CANMORE — George Sucharda has enjoyed 25 years of performing remodels, renovations, bathroom upgrading, and making and installing kitchen cabinets. In 2015 he incorporated Simply George Construction to offer cleaning services for residential, commercial, and construction clients.
“We wanted a strong presence in Canmore because we live here. This is home and this place has so much potential,” says Sucharda.
When the pandemic shut down businesses across Alberta, he and his team suddenly faced a slew of postponements and cancellations. For Sucharda, this is disappointing as clean, sanitized spaces are more important for than ever.
“Distancing is not a problem for us because that is not difficult to achieve on a construction site, and it’s definitely not a problem in cleaning houses, since they are empty while we do our job,” says Sucharda. “
"For residential cleaning we also use special sanitizer that creates a film on cleaned surfaces. This film is undetectable, but it is antibacterial and stays active for seven to 10 days fighting germs, including coronavirus.”
The anti-microbial cleaner is effective because once the carrier (water) evaporates, spongy nanoparticles remain that contain the biocide. When a pathogen settles onto the biocide layer it triggers an additional release of disinfectant. It is a powerful, patented process that kills germs, but is safe enough so people and pets can interact with the surface (light switch, door handle, faucet, etc.) without being harmed by the active ingredients. Think of it as a long-lasting hand sanitizer, but designed for hard surfaces.
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Like many local businesses, Sucharda reached out to the community and government supports on offer, but most of the programs are not accessible. “The banks promise a lot, but deliver very little,” he says, frustrated with the mix of information and differences among support programs offered from one institution to another.
Despite the setbacks, Sucharda and his team are ready and able to be at work. All the necessary distancing and sanitation protocols are followed to protect the team and the clients, and he knows their cleaning routine and products can go a long way in helping residential and commercial spaces stay sanitized.
“Let’s get back to business as fast as possible to minimize the damage that has already been done,” he encourages the community. “You can contact Simply George Construction at 403-707-5698, or just talk to me on the street – I’m active in the community, and easy to find.”
Nerissa McNaughton is a freelance writer and regular contributor to Great West Newspapers. This story was funded by the Facebook Journalism Project Supporting Local News Coverage of COVID-19 Program via the Local Media Foundation.
