Victoria council has decided to pay the Downtown Victoria Business Association its annual levy at the beginning of July, even though the city won鈥檛 collect the money from property owners until August.
Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps announced the move Wednesday at her daily COVID-19 update from city hall, saying the funding will allow the DVBA to 鈥渃ontinue to do the good work they鈥檙e doing supporting our small business community.鈥�
It鈥檚 just one of the measures the city has taken to help residents and businesses during the pandemic. Others include scrapping this year鈥檚 tax increase, allowing people to delay utility bill payments without penalty for up to 90 days instead of 45, and pushing back the property-tax due date for both residential and commercial properties to Aug. 4 from July 2.
Jeff Bray, executive director of the DVBA, said getting the levy early is helpful, noting that, for the past month, the association has been focused on supporting its 1,500-member businesses downtown, from accounting offices to retail shops, bars and lounges, and professional services.
鈥淭hey all had to manage the current crisis that we鈥檙e in and it鈥檚 all been impacting their ability to operate as normal,鈥� Bray said.
Some businesses have staff working from home, while others have had to close their doors under public order or change the way they do business, he said.
Businesses are rolling up their sleeves to deal with the changes, but they have also had to lay off long-time staff who are like family, Bray said.
The DVBA clean team, which cleans, safely disposes of drug paraphernalia and removes graffiti from private properties, is doing additional disinfecting of bus stops and garbage cans, he said.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e also doing extra work in the alleys, keeping an eye on the property and business, and working hard to remove graffiti.鈥�
Bray appealed to the public to help local businesses as they struggle to stay afloat.
He suggested ordering a meal from a favourite restaurant if it鈥檚 offering takeout or delivery, or ordering something from a favourite retailer, since many have found ways to build online platforms and deliver products safely.
Buying gift cards now for upcoming birthdays and graduations will put revenue in the pockets of local businesses and help them with their costs, he said.
The website supportlocalyyj.com features 134 businesses and restaurants, and gift certificates start at $10.
Small businesses hoping to develop an online presence can get help from a group of 75 tech firms that have banded together and are volunteering their time. Their website can be found at yyjlocalsforlocals.com.
People can help local restaurants keep their kitchens open by donating to Boxes of Hope. For every $10 you donate, you鈥檒l be providing a warm, healthy meal to someone in need, supporting the local restaurant community and helping to keep restaurant staff employed.
Restaurant owners who want to participate can register at victoriahomelessness.ca/ boxesofhope.
Those unable to buy or donate should consider sending their favourite retailers an email, saying they鈥檙e thinking about them and that they鈥檒l be there when restrictions are lifted, Bray said.
鈥淭hat will mean a lot for their morale. This is a very tough time for small businesses who are pondering their future. It鈥檚 a tough time for their employees.鈥�
