SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. – Summerside's business community is coming together to help small businesses in the city during the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain) pandemic.
City councillor Brian McFeely recently announced the formation of a task force comprised of representatives from the city's economic development department, the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Summerside Corporation.
As financial aid from provincial and federal governments rolled out, McFeely said the department was helping small businesses navigate the programs. Several weeks ago, the department sent out a notice regarding an online survey small businesses could complete for the city to gauge how it could help them during the pandemic.
"The survey might allow us to get a better understanding of how we can help businesses in Summerside, post-COVID-19," said McFeely.
With responses from over 20 businesses, McFeely said 100 per cent have felt the impacts of coronavirus to some level.
"If you look at the numbers, 30 per cent indicated the impact was very significant, 47 per cent indicated the impact was significant. That's over 70 per cent of the respondents.
"They're all experiencing significant drops in revenue, some have had to lay off employees, some are applying for emergency loans."
While the number of responses is small, McFeely said it was a large enough number to draw conclusions.
"It gives us a small bird's eye view of what the issues are."
Moving forward, the job of the taskforce will be to advocate on behalf of the businesses, promote Summerside businesses, explore what can be done to develop proactive measures in recovery from coronavirus and to help mitigate the impacts of it.
"We want our efforts to compliment not replicate the efforts of the province and federal government."
Tara Maddix, executive director of the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce, said the taskforce has allowed the three parties to work collaboratively.
"We were all wanting to do similar things, so it became a matter of working together."
Maddix said as pandemic regulations and restrictions were put in place, she worked with chamber members to help them navigate the business support programs.
Now, with the taskforce in place, Maddix said the group is working to develop initiatives that help promote businesses and keep consumers informed.
"Maybe this is helping them with adjusting aid programming or starting a business directory that's COVID-19 related. It outlines who's operating right now and to what capacity or which businesses and essential workers are operating as the government's phase one and two start."
She said working with businesses will constantly be evolving.
"Where it was (first) about educational tools to help members and businesses, it's (now) about providing up-to-date information and helping people understand if they qualify for government programs or not and advocating for them if there are gaps in the programs. Then it might move to the stage where businesses can re-open but providing educational resources to do so."
Before the task force formed, the chamber sent out a survey to members to gauge how they were dealing with and impacted by coronavirus.
"Because we already had the feedback, it made for a more quality conversation when the task force formed."
