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What is Jasper鈥檚 business landscape going to look like on the other side of all of this?
As residents settle into this 鈥渘ew normal鈥� and face social distancing measures until at least May, it鈥檚 a question being asked by many.
Tim Horrocks, owner of Sunhouse Cafe, said a lot of it will come down to what, if any, tourism window the town can catch this year.
鈥淚f we miss that summer window I think it will be disastrous for a large portion of businesses,鈥� said Horrocks.
鈥淲e need to talk about ways to all get through this together.鈥�
While some restaurants and retailers are offering delivery services behind their closed doors, many businesses in Jasper have completely stopped.
And even though there is no or reduced money coming in, businesses still have fixed costs like insurances, equipment rentals and rent.
Horrocks said he has been talking to other small business owners in Jasper about their situations and local landlords have responded in a range of ways to working out how to move forward.
鈥淟andlords have to make that decision now if they want to have a long term picture with empty stores or strike a deal now,鈥� said Horrocks.
鈥淚t鈥檚 going to be hard for all, so we all need to get on the same page. The choice will be a collapse or we鈥檒l all be acting towards a common goal.鈥�
Justin Melnyk, manager of Jasper Brewing Co. and vice-president of Jasper Park Chamber of Commerce, said everyone is just waiting to see how long this lasts.
鈥淎 lot of places are in scramble mode,鈥� he said. 鈥淛asper being so tourism heavy, it鈥檚 tough on everyone.鈥�
Melnyk said when social distancing measures were put in place, a lot of people were optimistic that it would only be for three or four weeks.
鈥淭he big question is, what is it going to look like?鈥� he said.
鈥淗ow quickly will things go back up? How long until restrictions are lifted?
鈥淗opefully we can get running by mid May but it [the spread of the virus] is still growing.鈥�
Melnyk said once the situation is getting back to normal, the big thing for Jasper will be regional travel and, once borders are open, visitors from the United States.
And for now, he said the best thing to do is keep informed from reliable sources.
Chamber general manager Pattie Pavlov sends out daily updates on relief announcements and availability through federal and provincial programs and services.
And while the Chamber鈥檚 office door is closed, team members are taking calls and directing business owners to appropriate resources. Call 780 852 4621.
