When it’s time to move on

The experience of touring P.E.I. with newcomers looking for business investments

Wednesday had an early start to the day.

We met in the parking lot at the Red Shores Racetrack and Casino and began to climb onto the bright red charter bus shortly after 8 a.m.

The plan? Tour Souris and nearby areas with a group of 25 newcomers to the Island looking for business and investment opportunities.

This wasn’t the first time the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce (P.E.I. Connectors Program) held a bus tour to rural parts of the province for business development opportunities.

At 8:30 a.m., the charter bus rumbled out of the parking lot. Over the microphone the group was asked to raise their hands if they’ve ever been to Souris.

About three people raised their hands – four if you include me. When it was revealed that we’d be staying at each business for only 15 minutes, I quietly joked that it was similar to speed dating. A few people laughed.

Throughout the day, we saw the beautiful rural landscape and visited several businesses along the way – The Butcher’s Stop in Mount Stewart, Charlottetown Truck and Recreation Ltd., Rick’s Fish ‘n’ Chips in St. Peters, Warren’s Cottages and Quinn’s Marine & Machine Shop, to name a few.

The owners were surrounded by the curious group as they talked about the business. Questions about asking price and what was included were raised.

But something else became quickly apparent with each visit – the willingness of the owners to share personal details about their business and life.

This isn’t the typical information included in a sales pitch. But it gave the group a window into what it means to be a business owner on the Island.

We got a history lesson through the stories from proud Islanders of starting businesses from scratch and the ups and downs along the way. We also heard about the personal reasons related to the decision to sell or take on an investor.

And we heard about pouring your heart and soul into an idea, growing it into a successful business, and then decades later realizing that life is too short and it’s time to move on.

It was a moving experience to hear the personal stories of these Islanders as they proudly talked about their lives and businesses. In a sense, they were welcoming the newcomers and trying to make a personal connection. Of course, they were offering an investment opportunity, but they were also offering an opportunity to become a part of the Island’s story through the business they started.

It was a quiet ride back to Charlottetown. We arrived at the Red Shores parking lot at around 5:30 p.m. People exited the bus. There were a few goodbyes and then people went their separate ways.

It’s hard to say if any business deals will be struck as a result of the tour.

But one thing the group can take away from the experience is a better appreciation of what makes P.E.I. special – generosity, hard work and family.