Archive News from Digital Main Street

Hannah Cowell spent a lot of her youth participating in fishing derbies and tournaments, and a lot of the time that meant hanging out in guy clothes. “Or if it was girls-related, it was like bright, hot pink... there was nothing in between.” Fishing has always been a big part of Cowell’s life, it’s a tradition she’s shared with her dad since she was a child. But it’s also one of those passions where women are underrepresented – at least when it comes to marketing and accessories. 

For Kimberley Lewis, owner of Markdale Flowers, 2020 was full of those days where you just have to go with it. It was a year of last-minute Zoom weddings and massive parties cut from 120 people to 20. It was unpredictable, strange and emotional.

Prior to the pandemic, entrepreneur and retired teacher Erika Dick had been toying with the idea of resurrecting Educational Games of Excellence, the board game business she’d built and shuttered in the nineties. But COVID-19 turned out to be the push she needed.  

Main street businesses can no longer treat digital presence as an afterthought. The pandemic has proven that, says Jamie Nowe, digital marketing expert and team lead for Durham’s Digital Main Street program.  

Larisa Ferchichi had been waiting 10 years for the right opportunity to launch her business. So when she finally opened Fresh Organic Spa Bar in Brampton last year, she was ecstatic – even when the pandemic meant shutting her doors a few weeks later.