A new local group hopes to unite the many organizations in North Simcoe and offer support to local businesses.
A municipal, business support task force came into being recently as a sub-committee of the Economic Development Corporation of North Simcoe (EDCNS).
Task force chair Cher Cunningham, who is also a Midland councillor, said the group aims to offer businesses a united front for economic support.
"When I ran for election, I really wanted to see all of our organizations working together," she said, referring to the EDCNS, local chamber of commerce, downtown business improvement areas, municipalities and other related groups in the area.
"We've always had silos. The task force really sprang up out of that evolution for that need for all of our stakeholders coming together."
Under pandemic times, Cunningham said the need became more urgent.
"The intent (right now) is helping businesses survive the pandemic and helping them tap into resources," she said. "Running a business is a struggle at the best of times. This is just highlighting the need that businesses have. It's a much more intense struggle now."
Some businesses, Cunningham noted, that were not struggling before the pandemic, may be more resilient.
"They had long-term plans, they had savings and they had a vision," she said. "The mom and pop businesses that had the ability to survive a month or two are the ones that really need these resources. Who can they call for current information? Now, they can get in touch with the task force for this purpose."
The sub-committee is currently made up of nine members, including council members from neighbouring municipalities.
“We need to do our part to not only support them through this challenging time. but also help ensure they have the resources to be sustainable and come out of this even stronger,” said Tiny Township Coun. Cindy Hastings, who is also a task force member.
In addition, Cunningham said, the group is welcoming more members with specific skills.
"We're looking for semi-retired or retired business consultants who have helped organizations recover from crises to help us create a crystal ball to recover," she said. "They could help us figure out where and how to best use any stimulus funding that might come down the pipeline in the future."
Information about the task force is available through the new business recovery portal on the EDCNS website. The business community can find all of those updates from local organizations, as well as links to workshops, resources, and funding opportunities available from all of the levels of government.
Further to providing information online, Cunningham said that every Thursday the group will hold a town hall panel, which will features guests including Simcoe North MP Bruce Stanton and MPP Jill Dunlop.
"It is not open to the public, but we are happy to take questions and direct them to our panelists," said Cunningham.
Last week's town-hall video recording is available online.
To send in questions or inquire about joining the group, reach out to Cunningham at [email protected] or Sharon Vegh, executive director of the EDCNS, at [email protected].
