01-03 Communities

Dr. Li Wenliang’s story is a “heart-breaker”. He warned the authorities in Wuhan, China in December 2019 that he had treated seven patients with a new virus that looked a lot like the former SARS virus. He was punished by the authorities. He died.
The interesting point of the story is that he used a medical web site to warn his colleagues, and that sent the story around the world. Today with the web and social media communities are connected to communities.
It is not hard for me to define a community, although the term means different things to different people. It may be a small town. It may be your graduating class. It may be the local German Club. To me, it is about groups with emotional ties.
And, how about “The Escaping Society”, comprised of WW2 airmen who escaped from prisoner of war camps and were hidden in people’s attics. This global community funds the medical and educational expenses of the families that helped them.
My grandmother’s old neighbourhood in an ethnic area of downtown Toronto was her community. And at the centre of this community was the local grocery store. During the Spanish Flu, the store delivered. And people that could not pay their bills had it “put on account”. Many died and did not pay their accounts.
And during the Great Depression, it was the “Instonians” in Toronto that helped my father and their friends. These were all immigrants that went to school at the Royal Belfast Academic Institution or “Inst.”. They did business together and helped each other. And they had fun every Saturday night. Could not believe that my dad could do an Irish jig. And, recite all ten verses of Paddy McGinty’s Goat.
I have been a promoter of small business as the founder and President of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. The key issue that few understand about small business and communities is the blend of commerce and emotion.
And during the Coronavirus, we are seeing lots of innovation, lots of employees working at home, and lots of new cottage industries.
Like using 3D printers at home to make face masks. 3D printers are a new technology found in classrooms and science labs.
My father’s history as a custom tailor was jumping into the officers’ uniform business at the outbreak of WW2. He was part of several communities. Suppliers emotionally involved in the war effort. Competitors who would help each other if they were caught short of anything.
But what about the grocery store across the road, and the six homes behind his store. During the war, my dad would take me to these homes for tea and a glass of milk. And if anyone was in trouble dad would arrange for groceries to be delivered to them.
He was no more or less kind than the average small business owner. It is more about communities where relationships are emotional.
And all over the world, entrepreneurial people dealing with the Coronavirus will reach out to people where there is an emotional attachment. Restaurants sending food to people in their area. Personal savings being used to pay employees wages.
This is totally different than giving to the Salvation Army or the Red Cross. This is about communities.