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Burnaby Board of Trade launches task force to help businesses through COVID-19

Group will include representatives from the city, plus major employers, small businesses, non-profits and post-secondary institutions
Burnaby Board of Trade
The Burnaby Board of Trade has announced a new task force designed to help guide the viability and recovery of the local economy during and after COVID-19.

The Burnaby Board of Trade has announced the launch of a task force to help guide the rebuilding of the local economy.

The business recovery task force, announced April 27, will be dedicated to finding ways to help the local economy find its way through – and out of – the COVID-19 crisis. It will include senior representatives from the City of Burnaby, major employers, small businesses, non-profits and post-secondary institutions.

A press release from the Burnaby Board of Trade noted its goal is to identify actions that can help businesses cope with the ongoing crisis, plan their recovery once restrictions are relaxed or lifted, and ultimately rebuild the local economy for the long term.

The task force is being led by the board of trade and facilitated by the Simon Fraser University Centre for Dialogue.

“Our business community doesn’t just need support right now; it needs a road map to rebuild and recover from this crisis,” said Paul Holden, president and CEO of the Burnaby Board of Trade. “Our local economy was strong before, and with the right plan it can regain that strength again. Given how the business community and the community at large are intrinsically linked, it is key that we bring together a broad-based team representing business, education, government and community groups to lead the way forward. I’m incredibly optimistic about what we can do by working together for our business community.”

The initial mandate of the task force will include 10 virtual meetings starting in the beginning of May and lasting six to eight weeks. Over that time, it will work on the following actions:

  • mapping economic impacts and areas of need for Burnaby businesses
  • creating a vision and principles to guide Burnaby’s economic recovery and the work of the task force
  • identifying quick-starts that can begin immediately to fill critical needs.

For more on the Burnaby Board of Trade and its efforts to support local business, see bbot.ca.