After a nearly month-long evacuation from the City of Yellowknife, local business owner Judy McNicol says small businesses across the city are feeling the effects of three weeks without income.
As a result, McNicol has organized a meeting with numerous Yellowknife-owned businesses to discuss plans and call upon the GNWT for support.
“I put the email out to about 35-40 people and I’m anticipating maybe 15-20 coming,” McNicol tells MyTrueNorthNow.
Scheduled for Wednesday, September 20th, the private meeting will feature representatives from the Northwest Territories Business Development & Investment Corporation (BDIC) and the GNWT Department of Industry, Tourism, and Investment, alongside Finance Minister Caroline Wawzonek.
“My hope is that we can discuss and go through what’s happened [evacuations], the impact this has had on small businesses financially, and that the government comes up with an appropriate amount for compensation,” McNicol says.
“My goal is for small business to actually be recognized, and if we weren’t here, how detrimental it would be to the community of Yellowknife,” she adds.
Additionally, McNicol says small businesses are struggling due to a lack of funding from the Territorial Government, saying COVID loans continue to bury small businesses like hers.
“We need the money… we can’t stay open if we don’t get money, there was a month with no income, and all the bills,” McNicol says.
Currently, the meeting is not open to the public; however, McNicol tells MyTrueNorthNow a potential press conference could be in the works at a later date to discuss the meeting and its findings.
