By Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Peter Milobar

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SOUND OFF: Collaboration key to stopping COVID-19, restarting B.C.’s economy

May 15, 2020 | 2:29 PM

PEOPLE ALL ACROSS BRITISH COLUMBIA have stepped up and made changes to their daily lives to stop the spread of COVID-19. Thanks to the hard work and dedication of everyone who has followed the physical distancing rules and recommendations put forward by Dr. Bonnie Henry and her team, we can look forward to slowly and safely reopening our communities and restarting our economy.

The rebuilding of our economy won’t be easy, as the impacts of COVID-19 have been devastating to so many people. More than 250,000 British Columbians lost their jobs in April alone. Now that we are seeing the number of new COVID-19 cases start to decline, B.C. can start the long road to recovery. These next few weeks are going to be crucial in order to keep many of our businesses open and get our economy back on track. British Columbia’s restart plan will need to be extensive so we can get British Columbians back to work, while still adhering to the proper public health guidelines.

Unfortunately, after speaking to many of Kamloops’ business and community leaders, we are hearing that B.C.’s restart plan has raised more questions than answers. On top of this, businesses are reporting conflicting information from various sources and are desperately looking for clarity.

This is why my colleague Todd Stone, MLA for Kamloops-South Thompson, and I decided to organize and host a series of virtual meetings and conversations with members of Kamloops’ major business sectors, including tech, real estate, home builders, restaurants and accommodation, tourism, forestry, mines, agriculture, and our local School District 73. We want to help provide more clarity to our local business and community leaders as to what the road to recovery will look like for each of their sectors. These meetings will give us an opportunity to listen to their questions and concerns so we can learn what they need from our provincial government to get Kamloops back on the right track.

I know my colleagues in the BC Liberal caucus are hosting similar meetings in their communities, and we’re going to keep listening and working hard to bring the recommendations we hear to the provincial government. Over the last two weeks, Official Opposition Leader Andrew Wilkinson has written several letters to the premier with suggested proposals to help provide additional supports and relief to businesses during this crucial recovery period, which include: a centralized hub for information on recovery guidelines, a commercial tax and rent relief plan, immediate financial and regulatory supports for the hospitality industry, and a plan to use the excess funds from WorksafeBC’s $2-billion surplus to help fund small businesses’ access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and safety upgrades.

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By working together, we have stepped up to help stop the spread of COVID-19. If B.C. continues to collaborate, communicate, and support one another as we have over the past few months, I know we will see the people of our province thriving again.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group.