The world pandemic has proved to be hard on the world economy, and even the girl guides can't catch a break. According to CBC, COVID-19 has disrupted the flow of around 3.7 million boxes of their signature cookie sales. Boxes were sent out at the correct time for the year, but were unable to be peddled due to strict physical distancing limits implemented by government early on.

Girl guides in Rosetown were unable to finish their door to door sales for the current season, and have plenty to sell according to Denise Waldner. Thankfully they were able to prevent a large shipment from coming near the start of quarantine, and focus on the stash they currently have to sell. The some 105 cases never came to Waldner, instead being stored at head office and dispersed throughout Canada when needed.

(via Denise Waldner)

The cookies they have still need to go, and sales are mostly taking place through direct contact, Facebook, as well as different local businesses.

"We still have some of the mint cases locally." said Waldner, "They are also available at the ShopEasy. They have bought some cases from us to help in that way"

It was a difficult time for the classic cookies delivery, as they came just as everything started to close down. To help the girl guides, companies like Save On Foods, Sobeys, bought a good portion of cookies to sell at their retail locations. London Drugs and Canadian Tire offer online purchases along with their store sales. Waldner says sales usually see a portion of each box comes back to their unit directly, and they use that money to fund any supplies they need, camps, etc.

As for girl guide activities themselves, Girl Guides of Canada has suspended events until at least September. This has affected people from all over Saskatchewan, as some people were destined for big national camps, including an international event in BC this summer. The decision comes down from the national level, and that effects others differently. They hope to be able to attend events in the future as they play it by ear. In the meantime the girls have only been able to connect through online zoom meetings.

The Rosetown Girls Guides have 30 girls in their unit, along with 4 guiders on the roster. The calendar year would have ended already due to other spring activities that would have began such as baseball and soccer.

The unit will receive the full amount back from the 105 boxes they ordered from head office.

"Its wonderful because it's just something we don't have to worry about now" said a relieved Denise.

They have about 20 cases left to get rid of, and a little extra as they normally they tend to over order to be sure they can meet demand. To purchase cookies, people can contact Denise or her partner, and text is preferred.

Denise Waldner has been a guider for 8 years, first becoming one when their family lived previously in Whitehorse. She talked a bit about how girls can get involved in Girl Guides when next year comes, and she said how registration is now open.

"Registration never actually closes"

Interested parties can find the "join us" tab on GirlGuides.ca. The registration is good for the whole guiding year of September 1st to August 31st, so girls can experience the full plethora of options available to them.

They plan to re-open in December again when allowed, but the decision also hinges on Girl Guides Canada. December is when they would normally restart.

If you would like to get your hands on the famous Girl Guide mint cookies, you can text Denise Waldner at 306-831-2349, or contact her through Facebook.