From small business recovery and a tight housing market to invasive aquatic species and the threat of wildfires, there are many issues affecting the North Okanagan and Shuswap.
North Okanagan-Shuswap MP Mel Arnold and Mission-Matsqui-Fraser Canyon MP Brad Vis checked the pulse of the region with five local chambers of commerce at a roundtable discussion on these and other issues in Armstrong Friday, March 8..
The North Shuswap, Salmon Arm, Greater Vernon, Sicamous and Armstrong-Spallumcheen chambers of commerce took part in the roundtable. Three other chambers were invited but were unable to attend.
After hearing from presidents, executive directors and other leaders of the chambers, Vis, the Conservative shadow minister for Small Business Recovery and Growth, said small businesses are “facing a death by 1,000 cuts.”
Vis said small business owners face a number of challenges, including the five days of paid sick leave mandated by the province in 2022, increased minimum wage — which he said is “not necessarily a bad thing” — rising payroll taxes for Employment Insurance and the Canada Pension Plan, inflation and higher interest rates.
“All of those policy decisions have led to an environment where more businesses in Canada are closing than opening,” Vis said. “A lot of business owners don’t feel that they have a lot of hope.”
Arnold said common themes at the meeting were the labour shortage, the lack of housing and taxation.
He said labour shortages and housing shortages go hand in hand, saying healthcare workers are in short supply because a shortage of housing for those workers.
Arnold called for fast tracking doctors or care aides who are certified in another province or country.
On housing, both MPs said building homes faster needs to be a top priority. Arnold said one of the chamber members who works in the housing sector told them that too much red tape and bureaucracy is holding back construction.
With a good portion of skilled trade workers in B.C. who are nearing retirement age, Vis said programs like the Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) program (which has had success in bringing workers to the North Okanagan) should be expanded “everywhere” in the province.
Another belief common among the chambers was that the national $10 a day childcare program “isn’t working, especially in the rural communities,” Arnold said.
Arnold said the Greater Vernon Chamber brought up the threat of invasive aquatic species. Concerns around the potential impact of Zebra and Quagga mussels entering local waters have been heightened since the mussels were found in Idaho in September 2023. When the mussels proliferate, they cover beaches with razor sharp shells and wreak damage on ecosystems.
Arnold, the shadow minister for Fisheries and Oceans, said he’s been sounding the alarm about the potential tourism losses due to the invasive species since he was elected in 2015.
“Prevention is the number one thing that needs to be done, and that’s done through education, “Arnold said.
He added that he’s not calling for a ban on out-of-province boats because it would hurt tourism, but is advocating for mandatory inspections at the borders for all watercraft.
“They need to be available 24/7 and they have to have border agents that are trained and understand the potential threat.”
Arnold said getting input from the chambers at the roundtable was a useful exercise.
“It really helps Brad and I do our jobs in advocating for what their memberships are looking for,” he said.
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