Small Business Month

5 S M A L L B U S I N E S S M O N T H - S U P P L E M E N T T O T H E W I N N I P E G F R E E P R E S S - S A T U R D A Y , O C T O B E R 1 7 , 2 0 2 0 Shop on our website now and get 10% off using promo10 at shopheyru.com Includes: 75g Hibiscus Loose Tea 90g Monk Fruit Sweetener 50 Biodegradable Tea Filter Bags Includes: 7oz Whipped Shea Butter 10ml Cool and Calm Essential Oil 10ml Sweet Spice Essential Oil After a long fun day out in Riding Mountain National Park, check-in at Elkhorn Resort for a treat! Stay in a double queen or a king room with fireplace, choose a meal from our extensive menus at the Buffalo Bar or soak the day away in the Equinox Mineral Pool at the Solstice Spa. Contact 1.866.355.4676 or frontdesk@elkhornresort. mb.ca to book your stay! www.elkhornresort.mb.ca 3 Mooswa Dr East, Onanole, Manitoba Your New Office Awaits If your workspace isn't becoming to you, you should be coming to us. Looking for new desks, chairs, or complete renovation of your space to assist your workers' post-COVID return? Let our sales, configuration, delivery, and installation expertise transform your office to meet your needs. 204-944-8194 | www.artmetz.ca | info@artmetz.ca Manitoba's authorized Teknion and Global Furniture dealer COVID-19 has forced many of us to work from home and cancel our tropical getaways this winter, but that doesn't mean we can't get up close and personal with nature. Recreational vehicles have been popular during the pandemic as more Manitobans explore the province. Photos courtesy of GNR Camping World RV Centre If you prefer your plants and trees living in the wild, Trevor Olynyk has you covered. The sales manager of GNR Camping World RV Centre has a wide range of recreational vehicles at its Dugald Road location that can help you not only survive but thrive in the great outdoors. T wo local companies are here to help, whether nature to you means outfitting your dining room office with tropical plants and turning your backyard into a natural habitat or heading out on the road to explore what Manitoba has to offer. St. Mary's Nursery & Garden Centre has welcomed all kinds of new visitors this year who have been eager to paint their uncallused thumbs green. Carla Hrycyna, co-owner of the 35-year- old destination location just south of the Perimeter Highway, says plants and anything plant-related — such as shrubs, annuals, perennials and ornamental grasses — have been moving quickly. But it's the "newbie" customers who have established themselves in 2020. "We're getting people coming in who have never grown anything before. They're venturing into uncharted territory. They've physically got their hands in the dirt as much as possible," she says. Living in a bubble for weeks or months at a time convinced many Manitobans that they needed to spruce up their homes with greenery, such as citrus trees, cacti, succulents and ficus trees. But the new additions do much more than simply make the place look and smell nice. Plants are also good for air purification. "They give us oxygen," Hrycyna says. "They're also motivational. They can be your new pet to look after — just put them in the sunlight and make sure they're fed properly. Greenery indoors livens up the space but it's also been known to increase productivity." (One word of caution: If you do have pets or young children around the house, make sure to tell a staff member at St. Mary's because some plants can be toxic. You can get a good sense of what's suitable for your little ones by going online and checking out local poison centres.) St. Mary's isn't your typical garden centre. It also has a fashion store for women, a gourmet section and gift store on the premises. In a few weeks, the entire facility will transform into a winter wonderland, featuring Christmas trees, live-cut greenery, silks, florals, berries and birch poles. This much-anticipated seasonal display takes about six weeks to create, so anyone who visits early enough will have the chance to witness the transformation in person. If you prefer your plants and trees living in the wild, Trevor Olynyk has you covered. The sales manager of GNR Camping World RV Centre has a wide range of recreational vehicles at its Dugald Road location that can help you not only survive but thrive in the great outdoors. "A lot of people who had never dreamed of camping in their lives have bought RVs this year. I have customers who own vacation properties in Mexico or Florida and are unable to get there (because the U.S. border is closed) and they're buying RVs to explore Manitoba and support the local economy," he says. At GNR Camping World RV Centre, new and used RVs start at $70 biweekly, and financing can be arranged on site. These RVs can sleep as few as two or as many as 10, depending on the layout and the number of bunk beds. The fancier the model, the more technology that can be controlled by your fingertips. For example, some models come equipped with satellite systems that enable you to turn the heat or air conditioning on or off, automatically level the vehicle or even put the awning out so it's ready for Happy Hour. You can even go RVing if you don't have a trailer hitch or a vehicle to tow it. Olynyk's crew will deliver any kind of trailer to a private campground or provincial park, hook up the water and sewage and all you've got to do is unlock the door. "It can be a turn-key little cottage that you never have to move but it's way less expensive," he says. Even after a vaccine for COVID-19 has been found and the border is opened up again, Olynyk thinks the popularity of RVs will keep growing for a number of years. "People aren't going to be jumping up to go to the U.S. until things get under control with the pandemic. I have customers who camp in Manitoba in the summer and then head to Texas for the winter and they're saying they're not going back to the U.S. and are now on permanent seasonal sites in Manitoba," he says. "It's great for the economy." ■ By Geoff Kirbyson

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