By Cecilia Nasmith/Today’s Northumberland
The Northumberland Economic Recovery Task Force has set the stage for a post-pandemic revitalization, details of which co-chairs Dan Borowec and Brendan Cunneen shared Wednesday in six final recommendations.
Cunneen, a senior business executive, recalled that the task force had been struck in April – not as a committee of county council, but as a private-sector initiative undertaken with Northumberland County Director of Economic Development, Planning and Strategic Initiatives Dan Borowec and his staff.
“Sixty-three local community business leaders were directly involved,” Cunneen said.
“As they undertook the work to look at what was needed to get the local economy back on track as a result of COVID-19, they in turn reached out to their individual networks.
“The result was a significant multiplier effect. We were confident saying this at county council, that these recommendations represented hundreds of local business owners.”
Six working groups were established representing six key sectors – micro- and small business, manufacturing, professional services, agriculture and food processing, tourism, and development and construction.
Along with Warden Bob Sanderson and representation from each county municipality, the public-sector component of the task force consisted of Community Futures, chambers of commerce, post-secondary education and Workforce Development.
The first three recommendations were released last month. The subsequent recommendations make a total of six.
Tackle broadband deficits
This is the big one, the co-chairs agreed, on which the other five recommendations depend for success.
As the pandemic wrought changes in work flow, public safety, e-commerce, education and health, Borowec said, this became evident. Fortuitously, the county was already working on this project and an RFP was set to close July 9, calling for a consultant first to evaluate what infrastructure currently exists and second to offer guidance on how to proceed (knowing what is already in place).
“The timing seems to be quite good in that there is a significant degree of interest and support from all levels of government at this point in time to try to move that initiative ahead as quickly as possible,” Borowec noted.
“We also recognize that every community is slightly different, so there’s not a one-size-fits-all solution in our mind. Our intent with this RFP was to ensure there are options available to communities.
“I think each one is at a different point with different resources available. The intent is to knit all that together.”
Power the transition to on-line
“Consumers wanted to support local businesses but felt the safest way to do so was buying on-line,” Borowec said.
The push was on to get more businesses on-line and, for those already there, enhance their on-line presence. The Business and Entrepreneurship Centre has partnered with four municipalities, four chambers of commerce and three Business Improvement Areas to launch the county-wide Digital Northumberland initiative to assist small businesses in this regard.
Fuel consumer confidence in bricks-and-mortar retail
As consumers drifted back into the physical marketplace, their confidence was challenged by differing personal protective equipment requirements among the different businesses. These inconsistencies were addressed somewhat when Medical Officer of Health Dr. Lynn Noseworthy issued the directive that resulted in businesses requiring masks of their customers (incidentally protecting the health of business owners and and employees).
This kind of consistency from store to store to store must continue, if consumers are to shop confidently, Borowec said.
“The more that becomes evident, the more it restores the confidence among consumers,” he said.
Enhance the PPE supply chain
The push is on for more than masks, Cunneen said. The need extends to face shields, wipes and hand sanitizers as well. And while COVID has exacerbated the need, the day-to-day requirements of many manufacturing businesses (not to mention health-care workers) for a reliable supply of PPE predated the emergency.
While everyone they hear from appreciates the work the province has done in ensuring the supply of PPE, Cunneen said, “it’s somewhat of a confusing landscape. What was recommended was a search of best practices elsewhere.”
They were interested in what’s happening in the Municipality of Clarington, where a lead organization manages the procurement and distribution of PPE on behalf of member partners – who also benefit from bulk purchasing and an established distribution network. A working group from Northumberland is studying this initiative.
Invest in workforce mental health
Since the pandemic arrived, employers report that more and more employees exhibit worry, anxiety and uncertainty about their future and those of their families and loved ones. The impact is being felt in many ways.
“One of the participants talked about his own business but also in his immediate circle of business friends. Many of them discussed with each other that they are spending a significant amount of time, compared to pre-pandemic, with their staff – reassuring them, being much more of a guide than you would normally have associated with the employer-employee relationship,” Cunneen related.
“Employees are worried about the long term. They are anxious. They are uncertain about the future, and worried about sending their kids back to school – all that.
“I was not aware of what was available, but what became apparent is we need to help those employers and employees access what is already available in the community, to help them help their own people with what’s already there.”
The recommendation is also for increased public-sector investments in mental-health resources to foster workforce psychological health, as well as a public-and-private-sector collaboration to increase the awareness of existing resources.
Develop targeted economic-recovery actions
These would be aimed at groups disproportionately affected by workforce changes that resulted from the pandemic, Cunneen said, such as women, younger workers and older workers.
What is needed is focused support for programming that targets these disadvantaged groups, he said, and there are good examples already in place. The Business and Entrepreneurship Centre Northumberland, for example, is launching a Women Entrepreneurship Strategy as a regional pilot that will support the launch of more than 200 women entrepreneurs. And the annual Summer Company program has established many successful businesses headed by students.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
