Passport to Christmas is back in Lacombe and this November and December you can begin collecting your stamps by spending money at local participating businesses.  

“The Passport to Christmas project is set up by the Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce to help promote local shopping, in Lacombe, Bentley, Clive, and the surrounding areas. So that people during the Christmas period recognize and realize that we have some of the most incredible stores in Alberta within our reach,” said Jeffrey Hanger, Executive Director of the Lacombe and District Chamber of Commerce.  

Hanger added that all of the participating businesses are within a 20 minute drive of the City of Lacombe.  

For every $10 you spend at a local participating business you get a stamp on your passport. A full passport can be entered to win a grand prize of $3,000, a second prize of $1,500, and a third prize of $2,000 in Lacombe and District Shopping Bucks. Hanger hopes the incentive encourages people to shop local.  

“The people that are running these stores are probably running these stores eight days a week. They're bringing in the products that you want, they are employing your friends and family that you have. On economic development term, buying local is everything. In terms of retail, it's even more important because we need to make sure that those dollars are not going off into some sort of website somewhere halfway across the world. They're actually being used here within our community,” explained Hanger.  

Last year, Passport to Christmas monitored $3 million worth of transactions and there were 75 business participants. However, this year they’ve seen an increase of participating businesses and 90 local businesses will be taking part in this year’s program.  

“Now that the restrictions for COVID are being lifted, people are getting out, and people are getting going shopping. The stores are recognizing that Passport to Christmas is a fantastic way to get their business mentioned. It will be mentioned on the radio, it'll be mentioned on our website, and of course, it's printed within the passport itself,” said Hanger. 

Shoppers have until Christmas Eve to submit all their passports and people can submit multiple passports if they have the stamps. Uncompleted passports can be submitted for a partial passport prize. 

The prize draw will take place live on Sunny 94 at 2PM on January 3, 2023.