CORALEE OAKES -- For every small business that closes because of COVID-19, that’s a family, a neighbourhood, and a community that suffers
RE-PRINTED WITH PERMISSION ... Coralee Oakes -- Cariboo North MLA Small businesses, and the families who run them, are suffering right now and they need to know they have our support. Of course, we know the assistance programs launched by the federal and provincial governments in response to the COVID-19 pandemic are a welcome start, but those are just the beginning of what will be needed in the weeks and months to come. We know British Columbians are resilient, but COVID-19 is yet another hit to our small business community — already under serious pressure from rising taxes and red tape — especially in the Interior following recent mill closures and two record wildfire seasons. Many business owners have already gone through gut-wrenching decisions to lay off staff in the short term, and are wondering how they will manage expenses in the face of rapidly declining revenues. Some business owners report that they simply don’t qualify for existing progra...