Bringing a community together while keeping them physically distanced
A table that a convenience store in Spruce Grove put up to keep employees and customers physically distanced during the pandemic has become a symbol of community.
When the pandemic began, many stores began putting up Plexiglas screens to help keep people safe.
At Century Convenience in Spruce Grove, they wanted to do something different as the screens felt like they were shutting the customers out, according to the co-owner. Instead, one of the owners of the store and a customer built a table to put in front of the check-out counter.
“I thought maybe people would get mad because of the distance and everything… but everyone’s loved it so much and they don’t want us moving from here,” said Jaskiran Kaleka, the co-owner of Century Convenience.
“I went and got paint it to kind of match the counter but then people came in and started asking, ‘Can I sign it?’”
The table is covered with names and notes from customers, some from as far away as B.C.
Notes on a table at a Spruce Grove convenience store. Sunday Jan 16, 2022 (CTV News Edmonton)
“I’m so thankful for the people in Spruce Grove here, I can’t thank them enough, they’re really beautiful people,” said Kaleka. “They’ve helped us through the pandemic so much, we didn’t even think that we’d be still keeping our door open.”
Once the pandemic is over, Kaleka plans to put the tabletop turned keepsake on display on the wall.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
NEW More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Do these exercises for core strength if you can't stomach doing planks
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Polar ice is melting and changing Earth's rotation. It's messing with time itself
One day in the next couple of years, everyone in the world will lose a second of their time. Exactly when that will happen is being influenced by humans, according to a new study, as melting polar ice alters the Earth’s rotation and changes time itself.
The federal minimum wage is going up in April. Here's what you need to know
The federal minimum wage is set to increase next month. Here's what you need to know.