Access to Childcare Major Concern for Local Business Owners, Task Force Finds
[PETERBOROUGH, ON]: Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) on behalf of the Mayor and Warden’s Economic Recovery Task Force has released the details of its first monthly Report Card.
This Report Card will be updated regularly following meetings of the Mayor and Warden’s Economic Task Force and will capture information in three main ways: issues, actions and outcomes.
This Report Card will also serve as a regular update to the public at large and in particular City, County and Township Councils and key municipal staff as well as members of the business community, including those on the task force and those organizations that work with and/or support local businesses and industries. The report will be updated on a monthly basis with a running list of concerns found in a detailed chart, and the top concerns of local businesses being communicated through an updated executive summary.
Below are the Top Local Business Concerns in May:
• Employer challenges recalling workers due to lack of school/childcare for employees with school-aged children at home
• Access to clear and consistent information
• Access to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Concerns over instilling consumer and employee confidence related to health and safety
• Unique challenges for seasonal businesses
• Financial concerns related to business continuity and challenges related to financial relief including commercial rent subsidy, waterfront property taxes, taking advantage of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) while employees are declining return to work
• Delays in development approvals processes and backlogged shovel-ready site approvals
To view the entire Mayor & Warden’s Economic Recovery Task Force Report Card for May, and to submit feedback on key issues visit www.peterboroughed.ca/recovery-plan/.
“Whether it’s in health, agriculture, or carework, there are opportunities for our community in the post-pandemic world,” said MP Maryam Monsef. “It will be hard work, but local leaders are working together to address challenges and seize those opportunities. We will get through the pandemic together and every single member of our community will be key to a successful recovery.”
“It is absolutely critical that we hear directly from the people and businesses of Peterborough-Kawartha on the economic impact of COVID-19 and listen to their needs and priorities,” said MPP Dave Smith. “By working together with our community partners, we can support a prudent, people-focused plan that gets our community on the road to recovery.”
“The collaborative work of our Task Force is pivotal to the economic recovery of our region,” said Peterborough County Warden J. Murray Jones. “We urge you to provide your input into this process as we all plan our regional recovery from COVID-19 and charter into the new normal for businesses in our community. Now more than ever, we are all in this together.”
“The goal of the task force is to bring our community together as our local economy recovers from the impacts of COVID-19,” said City of Peterborough Mayor Diane Therrien. “The City and County are proud to be working alongside local business leaders, economic development professionals and community members to ensure that the Peterborough region continues to thrive as we overcome the challenges of COVID-19.”
About PKED’s Economic Recovery Plan
In April, both City and County Council unanimously approved a COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan for Peterborough & the Kawarthas, which was developed by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) as the lead regional economic development agency for the City and County, in consultation with other local business organizations and the local business community.
It includes a series of immediate, mid-term and long-term actions to support regional economic recovery.
About the Mayor & Warden’s Economic Recovery Task Force
The Economic Recovery Task Force is being led by the Mayor and Warden and includes nearly forty representatives across the City and County of Peterborough covering virtually all sectors of the economy. The status of this Task Force’s actions can be viewed at any time by visiting www.peterboroughed.ca/recovery-plan.
For additional information please contact Keaton Robbins, Corporate Communications Officer, 705.743.0777 Ext. 2116 or kerobbins@peterboroughed.ca @PtboEcDev