Provide clear communication, predictability for businesses, Sudbury Chamber tells province

The Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce is hoping the province will think about businesses as it makes decisions about reopening from the stay-at-home order.

Under the restrictions, only essential businesses can be open, although non-essential businesses can provide curbside pick-up, and restaurants can offer takeout only. Small businesses continue to struggle as the measures remain in place for an undetermined time frame.

The chamber, which represents 700 businesses in the Sudbury regions sent a letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

The letter highlights the many struggles businesses are facing during this second wave of the pandemic, says Cora DeMarco, Chair of the Board of Directors. It also asks for more provincial support, as well as clear and timely communication.

DeMarco says business owners need predictability for their reopening plan so they can determine staffing or order supplies. 

"If they can't predict the next three weeks or two weeks to plan out staffing and these types of requirements that are necessary to make their business functional, then they aren't able to successfully support their customers," she said.

"Without the notice period and without the proper planning mechanisms to create a reopening plan our businesses are falling short and they're not able to react with a blink of an eye."

That's a challenge that co-owner David Russell has been seeing as he attempts to operate Twiggs Coffee Roasters in Sudbury during the pandemic.

"The short answer is it's very difficult to prepare [for reopening] ultimately because we don't really know, the information isn't...clear and concise as to exactly when or if we're going to reopen," he said. 

Normally the restaurant has 25-30 staff members, but Russell says they're currently operating on a skeleton crew.

"At this point you're just kind of juggling, and you're hoping and you're asking for some forgiveness from your employees. They all know what's going on"

"You scramble to make it work," he said.

Information needed

Russell says he gets asked a lot by customers when they'll be able to resume in-person dining at Twiggs.

"The information is vague and it seems as if we're offered, the lifting of the restrictions, that information is going to be offered to us 72-hours in advance. Which makes it difficult to prepare for what we hope is going to be a return of our customer base," he said.

"It would be great if we know what we could do and when we could do it," Russell said.

The Chamber's letter to the Premier also asks for more financial help for small businesses.

According to DeMarco, Ontario did offer the Small Business Support Grant early on in the pandemic, and many business owners applied for the support. But most recipients have used all that is available to them.

"The grant is still available, but it's to a maximum. So some businesses have already used all of that," she said.

"If you are a business who acted on that availability it's been accessed and used, there's nothing left."   

DeMarco is not aware of any Sudbury businesses that have had to close due to financial constraints during the pandemic, but many are getting close.

"Businesses are hanging on by the absolute bare minimum at this point in the game, especially those that are closed completely, as they are not deemed an essential business," she said.

"Despite the type of business, they're all affected in a different way, we see it across our region."