Chamber News

from South Shuswap Scoop September 2020

Classifieds

South Shuswap Chamber Rallied in Support of Tourism this Summer

By Karen Brown, Executive Director

In a unique tourism year that was likely to be impacted by the COVID19 pandemic, the South Shuswap Chamber of Commerce knew that they had to do something to support their tourism businesses and lessen the potential financial and economic impact on their community.

In late Spring, when it appeared that British Columbians had successfully flattened the curve, the Chamber Board of Directors saw a window of opportunity to warmly welcome visitors to the region while still adhering to the recommendations of Dr. Bonnie Henry and the Provincial Health Office. The Board, along with the Chamber’s marketing team, Mackay Marketing, developed a strategy to boost tourism while at the same time, keeping our area residents safe.

With the support of Shuswap Tourism and the financial assistance of the CSRD, the Chamber embarked on filming and distributing a series of three tourism videos. The films, entitled ‘Relax’, ‘Connect’ and ‘Play’ follow storylines showcasing experiences enjoyed by different demographics. ‘Relax’ dials into the 50+ retirees and semi-retirees, ‘Connect’ focuses on multi-generational families creating lasting memories together and ‘Play’ hones in on adventurous millennials enjoying action-packed Shuswap activities.

Mimi Huser of MH Productions (Salmon Arm) was awarded the contract to produce the three tourism videos, overseen by the Chamber’s Tourism Committee. “In May, we put out the welcome mat for our tourists and seasonal neighbours via social media.” says Chamber Executive Director Karen Brown. “We knew posts with pictures wasn’t going to do the trick so we opted for a video series instead. The project proved successful as the response to the video series was phenomenal. As well, we now have a great inventory of photos and video content that we will be able to utilize for years”. Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association and Destination BC were both highly supportive, sharing the videos to a wide audience, which will result in a direct benefit to all areas of the Shuswap region.

The Board for the Chamber also struck a project ‘Kindness is Contagious’. Frontline workers in the community wore welcoming tee-shirts and Kindness is Contagious – Pass it On buttons to emphasize that we are ‘all in this to-

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Chamber News continued

(Continued from page 7) gether’ and to support kindness, calm & non-judgment.

“The videos, coupled with the Chamber’s #KindnessIsContagious campaign, have provided a sense of safety and welcome for area visitors” says Chamber President Lynn Ewart. “There is a calm surrounding this year’s summer vibe with everyone being respectful to one another and following safety protocols. We are quite proud of that”.

All three videos can be watched on the Chamber website: southshuswap

chamber.com

CSRD extends COVID-19 remote work, committee meeting provisions

CSRD Media Release

In light of the recent uptick in the number of COVID-19 cases in BC, Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) Directors voted on Thursday, August 20, 2020 to support continued measures to assist in the reduction of the spread of the virus.

This includes an extension to the CSRD's support for regional district staff to continue to work from home where feasible.

The CSRD closed its administrative office on March 20, 2020 in response to directives from the Provincial Health Officer with staff working remotely. Since that time, the office was able to reopen to the public in a phased manner beginning June 8, 2020.

As part of the CSRD's Return to Work COVID-19 Recovery Plan and Guide, the CSRD was supportive of staff continuing to work remotely as much as possible with the goal of bringing the full complement of staff back into the administrative office by the end of August.

Now, the Board has agreed to extend the phase-in period for a full staff return to the administration office until November 30, 2020.

The CSRD office will continue to remain open to the public from 9 to 4 PM, Monday through Friday, excluding statutory holidays. The public is strongly encouraged to contact staff through telephone or email or to make an appointment if an in-person visit to the office is necessary. This will assist in maintaining the required physical distancing and reduce exposure to the virus.

In addition, the CSRD will continue to restrict all meetings deemed nonessential. Meetings may be authorized to proceed on a case-by-case basis at the discretion of the CSRD's Chief Administrative Officer or designate. Meeting dates and information are available on the events calendar of the CSRD website.

CSRD Directors, however, have directed staff to look at options for resuming non-essential committee meetings, as it is increasingly unlikely that provincial COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings will be relaxed in the near future.

Small Business Providing Services Despite Challenges

By Mel Arnold, MP NorthOkanagan Shuswap

Small businesses are the backbone of Canada’s economy and provide communities, big and small, with the jobs, goods and services they require. The past few months have heightened our awareness of how reliant we are on businesses to provide essential services. Food supply, transportation of goods, and many health services all depend on local businesses being able to operate regardless of the challenges they may be facing.

Small business owners in the South Shuswap that I have spoken to or met with over the past few months have stated that COVID-19 has been a challenge unlike any before and they are thankful for the support they have received from the local and visiting customers. These business owners also shared that customers have been very understanding if there were shortages of goods or delays and lineups resulting from physical distancing and new safety measures.

While business operators have been happy with support from their customers, many are not happy with the unintended consequences created by the rollout of the Trudeau government’s assistance packages. Workers and employers continue to deal with the unintended consequences of federal government programs meant to support individuals who lost work to mandatory closures required for reasons of public health and safety.

The conditions and benefits of some programs have made it difficult for businesses that were deemed essential to get employees to return to work because the government relief programs became a disincentive to working and lacked flexibility to accommodate a partial return to work. As a result, owners and managers have been required to work extremely long shifts without days off just to meet the needs of their customers. One operator I spoke with had been working for over 180 days straight because they were unable to find employees to fill shifts.

If Justin Trudeau had not shut down Parliament, many of the unintended consequences from these program rollouts could have been raised in the House of Commons. Parliamentary committees could be studying the programs and making recommendations and Members of Parliament could be better advocating for the changes that Canadians need.

Instead, Parliament has been prorogued in an attempt to silence Opposition members and prevent the government from being held accountable. This tactic will not silence Opposition members, nor will it stop me for advocating for changes to programs that enable small businesses, their employees and our communities to provide and receive the full range of services that we all need. I will continue to connect with constituents and small business operators so that I can carry their message forward along with my colleagues from across Canada as we continue to reiterate what is not working and strive to propose practical solutions.

While we continue to press the federal government for the supports and adjustments to programs that are required, I encourage everyone to continue to support local small business operators. They are the not just business owners; they are employers, community supporters and in many cases, providers of essential services. Our local small business operators continue to be there for us despite the challenges they face, I hope we can all do the same and be there for them.