Big Catch Communications
217 Second St. E. K6H 1Y6 Cornwall, ON, Canada

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. We will remember them.... . . . Theo Moudakis for The Toronto Star See more

Big Catch turns 4! Time flies when you're busy loving what you do :) Huge thanks to everyone who has supported this small business since Day 1!

Perch on The Hill!

Do you know of a local business that wants to improve or upgrade their technological capabilities? RSVP now for our seminar this Friday on a local federal prog...ram that helps fund technology innovations in our local businesses. Learn from businesses who’ve already used the program and how you can apply. Register at www.EricDuncanMP.ca/RSVP.

If you run a small or mid-size business, I highly recommend looking into the Technology Innovation Program head up by the Cornwall and The Counties Community Futures Development Corporation. This boutique advisory service can pair you with an appropriate advisor (like me!) to talk through your pain points re: marketing/finance/digital presence/operations/etc.and then help you identify and implement tech-based solutions that can help you. Bonus: There's funding available to help you out, too!

The passion project lives on! Perch 5: Coming soon to a coffee table near you.

If you've always dreamt of your small business having a downtown address but didn't think it was possible, you need to apply to Win This Space! Pro tip: If you need convincing or just want to know more about the value of the program, talk to Kelsey at Love and Lee and Sue-Anne at Fairy Sweet, two past recipients who have added so much vibrancy to the downtown core.

Sunday is National Book Lovers Day! If you're looking for your next read, have a look at this list from The Cornwall Local. My favourite made the cut :)

Mea culpa. I've been quiet on this page but the same doesn't hold true when you consider what's happening behind the scenes. What has kept me busy? Crafting new creative for clients including the Cornwall and The Counties Community Futures Development Corporation, Cornwall & Area Chamber of Commerce, John D. Warner Insurance Brokers Inc., Tri-County Literacy Council, Be Beautiful Medical, Tourism SDG and more! Diving into an eight-week personal essay writing class the wo...nderfully talented and helpful Diana Spechler. Eating up the information in a day-long class on data visualization and design with Information Is Beautiful. Immersing myself in the words of great speakers during the three-day 3 Percent Conference on the Radically Inclusive Future of Work (on now!). Getting all the bits and pieces together for the print edition of Perch magazine. Prepping for a couple of pop-up projects this week: one for Perchclick below for detailsand one for my kid. And finally, most importantly, ensuring my 8-year-old is safe, happy, and fed. I'm planning on switching up my social strategy but you'll have to wait a little bit longer to see what I have planned. I'll be back in a few! Hope you'll stick with me :)

Today is National Indigenous People's Day. It's a day for honouring the history, culture, and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples in Canada. Beyond that, it's a day to listen and learn about the past, acknowledge the harm done, and take actions for change. ... This afternoon at 4pm: Join the discussion about the ongoing tragedy of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls. Led by the Cornwall Interfaith Partnership and Knox - St. Paul's United Faith Community: https://bit.ly/3hAoDAt (Zoom) Order books from the Native North American Travelling College: https://www.nnatc.org/shop (Plan to visit this incredible local resource in Akwesasne/Cornwall Island once it reopens after renovations.) Explore the Indigenous People's Atlas of Canada, a groundbreaking four-volume atlas the dives deeply into the . (Purchase here: https://bit.ly/3eywvk9) and online education tool (see here:https://bit.ly/2Bo6Bkm). Watch NFB films made by Indigenous creators: https://bit.ly/3hPuCkQ Donate to Indspire, an organization that invests in the education of First Nations, Inuit and Métis people: https://bit.ly/3dnbPdp Listen to/Watch/Support local Indigenous media like CKON Radio and Akwesasne TV. Read about our Mohawk brothers and sisters and support their work and passions. (Full disclosure: these are all stories produced by Perch magazine.) Kiawenti:io, the young woman who played the first Indigenous character on the acclaimed show Anne with an E: https://bit.ly/30XMK6e Thomas and Phillip Barreiro, two of Canada's top contenders in Greco-Roman wrestling: https://bit.ly/3dpBHFf The late Margaret Peters who dedicated her life to preserving and celebrating the Mohawk language: https://bit.ly/2V3ZVyG Snipe Clan Botanicals, the small business that uses traditional knowledge to produce teas, tinctures, salves, face creams, hair serums, and more: https://bit.ly/3hNj6GO Seven Leaf, Canada's first Indigenous-owned and led medical marijuana production operation: https://bit.ly/3hK5WKC Tisha Thompson and her beauty company Babes Cosmetics: https://bit.ly/2Bo8kWS Three Feathers Internet Cafe's fan-favourite corn soup: https://bit.ly/2NgbzSN (part of a roundup of local food and drink) Penny Peters and her deep-rooted love of winter: https://bit.ly/2zQKJO5 Troy Thompson and his past project to give back to the community: https://bit.ly/30ZawPj. He recently opened Akwesasne Organics, a CBD boutique on Cornwall Island. Wetanoron Roundpoint, the young author of Sila and the Land: https://bit.ly/2YiLCZa The late beloved Chris Thompson and his work to strengthen relations between two communities: https://bit.ly/314hwKS Niio Perkins and her beautiful brand, Niio Perkins Designs: https://bit.ly/2BpBHIb

We're so excited for those who get to return to what they do best!

#BlackOutTuesday's impact does not come from silence. It comes from muting our own content and uplifting the voices of those who need it right now. Learn. Donate. Amplify.... https://fbcfcn.ca/ https://blackyouth.ca/ https://www.blacklegalactioncentre.ca/ https://www.antihate.ca/ See more

Since there's been so much discussion about helping our small businesses, I thought I'd share this webinar hosted by the Canadian Urban Institute. It takes place tomorrow (Tuesday) at noon and features a great panel including my brilliant friend Charles Montgomery of Happy City. The group will discuss cities in the time of Covid-19 and explore what we can do to help our main streets. Tune in if you can!

Maybe you know this already: I call each and every project that comes across my desk "my baby". So I'm proud and excited to announce that after months of incubating the 2020 SDG Discover Guide and new website, this baby is born! The dream team (IMHO)made up of Nick Seguin and Karina Belanger at Tourism SDG, Susan Marriner at Marriner Design, Gina Dragone at Gina Dragone Photography, and Big Catchreimagined the guide to be an experience more than a traditional tourist guide.... In flipping the pages, you'll travel to the four corners of our region and meet some of our favourite locals who share their personal recommendations for things to see, eat, shop, and explore. With any luck, you'll also discover some new surprises. I hope you'll have a look and use it to start planning your staycations! Download your copy at www.whereontariobegan.ca or look out for it when local distribution starts next week! . TourismSDG . #SeeYouSoonSDG

Two new support programs for small businesses are rolling out soon. Sign up for this talk on Friday at 2pm to get details on these initiatives from Cornwall and The Counties Community Futures Development Corporation!

I'm just going to leave this here.

Small businesses make up the soul of this city, IMHO. If you run one of them (with less than 25 employees), you could qualify for the Cornwall Small Business Emergency Support Loan program that was approved by City Council tonight. The loanup to $5,000 with a forgivable portion of 20%is an opportunity to get much-needed help. Find all the details here: https://choosecornwall.ca//cornwall-supporting-local-smal/