Mixed reactions to business recovery efforts in Valemount
By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, RMG
While some Valemount business owners have begun to recover since the nearly three-week-long shutdown of Highway 16 and Highway 93 last summer, others are struggling to keep afloat from the cascading economic impacts.
In early November, the Village hired consultancy firm Strategies North to assess the economic impacts of the highway closures and implement an economic recovery strategy. The firm met with business owners later that month, and produced a report for Council in January estimating that $1.5M would be needed for Valemount’s economic recovery.
The firm said it hopes to get economic support to village businesses through lobbying the federal government, as well as the governments of B.C. and Alberta. Additionally, Strategies North began offering grant application coaching as of February 10th.
The efforts have elicited a variety of reactions from local business owners. The owner of Emerald Earth Organic Spa, Sherri Houghton, said she has not received concrete support from the Village or the consultancy firm.
“I received maybe three follow-up emails from Strategies North [after the November meeting],” Houghton told The Goat. “Unfortunately, none of them were what I was hoping for. I was looking for some business grants, and they didn’t find any grants that would suit my business.”
Houghton said she can no longer work on her business full-time, and has had to accept part-time work in other communities.
“They’re still looking, so I’m hopeful that maybe they will find something that will help me,” Houghton added. “But so far, I haven’t had any successful help or outcomes from the meeting.”
Some businesses have been able to weather the economic turbulence. Owner of The Caribou Grill, Patricia Thoni, told The Goat her business was buoyed by winter tourists.
“I did talk with someone [from Strategies North],” Thoni said. “I didn’t lose as much as some other businesses… We closed for the fall, and then December was decent, so I just didn’t really follow through with it.”
Owner of Blue Sky Cabins, Kelly Anderson, said she was fortunate not to have any booking cancellations as a result of the Jasper wildfire. As a long-time visitor to Valemount and a new business owner, she is pleased to see the village trying to expand its tourism market.
“We had international guests that came and enjoyed Valemount. Although they were disappointed to not be able to travel into Jasper, it gave them a chance to look around Valemount and the surrounding area,” Anderson said. “A lot of people do come to venture towards Jasper. We have people coming to enjoy the bike park, enjoy the hiking around Valemount, and I think Valemount is starting to make its own path.”
In an email to The Goat, Strategies North president Grant Barley said business owners can reach out to the firm to ask about potential grant opportunities. Barley’s team is also forwarding grants to Valemount businesses they have been in contact with, he added.
The firm does not specialize in writing business grants, but it can provide coaching, Barley said.
“We are helping Valemount businesses as much as we can with information and advice on preparation and submission of applications,” he said.
Barley added that he is optimistic about potentially helping businesses earn money through grants, and lobbying on behalf of the Village.
“We have over $800M successful applications in the 10 year history of our company,” Barley said. “Working with the Village of Valemount and the Valemount business community has been excellent and we’re very proud to be working for the community.”
