It害羞草研究所檚 time to put your money where your mouth is 害羞草研究所� or as the case may be, where your pet害羞草研究所檚 mouth is.

The chatter on the Capital News害羞草研究所� social media accounts continually reflects a local interest to see businesses provide a wage that area residents can survive on. Whether it害羞草研究所檚 mandated by government or simply the fruits of a successful enterprise seems to be the only point of contention in this 害羞草研究所渟unshine tax害羞草研究所� beleaguered corner of the world.

Well, someone害羞草研究所檚 gone and done it. They害羞草研究所檙e offering the wage we害羞草研究所檝e all been saying is needed.

In case you害羞草研究所檝e missed what I believe to be the most important story this week, Buckerfield害羞草研究所檚 announced that as of Sept. 2, all of its full-time staff at eight stores on Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland, Okanagan and Shuswap will be paid according to a 害羞草研究所渓iving wage害羞草研究所� scale.

A living wage being the standard of pay based on actual living costs in a given region. Around here, according to the Central Okanagan Regional District,that was $18.42 as of 2014.

It害羞草研究所檚 a significant departure from B.C害羞草研究所檚 mandated minimum wage of $11.35 an hour and it offers more people in this valley to live well.

It害羞草研究所檚 yet to be seen whether it will be tenable, but I suspect it is, especially if we all decided to support it.

And why wouldn害羞草研究所檛 you?

It害羞草研究所檚 not simply dollars and cents we害羞草研究所檙e talking about. This decision says this corporation values and respects its employees and it害羞草研究所檚 showing it in the only way it has to offer害羞草研究所攆air remuneration.

If they can succeed doing it they will prove definitively that those in this valley who don害羞草研究所檛 pay a fair wage, yet seem to live quite well themselves, aren害羞草研究所檛 savvy business owners.

They害羞草研究所檙e failing to show respect to the very people who ensure they are able to make ends meet and why should we, as consumers, respect that?

So, for the first and likely only time of my career I害羞草研究所檓 going to offer some shopping advice害羞草研究所攈ead to the store that offers you more than the goods that get rung through on the till.

Spend your dollars in a way that proves you respect your neighbours and see value in the work they do. Maybe, it will come back in spades 害羞草研究所� shovels, rakes and general well-being.