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

    A Drumheller Titan is bound for Kamloops to further his football career as a member of the Kamloops Broncos football team.
    Jackson Upton, son of Lynnette and Dallas, has been playing Drumheller community Football since he was in Peewee. He has signed a Letter of Intent to play with the Kamloops Broncos. The Broncos play in the BC Football Conference, which is part of the Canadian Junior Football League.
    “The main goal was to continue to play, ideally at university, so this is a stepping stone towards that,” Upton told the Mail.
    He says the program is well established with a new coach and just last year sent two players to the University of British Columbia. Upton has some great opportunities to explore this route, as the St. Anthony’s graduand has strong academics.
    Upton plays on the offensive line, and the coaching staff of the Broncos reached out to him after seeing some of Upton in action.
    “The coach, since he saw some highlight films, gave us some specifics about my game. He liked that I finished my blocks, went to the whistle and he liked the physicality I brought,” said Upton.
    He said Junior Football gives him the opportunity to improve and mature before he heads to university.
    “Ideally I could play one of two years because I don’t use up any eligibility for university sports. I can approach universities as a 20-year-old rookie as opposed to an 18-year-old, with the extra years of development,” he said.
    Depending on restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he is scheduled to start training with Broncos on July 10.
    He is grateful for the support from the Titans program and the coaches who allowed him to develop as a player for seven years.