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South Cariboo plans for economic recovery

Organizations in British Columbia and throughout the South Cariboo are reaching out to businesses to find out what the financial impact of the wildfires has been and looking into options for what can help.
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Organizations in British Columbia and throughout the South Cariboo are reaching out to businesses to find out what the financial impact of the wildfires has been and looking into options for what can help.

The South Cariboo Chamber of Commerce is encouraging all businesses to call the Economic Disaster Recovery Program Hotline at 1-877-422-3377. The hotline will ask business owners questions to distinguish the business and community’s needs long term and is also able to reach out to businesses to offer them support and help them navigate various issues they may be facing.

So far, in the 100 Mile House area, Dale Wheeldon, the president and CEO of the B.C. Economic Development Association, says they have called back 92 percent of respondents in the area.

He says 78 per cent of respondents so far from the 100 Mile House area are concerned with a loss of business revenue and that 70 percent are looking for some kind of assistance.

He says around 20 percent have had to lay off or terminate employees due to the wildfires.

However, he does say 62 percent of businesses in the area were able to assist their employees over the course of evacuations.

“That’s very impressive, that’s a very impressive number that they actually went out of their way to assist their employees,” he says. “We are using the information that we are getting from these businesses — which in many ways is the biggest part that we can play — is to use that information to really encourage additional support for businesses and that is what we are working towards and we hope more information will become available.”

The association is also looking into creating Economic Recovery Teams to help businesses as they rebuild into the fall.

Additionally, “the Chamber is also concerned with the insurance issues that our community is facing in the real estate markets and with ICBC,” says Shelly Morton, executive director of the chamber.

“During this time of need, we have heard many stories from business owners and home buyers that purchasing insurance did not go smoothly. We have spoken with MLA [Donna] Barnett and MP Cathy McLeod regarding [this] and the Chamber will be moving forward to research this issue.”

The Chamber is also offering memberships to any business in the South Cariboo for no membership fee until renewals in 2018, says Morton.

“The Chamber wants to express the importance of being connected with the Chamber during the economic rebound of the South Cariboo. Businesses will be facing hardship and that is understood by the Chamber,” says Morton.

Memberships can be accessed by calling 250-395-6124 or by emailing Morton at manager@southcariboochamber.org.

For ranchers in need of support, the government of B.C. has issued a release acknowledging the hardship faced by those in the industry and saying they will work quickly with industry stakeholders to develop a “fair and timely response” for those who are in need.

MLA Donna Barnett is also encouraging businesses to reach out to her at her office through email at beverly.marks@leg.bc.ca or by phone at 250-395-3916 so she can get an idea of what businesses are facing.

“I just want to get an overall average so when you are talking to government you can say look, this is what it has cost in jobs, in dollars and cents, in economics,” she says. “What can we do to help these people.”

Barnett and the Chamber are encouraging people to shop locally.

“It’s going to be up to communities to help communities in any way they can,” says Barnett.