Navigating the programs that have been unrolled by the municipal, provincial and federal government can be daunting, especially if you have never taken this path before. The Town of Drumheller has collaborated with the Chamber of Commerce and local professionals to help residents and businesses access these programs.
Councillor Tony Lacher said town council identified the need for the Economic Recovery Taskforce very early.
“It was an initiative of council. As you know the Emergency Operations Centre is here to protect community, and business is a big part of that community,” he said. “Thinking down the road to when we come out of this there is a lot of anxiety, a lot of stress and a lot of business owners who were forced closed. So there is a sense of how do we all get through this? Including our business community.”
He said they began to pull in a mass of information on the programs, which are still changing every day, adding to the anxiety. They determined to look for some local expertise to help residents and businesses sort through the program, figure out what they are eligible for, what they need to apply for and how to access the programs.
“The objective of pulling the committee together was to source local experts and put them in charge,” said Lacher. “They are there to hold people’s hands and decipher the information and walk them through it.”
They have assembled a slate of professionals that can offer advice. This includes legal support, accounting companies, and organizations with experience with government programs and supports. There is also information and eligibility about FCSS grant programs for charitable and non-profit organizations.
Lacher says there is a need. After forming the taskforce, they completed a one-on-one call out to a sample of local businesses to see how they were doing, and about one-third indicated the need for immediate help navigating the programs.
“We are in the process of trying to roll it out to everybody,” he said. “Some are fine and getting through it on their own, while for others there is big anxiety.”
He said COVID-19 is an emergency that is in many ways unprecedented.
“None of us have been through it. It’s not like a flood where you are in and then out of it in a week, there’s no real lasting impact. But with this, businesses are closing for weeks and months on end and even the potential of infection of all that used to be your workers,” he said.
He says beyond businesses, they have also enlisted MH Enterprises to help residents navigate the programs.
“There are people who have never applied for EI. Where do I start? Do I need a record of Employment? MH Enterprises has been through that with a number of people, so give them a call and they will walk you through it.
More on the Economic Recovery Taskforce and its contacts go to www.drumhellerchamber.com
