A new initiative is underway to address gaps in supports for businesses trying to recover from the 2017 wildfire season.
The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) has engaged Colin O’Leary as a Community Recovery Manager to assess the impact on businesses in the regional district due to this summer’s devastating wildfire season.
O’Leary will head up a project that will consist of three main components:
1. Actively engaging the business community affected by the 2017 wildfire season in the TNRD through in-person meetings, community engagement sessions and surveys.
2. Quantifying the economic loss in the region, identifying existing resources available and highlighting any gaps in support programs for businesses.
3. Recommending options moving forward to address gaps in support for businesses looking to recover from the 2017 wildfire season.
In the coming days, the TNRD will be providing more detailed information about this project, including the steps that will be taken to engage the business community.
Businesses that were impacted by the recent wildfires can contact O’Leary at recovery@tnrd.ca.
The work being undertaken by the TNRD to support businesses is in addition to other initiatives already underway.
It was previously announced that a recovery management resource was put in place to assist residents and property owners in the regional district who were impacted by the wildfires this past summer.