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Beautiful downtown restaurant and gift shop turning to community to survive Covid-19

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This GoFundMe request is indicative of the atmosphere so many small businesses have been forced to try to endure for the last two long years.  

Here’s an opportunity for people who love these particular businesses to have the opportunity to save them.

From GoFundMe

Tribe & Sunworks Need your Help

It’s time for us to ask even though this is extremely uncomfortable. We have exhausted all of our other options. Sunworks and Tribe need your help to keep open until life returns to some sort of normal. We’ve set up this GoFundMe page with the hope that you’ll come to our rescue. Please consider giving to help us through what we all hope is the end of the pandemic.
What follows is our story of our struggle to survive, while so many of our fellow retailers and restaurateurs haven’t. This industry has been especially hard hit, and in many ways overlooked in policy and funding decisions. We know you have watched us, supported us when you could, and had us in your thoughts as the community wrestled to keep everyone safe and healthy.

Here’s our story.

In 2019 Tribe and Sunworks were both in the process of restructuring and expanding, when everything went sideways at the start of 2020.
Sunworks
Sunworks sold most of its inventory and moved in March of 2019 to its new location on Little Gaetz. What remained, our customers and friends carried by hand in a long fire line from our old location to the new one. 2019 our revenues were sparse as we worked to rebuild our inventory and adapt to our new space. This is important to note because it is the 2019 figures that all the COVID-19 grants were based upon. By the end of the year Sunworks was up and running in our new place but still working to rebuild the business. Things were steadily improving in spite of the economy, which you will recall was pretty flat.
COVID struck in the beginning of 2020 and we did our best to adapt. We used our closed time to build an online shop and to install a takeout food counter so that when we were able to reopen we would have improved services and hopefully multiple streams of revenue. With only one employee we worked to keep the store alive through online sales. She did a fantastic job and you supported us through the first couple of months of shutdown.
We used the government loan funds to help us with these projects and those at Tribe. Funds went to the staff to keep some of them employed and also for the building costs to improve the space.
Most recently, the Omicron wave has by far been the most difficult for us, striking our business in what should have been the busiest season of the year. Sales were down about 60K for the shopping season, which is typically the time we make it or break it.
Tribe
As you know restaurants and bars suffered a lot more than retail and other industries. We had longer periods of closure and restrictions. We were unable to keep many of the staff employed but did what we could to help them. We hired, trained, and reopened no matter how limited after each shutdown. It became a cycle of layoffs, retraining, and adapting. Quite exhausting for everyone.
In 2019 Tribe was expanding and taking on new liabilities as we doubled the size of the space with the long term vision to build what is now Tribe River Bar. During the shutdowns and restrictions we used the time to make renovations and improvements as best we could. We tried to adapt for ‘online, curbside, and delivery’, but quickly discovered that our customers, although they loved our food, were coming for the ambiance and romance of the room itself. We had limited success with the strategy even though we tried multiple apps.
The Omicron wave hit Tribe with equal force. Christmas parties and celebrations were postponed, and the new year was very minimal. We did what we could with the workforce we had. There were days that we had more cancellations than bookings. Revenue was a quarter of what it should have been. It made the preparation and planning nearly impossible.  There has been a lot of food wasted during the restriction. All of this created chaos and hardship for the staff.  Our most loyal staff are hanging on with faith and hope.
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As we progressed with the pandemic we didn’t qualify for many of the grants, because most were based on 2019 revenue numbers and our businesses were expanding, taking on new lease/mortgage commitment or debt to grow prior to the pandemic. Although business was down in 2020 and 2021 compared to 2019, it wasn’t enough to reach the threshold for grant approval. Expenses were not considered. Growing businesses across the country fell through the cracks with the funding program with the exception of new debt. We are liquidating what we can to minimize the growing debt. The workload this created for business owners like us was unsustainable. Almost daily we were forced to choose among the most urgent tasks to leave for the next day.
Our local bank has been exceptional in helping us through some of the worst times by postponing payments. This added to the future debt owing but at least it allowed us to operate.
Which brings us to today. We have exhausted all of the options we had to keep our heads above water. We’ve delayed payments to CRA (which is never a good thing), refinanced everything we can, limited labour hours and cut costs wherever we could and held off mortgage payments. Omicron has created such uncertainty among the public who are growing weary of the pandemic, who don’t want to get sick nor spread the virus any further. The weather has been too cold to encourage restaurant bookings. Add this to a very weak Christmas and New Year season, which normally supports us through until the warm weather in April, and we’ve reached the end of our rope.
Here is what we are proposing.
During the course of the pandemic, we have had numerous customers call or comment to ask how they can help, offering money to support the utilities or other expenses. We have up until this point have appreciated the calls of support but have struggled onward. We expected the situation to improve more quickly and we certainly worked hard to set ourselves up to succeed once life returns to some sense of normal.
Our commitment to you is that if you fund us now, once we are back on our feet and revenue has recovered, we will make contributions to the Red Deer and District Community Foundation to assist in other community needs in the future. We have no idea whether our asking for help will be met with respect or with the good intent we mean. We are grateful for everyone that has supported us over the years and particularly through this pandemic crisis. If you can help now it will mean a lot to us.
9,565 raised of $25,000 goal

58 donations

Updates (2)

Todayby Terry Warke, Organizer
Thank you you everyone for your support. We are 36% of the way. We appreciate everyone’s efforts. Please feel free to share this campaign with those whom you think would want to know and help. We are hoping that by the end of next week we’ll reach the goal and can begin to address some of the issues that have accumulated over the past two years. Also, thank you to many of you who have come to shop for Valentine’s day or who have made reservations at Tribe. We are feeling the strength and support of our community and this gives us hope. As always please give us a call or stop in if you would like to. chat. Paul and Terry.
Organizer

Paul Harris
Organizer
Red Deer, AB

After 15 years as a TV reporter with Global and CBC and as news director of RDTV in Red Deer, Duane set out on his own 2008 as a visual storyteller. During this period, he became fascinated with a burgeoning online world and how it could better serve local communities. This fascination led to Todayville, launched in 2016.

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Trump considers $5K bonus for moms to increase birthrate

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Quick Hit:

President Trump voiced support Tuesday for a $5,000 cash bonus for new mothers, as his administration weighs policies to counter the country’s declining birthrate. The idea is part of a broader push to promote family growth and revive the American family structure.

Key Details:

  • Trump said a reported “baby bonus” plan “sounds like a good idea to me” during an Oval Office interview.
  • Proposals under consideration include a $5,000 birth bonus, prioritizing Fulbright scholarships for parents, and fertility education programs.
  • U.S. birthrates hit a 44-year low in 2023, with fewer than 3.6 million babies born.

Diving Deeper:

President Donald Trump signaled his support Tuesday for offering financial incentives to new mothers, including a potential $5,000 cash bonus for each child born, as part of an effort to reverse America’s falling birthrate. “Sounds like a good idea to me,” Trump told The New York Post in response to reports his administration is exploring such measures.

The discussions highlight growing concern among Trump administration officials and allies about the long-term implications of declining fertility and family formation in the United States. According to the report, administration aides have been consulting with pro-family advocates and policy experts to brainstorm solutions aimed at encouraging larger families.

Among the proposals: a $5,000 direct payment to new mothers, allocating 30% of all Fulbright scholarships to married applicants or those with children, and launching federally supported fertility education programs for women. One such program would educate women on their ovulation cycles to help them better understand their reproductive health and increase their chances of conceiving.

The concern stems from sharp demographic shifts. The number of babies born in the U.S. fell to just under 3.6 million in 2023—down 76,000 from 2022 and the lowest figure since 1979. The average American family now has fewer than two children, a dramatic drop from the once-common “2.5 children” norm.

Though the birthrate briefly rose from 2021 to 2022, that bump appears to have been temporary. Additionally, the age of motherhood is trending older, with fewer teens and young women having children, while more women in their 30s and 40s are giving birth.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt underscored the administration’s commitment to families, saying, “The President wants America to be a country where all children can safely grow up and achieve the American dream.” Leavitt, herself a mother, added, “I am proud to work for a president who is taking significant action to leave a better country for the next generation.”

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Trump: China’s tariffs to “come down substantially” after negotiations with Xi

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Quick Hit:

President Trump said the 145% tariff rate on Chinese imports will drop significantly once a deal is struck with Chinese President Xi Jinping, expressing confidence that a new agreement is on the horizon.

Key Details:

  • Trump said the current 145% tariff rate on China “won’t be anywhere near that high” after negotiations.
  • He pointed to his relationship with Xi Jinping as a reason for optimism.
  • The White House said it is preparing the groundwork for a deal, and Treasury officials expect a “de-escalation” of the trade war.

Diving Deeper:

President Donald Trump on Tuesday told reporters that the steep tariff rate currently imposed on Chinese imports will come down substantially after his administration finalizes a new trade deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping. While the current level stands at 145%, Trump made clear that number was temporary and would be adjusted following talks with Beijing.

“145 percent is very high. It won’t be that high, it’s not going to be that high … it won’t be anywhere near that high,” Trump said from the Oval Office, signaling a shift once a bilateral agreement is reached. “It will come down substantially, but it won’t be zero.”

The tariff, which Trump previously described as “reciprocal,” was maintained on China even after he delayed similar penalties on other trading partners. Those were cut to 10% and paused for 90 days to allow room for further negotiation.

“We’re going to be very nice. They’re going to be very nice, and we’ll see what happens. But ultimately, they have to make a deal because otherwise they’re not going to be able to deal in the United States,” Trump said, reinforcing his view that the U.S. holds the leverage.

Trump’s remarks come as markets remain wary of ongoing trade tensions, though the White House signaled progress, saying it is “setting the stage for a deal with China.” The president cited his personal rapport with Xi Jinping as a key factor in his confidence that an agreement can be reached.

“China was taking us for a ride, and it’s not going to happen,” Trump said. “They would make billions a year off us and build up their military with our money. That’s over. But we’ll still be good to China, and I think we’ll work together.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said Tuesday that he expects a cooling of trade hostilities between the two nations, according to several reports from a private meeting with investors.

As the 90-day pause on other reciprocal tariffs nears its end, Trump emphasized that his team is prepared to finalize deals quickly. “We’ve been in talks with many, many world leaders,” he said, expressing confidence that talks will “go pretty quickly.”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt added that the administration has received 18 formal proposals from other countries engaged in trade negotiations, another sign that momentum is building behind Trump’s broader push to restructure global trade in favor of American workers and businesses.

(Li Xueren/Xinhua via AP)

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