Okotoks small businesses, schools and more invited to share the love through budding online campaign

Okotoks-based business Bliss launched an online campaign designed to bring hope to small businesses struggling to stay afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Okotoks, Alta. — Brittany Prete, owner of the Okotoks-based business Bliss has teamed up with photographers Janine Sept and Dana Lattery in an effort to bring a little happiness to the community at a difficult time for everyone.

Prete says she’s known Sept and Lattery for a while and after a similar project they were doing in Olds and Airdrie produced results, she knew that Okotoks had to get onboard with a positive vibration campaign of its own.

“This is a really small, business-heavy community, so I knew that Okotoks would want to step up and partake. I’m calling it our campaign parade of joy.”

Prete’s business Bliss is a shared co-working space for women entrepreneurs. Due to the pandemic, all ten business previously operating out of the space have had to put operations on hold.

“We’re basically bringing in no money right now.” Prete says “but Bliss means pure joy and utter contentment and our plan is just to continue to serve the community by bringing joy and happiness and positive energy without actually providing physical services to our clients.”

Lattery and Sept drove from Olds Wednesday morning to photograph about 20 local business as well as participants from a school, a couple of car dealerships and an Okotoks MLA.

They say this project feels different from their typical wedding and outdoor photography and videography shoots. “For us it’s the interaction with people," said Sept. "We're pretty hands-on used to getting a lot closer and spending a lot more time together.” .

“It’s fulfilling for us to go around and see all this” added Lattery. “Letting people in the town have a chance to come out of their business to forget all the stuff that’s happened and share a little positivity."

Lattery and Sept want everyone to feel free to pick up a camera or smart phone, make a sign and get involved with the project as well.

“There’s such a sense of unity though all of this," he said, "that is the core messaging to keep: everybody feeling like they’re a part of something and are able to engage in something positive.”