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New directory aims to amplify local BIPOC-owned businesses

The Guelph Black Heritage Society's 'Viola Desmond BIPOC Business Directory' is now live
20210302 Kween AD 2
Kween is the executive director of the Guelph Black Heritage Society and a business owner. Supplied photo

Amplifying and promoting BIPOC-owned businesses in Wellington County and Waterloo Region is the goal of a new directory from the Guelph Black Heritage Society. 

The newly-launched free online platform, named after civil rights activist and businesswoman Viola Desmond, has around 40 listings and is growing, said Kween, Guelph Black Heritage Society executive director.

Users can sort businesses by city or category to easily find what they're looking for. 

"It's just like going onto Google," explained Kween. "It shows you a map, it give you all the details you need."

As a business owner herself, Kween said the idea for the directory came from a recognition that BIPOC entrepreneurs are sometimes at a disadvantage when it comes to getting the word out about their businesses.

"So often we get overlooked," she said. 

The point was driven home to her by a recent report entitled 'Black in Canada' that suggested despite numbering around 1.2 million, only 2,000 Black Canadians are "recognized business owners."

Kween knew that couldn't be right. 

"When we look at Black and Indigenous communities, entrepreneurship is a leading force in our communities because we've not always had an opportunity to have a voice in normal business settings," she said. "And to see that number so low, made me realize that there needs to be more opportunity for us to get more amplified and be more recognized and supported."

The Guelph Black Heritage Society got permission from the family of Viola Desmond to name the business directory after the late Black Canadian civil rights activist, whose face is now pictured on the $10 bill. 

"For us at GBHS, I think it's really important that we honour the legacy of those who have come before us," said Kween.

While she may be best known for her activism against segregation in 1940s Nova Scotia, Desmond was also an entrepreneur who created her own line of beauty products and founded a beauty school that trained young Black women.

"That is just so beautiful," said Kween. "Especially during a time fo segregation, to see her push forward and create a business that not only amplified her but created opportunity for others." 

Along with allowing consumers to be more intentional about their shopping and answering the regular questions Kween gets in her DMs like "where can I go to get a Black-owned business that has food," Kween said she hopes the directory means "a bit of relaxation" for business owners who work day in and day out for themselves and their community. 

Originally envisioned as a platform just for the Guelph-Waterloo region, the registry has also been accepting submissions from other areas of southern Ontario. 

"We didn't want to limit that capacity," said Kween. "Because we all travel, we all support each other."


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Alison Sandstrom

About the Author: Alison Sandstrom

Alison Sandstrom is a staff reporter for GuelphToday
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