Communities across Canada will be missing a personal welcome for new residents in the future following an announcement by Welcome Wagon Canada they will be closing the business.

Welcome Wagon, which has been a fixture in Canadian communities since 1930, is folding after suffering a severe blow as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The organization suspended its operation in March because it was unsafe to continue the home visits that were the core of what they did, forcing Pat Neuman, president, and CEO, to announce Welcome Wagon Canada’s permanent closure, calling it “heartbreaking".

"This decision did not come easily, and was a very difficult choice to make," she said in a statement. "We tried every possible solution to try and keep Welcome Wagon functioning through the pandemic, but our efforts were not enough," said Neuman.

Spanning 90 years in communities across Canada Welcome Wagon representatives would contact new arrivals and present information of businesses and recreational activities in the local community. Visits included a basket full of information, resources, free gifts, and gift cards from sponsoring local businesses.

Without being able to do the visits and with the majority of the businesses Welcome Wagon relied on as partners and sponsors closed, there was no choice but to declare bankruptcy and close permanently, according to Neuman.