Winnipeg Free Press Opinion While we may not have a bank account deep enough to pull off a blockbuster deal like James Richardson & Sons did this week, we can — in our own small way — share the sentiment of supporting independent Manitoba businesses. The Richardsons’ purchase of the trucking firm Bison Transport, which has about $1 billion in annual revenue, was a deal between two Manitoba family-owned companies. It’s a commendable example of keeping a local company’s ownership, and the resulting capital, in the city. Retail businesses can only hope consumers echo this buy-local sentiment. When the code-red restrictions are lifted, the economy of this pandemic-wracked province will recover more quickly if retail shoppers share the Richardsons’ understanding of the importance of keeping the money in Manitoba.