The Tumbler Ridge Chamber has been working to compile a list of impacts to businesses in Tumbler Ridge.
“The last two months have been difficult for many people but devastating for many businesses throughout BC,” says Jerrilyn Schembri, Executive Director of the Tumbler Ridge Chamber of Commerce. “We are doing what we can to ensure that local businesses survive. The main thing we can do to ensure businesses survive as residents of Tumbler Ridge is to shop local when possible.
Since the federal and provincial government started putting restrictions in place to stop the spread of the coronavirus, over 120 people have been laid off by the local small business community.
This includes hairdressers, massage therapists, estheticians and other companies that provide personal services, which have been ordered to close by the Provincial Government.
Kaila Pack, who owns Kaila’s Hair Studio, says the projected date that personal service companies can re-open is May 30, but this could be extended. “The time off was nice in the beginning, but I can’t wait to get back to work, the cabin fever is setting in,” she says. “I love my job, and my clients, so I hope that we flatten the curve and I will get to return to work soon.”
While she is not working, her landlord is not charging her rent for the month of April. “The CERB is basically enough money to pay bills and some groceries,” she says. “Definitely nothing extra, not that we are supposed to go do things anyway. I’m just glad we don’t live above our means, and that its putting us in financial trouble.”
However, while she is glad the council has proposed to cut taxes to local businesses, that doesn’t directly affect her, as she is renting. “I really wish that council had extended the tax cuts to residents though, because me not working for at least two months makes it harder to pay land taxes on our properties.”
The lay-offs also includes staff at restaurants. Some restaurants remain open for pick-up and delivery, but their wait staff is not needed. Others have temporarily closed.
Or, in the case of Club 55, they haven’t even opened. “Covid-19 has dramatically impacted my business,” says owner Amber Bell. “We were going to open to the public April 15 2020 and have our first large catered event on April 9.”
They were supposed to be doing a Mother’s Day brunch on May 10, but that has been postponed. While they are hoping to do something later this year, that’s still unlikely.
“A wedding party cancelled today and I haven’t heard from grad (300 person) contract but I’m expecting it’s cancelled too. Almost all profit is brought in when large groups of people are gathering, having fun eating, drinking and spending money. This is large catered events,golf tournaments, men/ladies nights and wing nights. None of which are likely to occur this year, and if they do, it won’t be till the fall.”
She is hoping to be open May 15, but that depends on if she can negotiate a reduced rent, as she is not going to have use of the dining room for at least a few months. “Being pick up and delivery will impact profits greatly, but I want to do it! I want to be here for the community and offer fresh, quality food options at a fair price point,” she says.
But if she does open, she is only expecting to hire a handful of people, compared to the 20 she employed last year.
Hotels and other tourist related industries have also suffered with government requesting people stay at home and not travel. While they have not been shut down—like estheticians—or restricted in how they can do business, like restaurants, they are still very strongly impacted.
But even industrial businesses in town—trucking, logging and crane services—are being impacted.
Schembri suggests local business owners monitor bi-weekly economic “pulse checks” being shared via the provincial chamber’s BCMindReader.com platform. Those include regular surveys of the province’s small business sector.
She says that the latest information shows that nearly a quarter of businesses in BC—23 percent of BC businesses have pivoted to on-line, digital, or e-commerce options.
Other stats are not so positive. Nearly one third of BC businesses plan to cancel or have had contracts or tenders cancelled, while a quarter will defer or cancel capital projects in the next two weeks.
In BC, 132,000 jobs were lost in March. April numbers should be announced in the next week or so.
