Welcome to Your 2026 Resolution to Go Local
A new year feels like a clean page. Fresh goals. A little optimism. The sense that we get to begin again. At Excellence NB, we love this energy. It's the perfect moment to start building habits that feel good, strengthen our communities, and support the people who make New Brunswick special.
For 2026, we are inviting New Brunswickers to take on one powerful resolution. To go local.
This does not require a dramatic lifestyle shift. It simply asks us to look at our everyday routines and find easy, joyful ways to support the businesses, producers, creators, and experiences that shape our hometowns.
Throughout January, our team will be rolling out a series of blogs designed to help you turn your "Go Local" resolutions into everyday habits.
Want some inspiration for your own resolutions? Scroll down to see how our team members will be resolving to go local in 2026.
A Little Change Can Have A Big Impact
To make a real impact, supporting local has to be taken seriously. Choosing New Brunswick–made goods and services year-round helps keep money circulating in the provincial economy, strengthening local businesses and jobs. When shopping local becomes a consistent habit rather than a seasonal trend, it becomes a meaningful way to support long-term economic stability. This New Year’s resolution is about investing in New Brunswick’s future, one purchase at a time.
Add in Something Local into Your Daily Routine
Maybe it's choosing a local café for your morning coffee. Maybe it is discovering a small neighbourhood shop you have always driven past. The idea is simple. Take one part of your regular routine and make a local version of it.This resolution is all about curiosity, exploration, and adding a bit of local to your everyday life.
Executive Director
Mel's Resolution:
"This year my resolution is to take the things I already do—my morning coffee or matcha, my grocery run, dinners out, and drinks with friends—and make them local. That might look like grabbing a latte from Tony’s on Botsford, getting my produce at Dolma, fresh bread from Copain, meats from the Meat Boys at the market, and when I eat out, choosing spots like Calactus, Tide & Boar, or Taverna. Then catching up over local drinks from Magnetic Hill Winery, Happy Brewery, or Soeur Claudette.
If it’s part of my routine, I want to find a local version of it."
Refresh Your Wellness Goals with Local Options
New Year energy often comes with fitness goals and commitments to feeling better. Local fitness providers are part of that journey. Whether it is a fitness space, a wellness practice, or a relaxing New Brunswick experience, there are many ways to build local choices into your health resolutions.
Web Design & Graphics Specialist
Mariana's Resolution:
"I want to make my fitness routine more local this year by keeping my Muay Thai classes at Spitfire and swapping my big-box gym membership for a New Brunswick-owned training space like Fit Rocks."
Healthy Eating with Local Products
Every home has routines. Groceries. Meals. Weekly errands. Small substitutions can add up over time. Choosing local ingredients, local goods, or local producers is an easy way to keep more of your spending close to home.
Senior Graphic Designer
Brigitte's Resolution:
"This New Year, I am committing to a resolution focused entirely on nourishing my body and supporting my community. My primary goal is to move away from processed foods and focusing on fresh, whole ingredients available at spots like Market 37, Sequoia, and The Old Chrurch Farmers Market.
I plan to explore and patronize healthy, locally-owned restaurant options like Blue Lobster, Atelier Tony, and Le Moque Tortue, all while making mindful dining choices whether cooking at home or eating out. This will not only improve my well-being but also help build a stronger local community."
Rethink Travel and Weekend Plans
Sometimes the most restorative experiences happen close to home, and sometimes the most memorable trips are right here in New Brunswick. Choosing local experiences for your weekends or your 2026 getaways helps you explore the beauty of the province and supports local tourism operators at the same time.
Social Media Specialist
Brandon's Resolution:
"There’s honestly so much to experience here that I don’t feel the need to follow big chains. Local stays just feel different — warmer, more personal, and a lot more like home. When I travel, I want that same sense of comfort and connection, even when I’m away.That’s why, whenever I can, I choose local."
Celebrate Creativity and Culture Here at Home
Books, music, performances, galleries, local makers, festivals. Culture is one of the most joyful parts of life in New Brunswick, and choosing local creativity is an easy resolution to keep.
Program Coordinator
Rowan's Resolution:
“I want to take some acting workshops at Fort Heart Productions in Saint John to participate more in the New Brunswick arts scene.”
Make Local Swaps a Habit
The simplest form of a local resolution is a swap. Instead of a national chain, try a local alternative. Instead of ordering online, check a neighbourhood shop first. You will be surprised by how easy it becomes.
Marketing & Business Development Intern
Bruno's Resolution:
"This year, I want to use the Gift Guide and People’s Choice lists to discover more local food, cafés, activities, and products... Making buying local a real habit. One simple goal that I have is: On Saturday mornings, I want to skip big chains like Starbucks and try a different local café like Café Archibald in Moncton instead."
Your Resolution Starts Here
As you set your goals for 2026, consider how choosing local can become part of the way you live, eat, move, create, and explore. Local choices fit naturally into the routines you already have, and each one contributes to a stronger and more vibrant New Brunswick.
Small actions add up. A new habit becomes a pattern, and a pattern becomes a lasting change. When you choose local, even in simple everyday ways, you help build the kind of province we all want to call home.
Here is to a new year filled with goals that support you and the communities around you. Here is to choosing local in 2026.
