kamloopsthisweek.com | kamloopsthisweek |
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 2021 | Volume 34 No. 16
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Despite pandemic, business licence list grows in Kamloops JESSICA WALLACE
STAFF REPORTER
jessica@kamloopsthisweek.com
The city’s active business licences continued to rise last year, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, and home-based businesses now make up a third of such licences. During a recent meeting, council heard the number of active business licences in Kamloops remains on a general upward trajectory. At the end of 2020, the city had 6,211 active business licences, compared to 5,999 in 2019, 5,750 in 2018 and 5,796 in 2017. The year 2020 saw a 3.5 per cent increase in active business licences, including 803 licences issued to new businesses, up over 619 licences issued to new businesses in 2019. City of Kamloops planning manager Rod Martin said people are getting creative in starting businesses. “I think it’s people that are just looking at different ways to make money in this kind of unique time,” Martin told KTW. “Maybe if they got laid off from their company and started out on their own, so that’ll be a new business licence starting up. And there’s people moving here from the Lower Mainland, a lot of people can work from home online, that sort of thing. I
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think there’s people moving out of the bigger centres. Move to Kamloops, you can probably get a better deal on housing, which is probably why our housing market is so crazy right now.” Licences issued to homebased businesses are also on the rise, with a six per cent uptick in 2020 over 2019. At the end of 2020, homebased businesses comprised of about a third of all businesses and the city had 2,189 homebased businesses at the end of 2020, compared to 2,060 at the end of 2019. “I think that’s a higher rate of increase than typical,” Martin said. “But I think a lot of that is because of the pandemic — people are finding ways to work from home.” Restaurants have been struggling during the pandemic, but the city has not seen a significant drop in business licences for eateries. The licence type that includes standalone restaurants also includes bakeries, delis and caterers. Martin said the city currently has 256 active business licences in that category, compared to 259 at the end of 2020. In addition, reports indicate the city had 258 such business licenses at the end of 2019 and 256 at the end of 2018 and 2017. “There’s virtually no change,” Martin said.
DAVE EAGLES/KTW The patio outside Tumbleweeds Lounge in the Plaza Hotel downtown gets expanded as health orders limiting business to patio and takeout service only has been extended to past the Victoria Day long weekend in late May.
MORE PAIN ON THE MENU SEAN BRADY STAFF REPORTER sbrady@kamloopsthisweek.com
With the ban on indoor dining now extended until after the Victoria Day long weekend in late May, Kamloops restaurants are facing at least another five weeks of relying on takeout orders and patios to keep money flowing in. Mittz Kitchen, downtown in the 200-block of Victoria Street, is one of many restaurants in the city that has expanded its patio out across the sidewalk. Co-owner Steve Mitton said he was able to set up seven tables.
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“That’s about all we can fit. It has cut us instantly in half,” he said. Mittz has managed to retain most of its staff, although with reduced hours. Grants and subsidies have helped, but Mitton said they have also added a lot of overhead, noting some financial relief is not as promised. “This latest one, where they said they’re giving 10 grand, is a load of shit. It’s only five grand,” he said. The Circuit Breaker Business Relief Grant, which followed the health orders announced on
March 30, provides funds based on the number of employees a business has. With five to 99 employees, $5,000 is available. With more than 100 employees, $10,000 is available. “I’d love to see a small business that has over 100 employees,” Mitton said, criticizing part of the latest support measures. Mitton said dealing with the funding and accountants has been part of his brother’s full-time job over the past year, noting the process has created plenty of additional work. See WE’RE, A7 TAKE DELIVERY BY APRIL 30TH
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