To help small business in the Basin, the Trust:
- is providing low interest working capital loans to help businesses meet immediate needs
- increased the number of small businesses that can receive wage subsidies to hire students
- is providing support to unemployed and underemployed individuals, including people who are self-employed or who have been temporarily laid off
- increased the resources available through the Basin Business Advisors program, including helping businesses become more tech-savvy
- is providing low interest loans for working capital and equipment to help food producers expand operations
- provided a new Basin Food Producer Wage Subsidy for primary food producers that are increasing production due to the pandemic, to help them hire workers throughout the growing and harvesting season.
- provided a loan payment holiday to investment and economic development clients and being open to discussing other changes to existing arrangements
- increased the support available through the Impact Investment Fund.
We provided funding to community organizations that provide direct services to those most vulnerable to the impacts of COVID-19 and to organizations helping Basin residents meet their basic needs.
This included First Nations communities, Métis associations, food banks, local farmers’ markets, food recovery programs, community social service agencies, child care operators, housing societies and hospices in the Basin. Through this support, these organizations have been able to adapt physical spaces to COVID-19 service delivery requirements and adapt how they work to offer new or enhanced service delivery options to help residents.
The Trust also extended support to non-profit organizations who operate a venue that is used primarily for arts, culture or heritage exhibits and/or programming for the Basin public, including theatres, galleries and museums, to help them with short-term working capital needs, physical adjustments to venues to meet public health guidelines and funding for new/adjusted community programming (e.g. online and virtual programming).
To continue supporting the region while meeting public health requirements, the Trust has:
- developed an interim strategic plan for 18-24 months
- closed each Trust office to the public
- ensured staff can work remotely to support communities and residents
- communicated with the people and organizations it works with about support like the following:
- enabling grant recipients to be flexible on reporting requirements, while ensuring the Trust still provides payments as usual
- extending program deadlines to allow more time for community organizations to respond
- helping program partners explore ways to engage virtually
- providing a loan payment holiday to investment and economic development clients and being open to discussing other changes to existing arrangements
- targeted Trust support for colleges in the region to assist students experiencing financial hardships
- offering internet customers of the Trust’s Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation a free increase in bandwidth in recognition of temporarily increased connectivity needs
- Columbia Basin Broadband Corporation is helping internet service providers enhance high-speed internet to Basin communities, complementing support recently announced by the provincial government
- increasing resources available through the Non-Profit Advisors Program to ensure non-profits can access guidance to address operational and organizational challenges arising from COVID-19.
