PEACHLAND, B.C.: As fires devastate businesses across the Okanagan and other regions, the B.C. Conservative Caucus is calling for emergency relief and an urgent recovery plan to help them survive.
Orchards, agriculture producers, tourism operators and small businesses throughout the province are watching customers disappear during what should be their busiest month of the year. Bliss Bakery & Bistro in Peachland, a beloved local business, shared this week that it has seen sales fall 60 to 75 percent since evacuation orders and alerts began.
“Bliss Bakery exemplifies a story playing out across the province right now,” said Gavin Dew, Shadow Minister for Economic Development and MLA for Kelowna-Mission. “For some, the losses have been total: homes and businesses gone entirely. Others are still standing but watching their livelihoods disappear all the same. These small business operators are the same taxpayers who fund the government year after year and provide family-supporting jobs. If the NDP can find big bucks for its own pet priorities, they can dig in the couch cushions to support the people actually carrying this province. But right now, in their time of need, small businesses are hearing crickets from this government.”
“Bliss Bakery is one of those businesses that helps make Peachland the community it is, and it’s heartbreaking to see them struggling through no fault of their own,” said Macklin McCall, MLA for West Kelowna-Peachland. “When a major highway is shut down for an extended period, local businesses are often hit the hardest, losing the customers and visitors they rely on to keep their doors open.”
MLAs Lorne Doerkson, Donegal Wilson, Scott McInnis, and David Williams have also voiced their support for immediate assistance, representing communities that know how quickly fire season can turn into a long-term economic disaster.
“The NDP can find hundreds of millions of dollars for wasteful spending and costly initiatives, yet they cannot find funding for British Columbians facing disaster. It is a question of fairness: government cannot pick and choose who it shows up for. All British Columbians deserve relief when disaster strikes.,” said Hon. Kerry-Lynne Findlay, Leader of the Conservative Party of B.C.
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