Staples, shoes, stickers, stencils and more! Vaughan has everything you need for school
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#ShopVaughanLocal for all your back-to-school supplies
Get those backpacks ready – another school season is just around the corner and the City of Vaughan is reminding citizens to #ShopVaughanLocal when shopping for supplies. Everything students need for the 2021/2022 academic year, including tutoring and education-support programs, are available from local businesses here in Vaughan.
Get your school supplies by:
- shopping in-person, online or curbside at a local business.
- buying gift cards from local stores.
All that shopping making you hungry? Support local by:
- ordering takeout or delivery from a Vaughan restaurant or café.
- dining safely in a restaurant or on an outdoor patio in the city.
Don’t forget to share the local love by using #ShopVaughanLocal on social media.
To help you find the right stores before heading back to class, visit the City’s Open for Business online directory, which includes many services and Vaughan-based businesses that are open or providing modified operations in person, by phone, online, takeout or delivery in compliance with provincial regulations. Vaughan businesses interested in being included in the list may apply through this online form.
If you are looking for some end-of-summer fun before heading back to school, check out visitvaughan.ca for ultimate staycation ideas – including family fun adventures, delicious eats and more right here in your own city. Look for the Safe Travels Stamp to know the places in Vaughan that have adopted a global standard of health and hygiene protocols. With the Stamp, you can safely and confidently #ShopVaughanLocal.
As COVID-19 continues to evolve, the City remains committed to working with all levels of government to support entrepreneurs and small business owners. Maintaining the competitiveness of the local economy throughout the global pandemic is a priority. The #ShopVaughanLocal initiative and Open for Business directory are just two of the many measures introduced by the City to provide relief to the business community and ease the financial burden caused by COVID-19. Here are some other examples:
Vaughan Business Resilience Plan
On June 23, 2020, the City launched the Vaughan Business Resilience Plan (PDF) as an immediate and long-term plan to help Vaughan’s business community build capacity to adapt to the post-pandemic world. Through this plan, the City’s Economic and Cultural Development department will continue to:
- help businesses and the economy build resilience.
- build resilience into key economic opportunities and strategic sectors like healthcare, supply chain and manufacturing, and tourism.
- share Vaughan’s reimagined public spaces within physical distancing guidelines and invite the community to experience Vaughan’s culture and arts.
For more information, visit vaughanbusiness.ca/COVID.
Advisory consultations
The City’s Economic and Cultural Development team offers advisory consultations via tele- or video-conference, email and phone. The department is also hosting educational webinars. For information, additional resources or to book a consultation, visit vaughanbusiness.ca.
Increase your consumer’s confidence
Vaughan businesses can reassure a safe dine-in and shop-in customer experience through two consumer confidence identifiers: the POST Promise and the Safe Travels Stamp. These nationally and internationally recognized identifiers are a visual cue acknowledging that business is working to prevent the spread of COVID-19, following public health measures and supporting a safe return to in-store experiences.
How to apply:
- Make the POST Promise – a self-declaration for any type of business through a national not-for-profit corporation that was built specifically for this effort. Taking the POST Promise is a pre-requisite for the Safe Travels Stamp and the Vaughan Safe Travels Toolkit.
- Apply for the Safe Travels Stamp and Vaughan Toolkit – a nationally recognized program through the World Travel and Tourism Corporation and the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) for tourism businesses, including restaurants. To apply, complete the Safe Travels Stamp application. Once confirmation from TIAO is received, email tourism@vaughan.ca to request the Safe Travels Vaughan Toolkit. This kit will include marketing assets to share the stamp on your business’ website, social media channels, e-newsletter, counter signs, window decals and more, all shipped free of charge.
Increasing consumer confidence is part of an economic resiliency strategy for the City’s Economic and Cultural Development department, inclusive of Tourism Vaughan. For more information and to apply, visit vaughanbusiness.ca/ConsumerConfidence. The City is also reminding businesses that a business license may be required to operate within Vaughan.
To stay informed on the City of Vaughan’s latest business resources and initiatives, entrepreneurs can sign up for the Economic and Cultural Development department’s eNewsletter at vaughanbusiness.ca/enewsletters.
To receive Vaughan’s COVID-19 updates as they happen, sign up for the City Update eNewsletter at vaughan.ca/CityUpdate and follow the City’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn channels.
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