As restrictions continue to lift and tourists begin to travel into the province, some tourism-reliant business communities are wondering what the future holds.
In Lunenburg, many businesses are still carrying the financial weight of COVID-19 after losing out on expected revenue for May and June.
At least one prominent business, Shop on the Corner, has announced their closure at the end of this month, painting a worrying picture for some business owners in the town.
In a release about the closure, shop owner Vicki Buckley said there were a few driving factors in their closure.
“The uncertainty associated with the impact of COVID-19, especially in relation to its effects of tourism along with the considerable expense load that we carry, has forced us to make this decision,” the release said.
Shop on the Corner had spent the last eight years on the corner of King and Lincoln Street, but will close its doors permanently at the end of this month.
As the tourist season wraps up later this year though, the coffee and gift shop may not be the only business tossing in the towel, as many businesses were hit heavily during the pandemic, said Jamie Myra, president of the Lunenburg Board of Trade.
“I think it’s had a huge negative impact on every business in the community outside of the grocery and hardware stores,” he said.
“For the traditional businesses of Lunenburg, especially in the downtown core, like retail, gift shops and the restaurant community, I think we are all getting hit drastically with this whole COVID-19 situation.”
Federal support has been key for many small businesses in the community during the pandemic by utilizing their wage subsidy programs, however the same can’t be said for provincial supports, said Myra.
“Most of their programs, you only qualified if you were mandated to close,” he said.
“(Retail businesses) were never mandated to close, but we all closed. We felt we were asked indirectly to flatten the curve. We all did what we thought was best for the province, but we were left off the funding plans.”
However, an influx of Nova Scotians turning to local businesses keep many afloat, and the opening of the Atlantic bubble leaves Myra optimistic for the future.
“We’re noticing in our business more and more people shopping local and supporting local businesses,” he said.
“They aren’t as eager to run to the city to buy from the big box guys anymore, and shipping issues have turned many away from online shopping.
“Whether you are a business owner or not, I don’t think anyone living in this area wants to see nothing here 18 months from now.”
Follow Cody McEachern on Twitter at @CodyInHiFi.
