly evolving
Photo: Bonnie MacPherson
Home Hardware owner Sarah Charlebois and staffer Michelle Glassey, like all those working for small businesses, adhere to required precautions and have had to get creative in order to serve customer.
Local Businesses Adapting to “New Normal” by Bonnie MacPherson When the pandemic struck, Jennifer Yaeck at Creemore Village Pharmacy found herself in a quandary. As large numbers of city residents migrated to country homes and transferred prescriptions from their city pharmacies, the volume of refills she was handling increased 100 fold. Yaeck was faced with a choice. Should she hire additional staff and train them
while struggling to keep up with the increased demand, or was there a better way? Without a crystal ball to predict how long the situation would last, she opted to manage the prescription service with existing staff and began transitioning to on-line orders for prescription refills. The change was well received, and with some long hours, Yaeck and her existing pharmacy staff were able to meet the needs of both
long time residents and those who have elected to weather the storm in this area. Pharmacy staff are still available by phone for those who prefer live interaction. The positive experience with the prescription order system led Yaeck to branch out into online shopping for clothing and giftware. She had always wanted to experiment with online (See “Lasting” on page 2)
Distancing makes team building a challenge by Bonnie MacPherson Late summer is typically the offseason for local robotics teams - a time when the focus is on individual skills practice, attracting new members and fundraising in preparation for upcoming competitions. In a normal summer, CyberGnomes Robotics, a group based in New Lowell would be visible at events like the Great Northern Exhibition, and a showcase at Station on the Green. This year is anything
but normal. Each year, CyberGnomes, Team #2013 builds a robot completely from scratch, then enters competitions where they pit their skills against teams from across the country, with winners advancing to international competition. Competitions are run by First Robotics, a charity devoted to encouraging youth to pursue education and careers in science and technology. High school students, mentored by
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industry professionals, work together to design and build robots under strict rules, with limited time and resources. Students are challenged to design a team brand, raise funds, and hone teamwork skills. Along the way they learn and use sophisticated hardware and software. In this time of social distancing, the team has been relying on virtual meetings to stay connected and offer (See “Cyberseason” on page 9)
by Trina Berlo It wasn’t a sure thing in the beginning, but the Creemore Farmers’ Market was able to open this summer, following guidelines from public health officials and Farmers’ Markets Ontario. The pandemic put a new focus on food and food distribution. It also forced market officials to put in place many new policies and procedures for a safe opening. “We felt, in Creemore, we would be able to do that so we went ahead and planned our market,” said market manager Helen Martin. Barriers, masks, and hand sanitizer were there to help people feel safe while shopping but there was no prepared food, and no coffee booth so that people are not encouraged to linger. She said the market is now designed to give people that face-to-face encounter with the food producers, which is an essential part of the farmers’ market experience, while maintaining a safe traffic flow. “We’re trying to follow that [public health] guideline as much as we can and still give people the experience of having a farmers’ market,” said Martin. “So, we’re constantly evolving.” The market outgrew the old barriers, so longer ones will be installed. Again, all of this is to meet public health recommendations. At the beginning, the market was open to farmers only but it has gradually been opening up to welcome back some of the other vendors. Martin said they are just now in the process of bringing back some of the artisans. “We’re trying to make the experience as normal as possible for people without it being a social gathering,” said Martin. She said initially, they were going to do online sales only, with pick-up at the market, by the time they actually opened at the end of June, the economy (See “Vendors" on page 3)