The Artisan Post

Depends who is asking. Ask anyone, are you essential? Is what you do essential? Is the business you run essential?

Most of us would answer yes. Of course. To ourselves, to our clients, to our families, to our communities, and to our province… maybe even further.

And all of a sudden, because of some random virus and dare I say, some over-reaction, you and I, and what we do, are deemed non-essential by our governing authorities.

Hold the phone. When the consequences of the corona virus were less known, lockdown and precautions were viewed as acceptable and necessary. Twelve months later, not so much.

We need a new narrative.
ALL BUSINESSES ARE ESSENTIAL.

Ask any one of us. Does what you do contribute to society as a whole? Is what you do essential? Are you essential?

Absolutely.

Meanwhile our government has chipped away at all of us, bit by bit, expensing us, and our businesses, chipping away at our very existence… all in the name of their sacred cow of ‘Health Care’.

It’s such a high price to pay; I wonder if there isn’t a deeper power trip that has overtaken the vision of our leaders.

So to set the record straight, your and my jobs and businesses are essential! To get up everyday with purpose and to work is how we are wired. It’s how we connect. It’s how we earn a living. It was how we were contributing to this province. But over the last 9 months our provincial leaders have decided on and off when they feel we are no longer essential. In essence, we are expendable.

And they are wrong. ‘Stay home, stay safe’ didn’t take care of business. And many have lost businesses and jobs. It’s nonsense, and doesn’t line up.

Like a tightly woven fabric of diverse entities, we are all, in one way or another, interdependent on one another. From hair salons, to restaurants, to construction, to manufacturing, to engineering, energy, education, sports, food, farming, and beyond, we are all interdependent on each other for survival.

Then add in the extra layers of recreation, worship, and personal wellbeing… it all weaves into the necessity of existence. When you start pulling apart the fabric, after awhile the whole thing starts falling apart. Do you realize this, Mr. Ford?

ALL BUSINESSES ARE ESSENTIAL.

And as of today our government whittled away at our existence again… down to not much more than food and healthcare.

And these too will crumble without the rest of us. This is unacceptable and needs to change immediately.

We need a new narrative.
Mr. Ford, ALL BUSINESSES ARE ESSENTIAL.

Open our province. Our livelihoods are not yours for the taking.

Remember your entry slogan, ‘For the People’? How about a little reminiscing? You are in office ‘For the People’!

ALL of us, with our jobs and businesses, are essential for Ontario.

People of Ontario, this isn’t looking like it will end well if we simply allow this government to tell us when we are no longer needed.

What if we turned the tables and wrote off the premier (and some of his cohorts) as NON-ESSENTIAL??

If ever there was a time to unite as fellow business owners, this is the time.

Whether through local chambers of commerce, trade groups, net-working, or rallying together we are long overdue to pressure this government to open the province.

Their idea of grinding our province to a halt is not an option.

In case Mr. Ford and his government, and those chief medical officers all forgot, they all function on our dime. That’s right. Last time I checked, we pay the taxes which contribute to all of them having an occupation. I’d say with the billions we contribute to their wellbeing, we’d have a say in matters.

And they best take care of the hand that feeds them.

One last time Mr. Ford.

ALL BUSINESSES ARE ESSENTIAL.

Open the province. …or you may just find yourself written off as Non-Essential.

Photo by Michał Parzuchowski on Unsplash