Island Market to serve the community as best they can

By Justin Seward

Commentator/Courier

Island Market in Bow Island is doing what it can for the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The town’s grocery store will continue to offer their delivery service.

“You can phone in and give us credit card or whatever mode of payment and we will deliver to your doors as few as hands on as possible,” said Richard Mitchell, Island Market owner.

The orders are for anything the store has in stock.

“We’ll load your house down with whatever you want just as long as it’s reasonable,” he said.

Mitchell says there will be a limit of one package of toilet paper and the store is starting to get some in and if packs of soup are coming in, they will be broken into individual cans.

The store is trying to keep the lines at the check-outs separated as much as possible while disinfecting the carts constantly and tills after each customer.

“It’s tough to know exactly what the best thing to do is,” said Mitchell.

“We’re trying to keep the separation, we’re trying to keep the distance between us and the customers so my people can stay healthy. I give them (the staff) the option of wearing gloves. I think it’s a good thing to not transfer from wear to wear. I give them the option of wearing masks.”

Mitchell says after he is finished self-quarantine after recently returning from out of country, he plans to help the community any way possible.

“I will deliver it,” he said.

“ I have eight days (as of last Wednesday) of quarantine left but as soon as that is over, I will do whatever the public needs. If someone is in dire straights, we’ll do as much as we can.”

If the situation were brought forward to open an hour in the morning just for seniors, Mitchell would consider it, but most of those people are at the Pleasant View Lodge and are well protected.

“They don’t get out anymore. We deliver and set it on the door and somebody takes it to them,” said Mitchell.

“We don’t get enough customers around town in the morning to shake a hand at. If we deemed it necessary, in a heartbeat, we would do anything to facilitate a self- area.”

Prices have not escalated as a result of crisis, he confirmed.

Hours have stayed the same at the Market as well.

He hopes the government will come through with a stimulant package for the workers.

“If the government does, I plan to give that to my staff as a bonus for over and above what they’ve done,” he said.

Get More Bow Island Commentator →