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Chamber board calls on province to assist businesses to implement B.C. Vaccination Passport system
September 17, 2021
LETTER TO THE PROVINCE OF BC
West Annex, Parliament Buildings
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4
Sept. 16th, 2021
RE: The current pulse of the business community
Dear Premier Horgan, Hon. Adrian Dix and Dr. Bonnie Henry:
I am writing to you today from the community of Tofino, where our small but mighty Chamber of Commerce has operated since 1929, supporting local businesses and organizations. We are proud to be the largest and longest running business organization in this area.
Like many other B.C. communities, ours is divided by the recent announcement of the B.C. Vaccination Passport program. In a recent survey of our business community, respondents were nearly evenly divided on support for the program, although we should highlight that the vast majority support vaccination and have worked hard to be in compliance with the ever-changing government requirements for business throughout the pandemic.
We highlight the feeling that small and medium sized businesses, especially fitness and food service industry businesses, have had to pivot continuously sometimes with as little as 24 hours' notice as with the recent mask mandate. On behalf of our board and member organizations, please understand that this most recent announcement simply did not give enough time for small businesses to adjust staffing and equipment levels.
We further highlight that the food service industry and SMEs are bearing the brunt of the enforcement of the vaccination passport program. And this comes as the food service industry in particular has been struggling with labour shortages, increased cost of goods, and rising wages.
Premier, we urge you to strongly consider the following:
- Financial support for SMEs to hire additional staff to meet the demands of the vaccination passport program
- Financial support for businesses to adjust their service models if necessary
- Financial support to assist businesses with purchasing the technology necessary to implement this program
- Communication and messaging to support out-of-province visitors so they are aware of the program when they visit B.C.
- Alignment of this program throughout Canada
As part of your consideration, please note the following (unedited) comments we received through our recent business survey:
"We already spend too much time enforcing masks. I don't have the staffing capacity to bounce the door all day long. is the government going to help us with costs associated with having someone stand at the door to check passports?"
"40% of my staff are teenage girls....They are typically the ones dealing with customers. I am not happy having them enforce."
"I operate an essential business so it will not impact me but I fear an increased workload and stress for non-essential businesses policing the passports. Perhaps there could be a compensation associated with this extra step."
"Revenue would decline drastically. Would potentially have to temporarily close, again."
"It will make things quite difficult at this point in time with no guidance on the legality of asking our employees if they are vaccinated or not and what that will mean for allowing them to work in the restaurant."
We understand that this is a difficult landscape for everyone to navigate, including provincial officials and we thank-you for your ongoing efforts. We ask that you please take this information into consideration and give small businesses some much needed support to navigate this latest challenge.
Thank-you for your time and attention to this correspondence.
Laura McDonald, president
cc: Hon. Josie Osborne, MLA for Mid-Island Pacific Rim and Minister of Municipal Affairs
Hon. Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation
Hon. Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General
Hon. Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport
Ms. Fiona Famulak, President/CEO, BC Chamber of Commerce
District of Tofino Mayor and council
Mr. Ian Tostenson, President/CEO, BC Food and Restaurant Association
Contact:
Jen Dart, Executive Director
info@tofinochamber.org