The president of the Sarnia-Lambton Chamber of Commerce says supporting local businesses has never been more important.
The message comes as the border will reopen on November 8 for fully vaccinated Canadians to go to the U.S. for non-essential reasons.
Allan Calvert said local companies are the heart and culture of our main streets and have helped local residents through the pandemic.
"They have been adapting, innovating, and pivoting more than most of us will ever know," said Calvert. "We're not out of the woods yet. To reiterate, now is the time to celebrate with them. It's still not as simple as you might think (to go to the U.S.) and we've done an outstanding job in putting a lid on COVID. They're still struggling with that in the state of Michigan, their cases are through the roof with literally thousands of new cases daily."
Calvert said there are many ways to help them without even spending a dollar.
That includes writing a positive review, referring them to a friend, or liking their social media pages.
He said many are welcoming the relaxation of capacity limits to return to more normal conditions.
Small Business Week is being recognized from October 17-23.