Update May 12, 2020
Stay YKA Connected with online resources to receive relevant and timely information and provide important and necessary tools for Kamloops businesses and residents to endure the COVID-19 crisis.
Here’s your YKAStrong checklist to stay up to date:
Follow us on Instagram: @yka_strong Review our weekly email send out below Visit our website: https://www.ykastrong.com Use #ykastrong on your social posts.
yka video spotlight
YKAStrong celebrates local business pivots and remarkable Kamloopsians. Over the next 6 weeks, we will follow story makers highlighting hope and resiliency in a time of uncertainty – a testament to being stronger together. Read More
PARTNER UPDATES
Connect with Venture Kamloops – COVID-19 Business Support
Venture Kamloops is working with our business community to get through the COVID-19 crisis and help you during the four Phases of BC’s Restart Plan. Schedule a virtual meeting with VK Staff to discuss COVID-19 and your business.
Learning Opportunities & Webinars
- Marketing During Crisis: How To Strike the Right Balance is a digital meetup on Thursday May 14th hosted by Small Business BC.
- Planning for recovery: How to restart your business in the wake of COVID-19 is a free online webinar on Friday May 22 hosted by BDC.
Learning to Pivot… Boldly and Unscripted
Our collective efforts will see us through this historic time, but we must be diligent, willing to pivot, and let go of traditional thinking and models that are no longer relevant. Read More
Upcoming Webinars:
- May 27 – Stress: How to take back your energy and use it to be more effective with KayH Consulting. $30 /person. Register
- June 3 – Catalyst Leadership: What is it and what does it look like virtually with KayH Consulting. $30 /person. Register
- More Webinars
Kamloops Kamp-In Campaign
Calling all glampers, leave-no-trace campers, and Kamloopsians in between. Campsites and parks might be closed across the nation, but that won’t stop Kamloopsians from Kampin’ over the Victoria Day Long Weekend on their property
Social Sixty Today!
Join us for a Tourism Industry Social Hour TODAY at 3:00pm. Trivia, prizes and guaranteed good times. Register Here.
SOUND OFF: The BC economy is reopening, and more data is needed to get you and your business the support it needs. Your input is given directly to decision makers, participation is crucial to help our small businesses community survive, then thrive. Please participate in our most recent survey here. 📈
ADVOCACY: Tyson Andrykew, Board President, sat down with the Executive Director, Acacia Pangilinan to discuss BC’s Restart Plan last Friday. Watch the video. 🎥
BUSINESS SUPPORT: New virtual meetups are being added weekly to help you navigate COVID-19, see what new programming is live here. 🙌
WEEKLY BRIEFING: The Chamber’s Weekly Briefing is delivered directly to your inbox providing the business community with need-to-know information for the region. Stay informed here. 🆕
NOMINATE A LOCAL BUSINESS: Support a local business by nominating them for a Business Excellence Award presented by MNP in one of eighteen award categories. Award information is available here 🏆
Downtown Parking Conversation – At the beginning of the pandemic response several weeks ago, the requirement to pay for on-street and city lot parking throughout Downtown Kamloops was suspended. While the intention was to support the community, we have learned that this initiative has actually created an unexpected and negative impact on most of the business community that has remained open. Vehicles have been occupying the majority of on-street parking stalls for most of every weekday. Businesses that continue to operate takeout, delivery and pick-up services are struggling because customers are unable to locate short-term parking options.
A few strategies were introduced to address this problem, however, there were minimal improvements. For example, temporary ‘loading zone’ signs were installed in the vicinity of some restaurants. However, those stalls continued to be occupied by vehicles parked all day. Messaging requesting that individuals not park on-street, and instead find alternate parking, such as the parkades, had been distributed on the Downtown Kamloops website, and emails to members. There were conversations with the media regarding on-street parking challenges. Additionally, two different dates, CAP Team members distributed more than 130 printed messages to all vehicles parked along Victoria Street, requesting that in the spirit of being a good neighbor, off-street parking be used instead.
Victoria street was not intended as a long-term parking lot for vehicles. When vehicles park for shorter durations, available parking cycles increasing capacity for more vehicles, and, more customers. This process typically works when pay parking is in effect. Unfortunately, as we have seen, when there is no requirement to pay for parking, vehicles are left for longer terms in those stalls, and limit opportunities to attract more customers.
While the decision to restore parking fees remains with council, in an effort to avail parking spaces to people intending to support those businesses remaining open for takeout, pick up, or delivery, the KCBIA supports restoring fees and timelines for parking stalls along Victoria Street.
Downtown Patio Conversation – As the business community prepares for the ‘new normal’, Downtown Kamloops is preparing for changes that will support business, and customers. One of the current discussion items includes the potential to introduce extended patios that would provide enhanced capacity offering physical distancing. Specifically, perhaps businesses should be permitted to construct and introduce patios that occupy space on streets currently being used as a parking stall. We encourage you to provide us with your thoughts, and email me carl@downtownkamloops.com.
The NSBIA continues to work with our members to update our “open” listings on our website, and with our partners in the media. Our webpage is updated at least weekly. Our social media feeds on Facebook and Instagram are updated daily.
We have been running a radio buy local campaign for the last two weeks to let you know that, here on the North Shore, we are open to serve our community, while employing appropriate measures to protect each other.
We have set dates and times for our Power Hour business development series, and encourage you to register soon, as seats are limited. This series of workshops are designed to give you both a critical look at how to realign your business, as well as setting it up for the re-opening process that we expect to come soon. The seven local experts in Power Hour are all dedicated to helping you to re-ignite your passion for your business and emerge successfully in the future. To register, click here: https://nsbia.com/power-hour-registration/
As always, we are here to serve you, our members! Please feel free to reach out to jeremy@nsbia.com or Patti@nsbia.com
Community Futures Self Employment Services
The Self-Employment program is designed to support clients who would like to start a business and have an idea that is appropriate, based on the local labour market. This is still true during the COVID-19 Pandemic and virtual Self-Employment services are ongoing during the crisis. The program will provide a holistic evaluation of your business concept and our Business Coach will work with you to meet all of the necessary business requirements and provide advice and access to the resources you will require to start your career as an entrepreneur. Eligible clients will receive financial supports for the 48-week duration of the program. Contact Community Futures today to find out more.
Community Futures Continuity Plan:
It’s never to late to develop a continuity plan for your business when facing a crisis. Community Futures’ comprehensive emergency and continuity planning document will prepare your business in the face of an emergency or crisis situation. A valuable part of continuity planning is evaluating business opportunities during a crisis. The interactive Business Continuity Plan can be found here.
COVID-19 Business Support Program:
CFTC will be providing one to one virtual and phone support to businesses who require assistance to complete Federal and Provincial relief applications. This service is available to all Kamloops and area business owners. Businesses are able to access this service by calling the CFTC office.
Help us Help You
Stumped by a thorny business question? Struggling to solve a wicked problem caused by the COVID-19 situation? Tell us about it—we’d like to help.
- Email a summary of your problem to yka@tru.ca
- A team of TRU faculty, staff and/or students will examine the problem and, using Design Thinking techniques, brainstorm possible solutions. Please Note: emails will be adapted into a summary template with content anonymized and all identifying details removed.
- We’ll return the results to you.
In these uncertain times, we turn to our Vision Statement (tru.ca/vision) for guidance. Our partnership in #YKASTRONG is guided by the following value from the Vision Statement, “Community-Mindedness. We come together to help one another (Pelkwaílc-kt es knucwentwécw-kt). Mutual benefit guides us to connect meaningfully with people in the communities we serve, contributing to an interconnected world where we all share a common future and humanity.”
Kamloops passengers continue to be served by WestJet with 4 x weekly service to Calgary. Passengers are reminded that travel restrictions remain iEffective May 3, the Air Terminal Building will be accessible to the travelling public from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Sundays through June 4th to correspond with planned flight arrivals and departures.
The Airport will remain operational throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to serve charter passenger, air cargo, medevac and wildfire flight activity.
Air Canada is introducing measures to enhance passenger safety and health as physical distancing and travel restrictions are gradually lifted.
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