Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Delta residents have noticeably stepped up to show kindness and compassion towards others. This generosity has become evident particularly in the support our community has shown for our small businesses.
COVID-19 threw a complete curveball into the daily operations of our favourite shops, service providers, and restaurants. Faced with many difficult personal and financial decisions, many have reduced staff and services levels, and some have sadly closed their doors for good.
It is often stated that small businesses are the backbone of our communities, but it bears repeating. We need only to look at businesses in Ladner, Tsawwassen, and Tilbury Industrial Park to see how they have remained resilient throughout the pandemic.
For example, thanks to some quick regulation changes from the City of Delta, countless coffee shops and restaurants across our community have expanded their service out onto the sidewalks for increased patio space. This innovation has helped restaurants to stay afloat while also allowing customers to enjoy a relaxed and physically distanced dining experience.
We should also recognize the efforts made by many of our favourite local clothing boutiques and stores. In the digital age we live in, many clothing stores have modernized and ventured into the domain of online sales, roadside pick-ups, and more. There is no doubt that this was a challenging transition, but they rose to the occasion and should be commended for the efforts they’ve made to continue operating over the course of the pandemic.
To celebrate our small businesses, in coordination with my Official Opposition caucus and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, I have made it a personal mission to highlight as many small businesses in our community as possible on my social media channels. Whether these businesses are familiar to you or not, I hope to utilize my small platform to amplify the diverse array of goods and services our community has to offer.
I welcome you to join in me in praising and supporting our local businesses, by posting on your social media pages using the hashtag #smallbusinesseveryday. Now more than ever businesses need our support, as they grapple with the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19. Let’s do our part to help them to survive and thrive.
Although I am proud of the many ways our local economy is weathering the storm, there are considerable challenges ahead as our province continues to grapple with high rates of unemployment and market instability. It will take a comprehensive economic recovery plan to get our economy back on track.
Now is the time for bold ideas to re-invigorate our economy and spur new growth.
Just as the City of Delta made fast, nimble changes to reduce red tape and let restaurants innovate, it’s time for the Province to consider ways to incentivize creativity and get people working again.
Let’s consider temporary tax breaks on PST and the Hotel Tax. Let’s allow farmers to engage in value added activities on their farm to make soil-based agriculture more viable across British Columbia. Let’s move forward with large investments in infrastructure and transportation (I happen to know of a shovel ready tunnel replacement project that would be a great candidate for speedy approval).
These types of measures will help boost consumer confidence, allow businesses to get back on their feet, spur employment opportunities for workers, and most importantly, attract needed investment to B.C.
We need some real leadership to get our province moving again. Let’s get to work.
Ian Paton is MLA for Delta South
