A St. Albert woman is encouraging residents to use their talents as a form of currency as the province navigates through tough economic times.
Deborah Donick is the owner of Moments photography. Earlier this week she started St. Albert Contra, a Facebook group that promotes trading services dollar for dollar.
“There are no extras right now,” said the part-time photographer and owner of Moments Photography. “Even though let’s say someone needs their roof done, they’re not in the position to go there, so they’ll try to weather another year.”
At a time when some are struggling to meet even the most basic needs – food banks have been overrun by demand since the drop in oil prices – it can be especially difficult to afford the constant upkeep on a home or the unexpected cost of a car repair.
Donick said she feels it’s her responsibility as a member of the community to help out her fellow neighbours.
“In difficult times, I think in all honesty it’s what we’re supposed to do,” she said.
Whether an individual is handy around the house, has a green thumb or is comfortable with a pair of clippers, everyone has something they can offer.
The first to post in the group, Donick offered her photography skills in exchange for replacing her roof.
She noted that with wedding season coming up, many families might find the cost of the celebration a bit of a financial burden. This exchange could trim up to $5,000 off their total costs.
Donick said she will leave negotiations up to the parties involved, but expects trades to be made with integrity and honesty. Although listed as a buy and sell group on Facebook, she said this is not a place to sell or exchange items.
An hour after creating the group on Monday, 70 members had already joined. That number more than doubled by Tuesday morning.
“I think people are definitely starting to recognize that we’re in tough times and it’s not going to get better in the next four months,” said Donick.
Alberta’s unemployment numbers are higher than the national average based on the latest numbers from Statistics Canada, released last Tuesday. At 7.4 per cent, they are the worst seen in two decades.
The Edmonton area is faring better than the rest of the province with an unemployment rate of 6.2 per cent and the creation of 4,100 jobs since September 2015.
Interested residents can join the group on Facebook by searching: St. Albert Contra – Trade Services $ for $.
