With the significant economic impact that COVID-19 is having on the local business community, the City of Greater Sudbury is providing support for businesses with resources and systems to help them navigate unprecedented situations.
"Over the last couple of weeks, we have all been faced with some very difficult decisions," said Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger, in a press release.
"For some of our local businesses, this means having to temporarily close their doors or change the way they provide services. We are working collaboratively with our partners in the community and from all levels of government to ensure our businesses know how critical they are to our economic strength.
“I am proud to see how they are adjusting and responding during these times. I have seen examples of this innovation across our community, including restaurants offering takeout, athletic clubs offering online classes and distilleries making hand sanitizer."
The city's economic development division has established a business continuity support group which connects to discuss challenges, resources and opportunities.
The collaborative group includes representatives from the City of Greater Sudbury Economic Development division and Regional Business Centre, FedNor, the Ministry of Energy Northern Development and Mines, the Nickel Basin Federal Development Corporation, the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, local Business Improvement Areas, including the Downtown Sudbury BIA, and MineConnect (formerly SAMSSA).
Mayor Bigger is briefed on the content of these calls and will participate whenever possible.
"I want to hear what this situation means to local business leaders," said Bigger. "We will get through this together, but it is going to take a lot of support and effort from everybody once we are able to resume business and get back to work."
Several initiatives are underway with support for local businesses, including:
An economic support and recovery page can be found at www.greatersudbury.ca/covid. This webpage is updated daily and includes financial resources available through federal and provincial programs, and pandemic preparedness resources.
The City's Regional Business Centre and Economic Development, with Fuel Multimedia, have created an in-kind partnership to develop a video series that focuses on critical issues to help businesses navigate the challenges presented by COVID-19. Links to the video series can be found on www.greatersudbury.ca/covid.
Economic Development staff are conducting outreach to local businesses and organizations through phone calls and online surveys to better understand impacts on their operations.
Businesses are encouraged to contact the Economic Development office through its designated hotline at 705-690-9937 or by email at [email protected].
"The Greater Sudbury Economic Development team and the business continuity group's goal is to provide the support, information and resources our businesses need right now," said Ed Archer, City of Greater Sudbury's chief administrative officer.
"We are listening to our business community and are doing everything we can to help navigate this quickly evolving situation. I encourage you to connect with our economic development team for assistance."
Residents can continue to support local businesses by ordering delivery or takeout, shopping online, buying gift cards to use in the future, writing positive online reviews and spreading the word through personal social media accounts.
For more information, visit www.greatersudbury.ca/covid.
