A commentary by the president and CEO of The Wilson’s Group of Companies, part of our continuing series on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on local businesses and organizations.
The year 2020 marks 40 years in business for Wilson’s Transportation. Never did I think this is how we would be spending it when late last year we began making celebration plans for this significant milestone for our company and our family. Like many others, rather than celebrating, we are just trying to survive.
Since March, we have had to lay off 95% of our staff, many of whom have worked for us for years and have become like a second family to us.
They say that life is filled with significant moments that we will remember forever. That dreadful day in March when we began our layoffs, knowing more were inevitably going to come, is one that I will remember for the rest of my life.
Laying off staff is something every business owner hopes they will never have to do. To have to lay them off with really no answers about what our future holds was gut-wrenching.
Throughout my years of being in this business, one thing I have always noticed is the amount of joy that comes from traveling with a group of friends, family, schoolmates and teammates. My son played sports growing up and if I asked him for some of his fondest memories of those times, he would say “the road trips.”
That’s what inspired our motto “the fun is in the getting there.” My guess would be that most readers have a memory that makes them smile of being on a bus en route to a destination, whether they were a kid or an adult.
Now imagine that those memories did not exist. No more team road trips, no more school field trips, no more wine tours with friends and family. That is the harsh reality we are facing, both now and in the future, if businesses such as ours do not get the funding necessary to carry on.
The area of our business most at risk is our scheduled services. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was no secret that the business of inter-city bus services had been struggling for years. There is no better example than the exit of Greyhound Canada from the Western Canadian marketplace in the fall of 2018.
With a 41% decline in ridership across the country, Greyhound Canada said it had been running on a deficit for the past several years. As a privately owned transportation provider, with no government subsidy to help cover costs, it simply could no longer afford to run unsustainable routes.
Since then, our group of companies has taken over some of Greyhound’s former routes. Our B.C. Connector serves Whistler, Kelowna and Kamloops, and our Vancouver Island Connector has services from downtown Victoria to Port Hardy, with connections to Tofino and Ucluelet. It did not take long for us to discover the many challenges that our predecessors faced.
Late last year, we made the difficult decision to close several of the bus depots that our Vancouver Island Connector service operated out of, and move toward a modern curbside pickup service. It was our hope that by cutting down on overhead expenses, such as our brick-and-mortar locations, we would be able to maintain our service levels rather than having to reduce runs.
Unfortunately, given the current situation and our “new normal,” much more will need to be done to maintain service levels, and we cannot do it alone.
As I look out my office window each day and see a yard filled with parked buses, I also see a yard filled with possibilities.
All hope is not lost. We will continue to fight for our business and community that mean so much to us.
Our remaining small but mighty and experienced team is working diligently with our industry partners, community leaders and governments to form a recovery plan that could see us restarting service, at a reduced level, as soon as possible.
We are working together to ensure we take the appropriate steps and safety measures to be part of the solution to keep everyone safe and healthy, as that is what matters most.
I often speak about what a special place Victoria is to live and do business. My wife and I were both born and raised here, and so were our children. We have never had the urge to leave, because we love this beautiful place we are lucky enough to call home.
And while the mild weather is great, the ocean breeze is refreshing and the flowers are beautiful, I believe it is the people of this community that make Victoria so special.
Now, more than ever, our local businesses need your help to come out the other side stronger than before. There are so many local businesses, ours being one of them, that have punched well above their weight for years when it comes to giving back in dollars, donations and volunteered time.
If you have ever been to a charity event, fundraiser or local sporting or entertainment event, I encourage you to think back to all of those sponsors they named or that donated items that were up for grabs.
All those businesses, much like Wilson’s, will no longer be able to show their support in that way if our community does not help show its support in our time of need. If we were to lose many of these local businesses, I have no doubt there would be crater-sized holes left in our community that would take years to refill, if we ever could.
I recently read an article that said: “We may all be in the same storm, but we are not all in the same boat.”
Not all things are created equal in life, and business is no different. What is helpful for one may not be for another. Some have been able to remain open, while others have closed. Some may qualify for government grants, while others do not. Reach out, get informed and find out what you can do to show your support to your favourite local businesses.
It is my belief that those of us who survive will emerge as smarter, stronger and more efficient businesses — we just need to get there.
I applaud our friends at the Times Colonist for giving us this platform to help share our stories. During a time when digital seems to have taken over, they have shown us great perseverance and why it is so important to have our own local paper and news outlet.
This time of crisis has reminded us of lessons many of us were taught when we were young. Appreciate the little things in life, do not take your loved ones for granted, be kind, patient and understanding, and, most importantly, wash your hands.
So, while I may be a bus guy, let us all put on our lifejackets and hold on tight to our sails, because the storm is far from over, but our boats will make it through … together.
