The Armstrong Spallumcheen Chamber of Commerce has a five-point plan to move local business and tourism through COVID recovery in 2021.
The plan focuses on five areas: tourism; not-for-profits; chamber of commerce; business; economic development.
“Many (on the board) were concerned with the impact on our businesses and community if the pandemic lasted longer than 2020, and how we would mitigate the damage to our local economy,” said chamber executive director Patti Noonan, who presented the recovery plan to both Township of Spallumcheen and City of Armstrong councils.
Chamber staff was directed to put together a COVID-19 recovery plan to present to the board and municipal partners. The plan would be in place to guide the chamber in supporting its businesses and community in rebuilding.
The tourism plan includes the development of itineraries that will be unveiled as restrictions ease. There are itineraries for each season. The plan will be concluded by the end of March.
The chamber has begun engagement with not-for-profit groups and presented its findings to both councils. By the end of the year, videos, visual and written content to encourage community support and to attract/retain volunteers will be produced.
As for itself, the chamber will fund its strategic plan and engage a facilitator familiar with the operations of a rural chamber of commerce with varied responsibilities. The strategic plan will ensure the chamber is aware of and responding to trends.
Like the not-for-profits, the chamber has begun to engage with businesses to determine how the pandemic has impacted them. The results will assist the chamber in implementing a plan to support businesses in pivoting customer service. The entire plan will be conducted before Sept. 30.
The economic plan will include what the chamber calls six ‘deliverables:’
- Business retention and expansion plan;
- Business recruitment plan;
- Shop local, support local program;
- Entrepreneurial development plan for adults and youth;
- Agriculture and slow food plan;
- Downtown revitalization plan.
Completion dates of all six will vary between December 2021 and January 2022.
The chamber board approved the recovery plan on Feb. 18.
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