Sign of the times: Fort Nelson dollar store to close amid economic downturn

Fort Nelson, B.C., has been facing economic ups and downs for years: mill closures, a new festival, the downturn in oil and gas, new LNG projects — it's been a roller coaster. But right now, things are not looking good for the community. 

The local dollar store will be closing at the end of March. And ticket sales for the Northern Lights Festival, which was supposed to be a saving grace for the community, are down.

"I just had no choice but to decide to close and try and make it out of here paying off people I owe money to," Great Canadian Dollar Store owner Dawn Haywood told Daybreak North host Carolina de Ryk. 

Haywood was born and raised in Fort Nelson, and bought the business in 2011 after working at the store for six years. 

Business has fluctuated throughout that time, but last year she noticed more tourists popping in, which she saw as a good sign. 

While the roller coaster economy could continue, and things could get better for businesses in Fort Nelson, Haywood isn't comfortable taking that risk; she needs to be able to pay vendors and cover other business expenses.  

"I can't hang in until fall. I'll just go deeper into debt," she said. 

Haywood doesn't even know if she'll be able to continue living in her hometown. Although there are a few jobs posted in her community right now, she doesn't know what will be available by the time she's ready to find work after the store closes.

Haywood isn't the only one considering leaving — she said a lot of Fort Nelson residents have already left.

"A lot of people are hurting," she said. "A lot of people are leaving Fort Nelson and leaving their houses, either renting them out or just downright giving them back to the banks."

"lt's sad when you don't really have any choices and you kind of have to deal with what you've got and go from there."