Whether the federal government can provide enough assistance quickly enough will go a long way to determine how many Tri-Cities businesses survive the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michael Hind, CEO of the Tri-Cities Chamber of Commerce, said while he thinks “the government has done a good job in tough circumstances” so far to address the needs of businesses during the crisis, “there’s so many variables” that still need addressing.
That was the message Hind kept emphasizing during a special online town hall meeting last Thursday with the federal Minister for Middle Class Prosperity, Mona Fortier.
While Fortier stuck doggedly to her talking points that the government wants to ensure the health and safety of all Canadians, and is working to make sure nobody falls through the cracks of available aid programs, it’s those cracks that most concern many of the chamber’s 900 members, Hind said.
They include how to adapt the new wage subsidy program to help employers retain staff when many entrepreneurs don’t pay themselves a wage, but rather draw dividends from their own business to cover personal expenses. Other issues include compelling credit card companies to waive or reduce service fees on refunds that are having to be issued by businesses like gyms compensating members for services they can no longer access.
Hind said there’s no end to the combinations and permutations that make a one-size-fits-all approach difficult.
“When a politician announces something, they do it for the right reason, to give people hope,” he told The Tri-City News. “But the real work is behind the scenes with the civil service.”
Hind said the lag time between political announcements and bureaucratic implementation can be worrisome and frustrating for businesses flailing for a lifeline.
“The stress level is pretty high,” he said. “Some sectors are surviving and doing OK, but others are devastated.”
In her town hall, Fortier conceded the government is still in its “emergency response phase” of the crisis and adjustments are being made on the fly as it becomes aware of specific situations that need addressing.
“We have to look at the considerations that there are other realities,” she told several local business proprietors who logged into the session that was conducted using the Zoom virtual meeting app.
Hind said one of those pressing realities is the looming approach of a new month when landlords will be expecting rents to be paid and many businesses haven’t been able to earn enough — if any — money the past month to cover that obligation. He said a coordinated approach that ensures every link in the intricate chain of the local economy is supported will be key.
“I’m not sure the programs go far enough right now,” Hind said.
In the meantime, his organization is doing all it can to keep members in the loop, including daily email blasts with the latest information on government programs as well as other supports, links to resources and updates on its advocacy efforts at three levels of government, as well as its own #SupportLocal, #WeGotThisTriCities and Open For Business campaigns to connect with local consumers.
“This is when we’re needed and we’re continuing to look for new ways to help,” Hind said. “There will be lessons learned from this.”
