BC Chamber of Commerce Statement on Impact of Natural Disasters on Businesses

In response to the evacuation of communities in the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality and Peace River Regional districts because of wildfires, and the impact that natural disasters have on communities and businesses across the province, Fiona Famulak, President and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce, released the following statement:

“On behalf of the BC Chamber of Commerce and our members, we want to add our voice in support of the residents of the north and south Peace regions, who have been affected by the wildfires. The news of growing wildfires is deeply troubling and underlies our concern about the well being of all residents and their communities. We encourage residents to heed the warnings from officials and work with one another to ensure everyone’s safety.

“It is only mid-May, with a full wildfire season ahead that is only likely to get worse. Unfortunately, small- and medium-sized businesses – the backbone of our provincial economy – bear much of the cost of the impacts of such natural disasters. Once the emergency has passed and we shift to managing the fire and recovery from the disaster, we encourage all levels of government to work together with urgency to address the needs of workers, businesses and communities.

“I also want to acknowledge and thank the first responders, firefighters and many others, including volunteers, who are dealing with the wildfires and protecting our communities at considerable personal risk. Please be safe.”