Page 22 - FDI Alliance International Magazine Summer 2020 Digital Interactive Issue

Council approved an expedited process for the hospitality industry,
which has been particularly hard hit by the pandemic, to deploy new
patios and outdoor spaces to help customers physically distance
and support their local businesses.

Our Film Liaison worked closely with the Provincial group that
developed the guidelines for the reopening of the film and TV
industry, which is an important employer of local residents and
» What measurements have been taken in the city an essential element of the BC Economy. Currently, the work has
of Maple Ridge to ensure that small businesses are roared back and we are back to pre-COVID production levels.
protected during and after the Covid -19 pandemic?
Our staff have been doing regular check-ins with the businesses
Our immediate priority was supporting the education around Public and business associations and our Bylaws team have rolled out their
Health Orders from the BC Government. In the early days of the Community Safety Officer pram of active enforcement to ensure
COVID-19 pandemic we reached out to our Downtown Business the safety of our business areas and some proactive programs to
Improvement Association and the local Chamber of Commerce help businesses develop strong safety programs as their retail and
to encourage a collaboration to develop and publish a list of the service environments have changed in the pandemic.
businesses that were available and open to the public. Once that
list was available, we supported the distribution of this information In 2019, our Council passed the most progressive home based
on our social media channels. business legislation in the region, and during the pandemic, when
so many people have been working from home, these regulations
Our Economic Development team did a quick pivot to bring their have helped entrepreneurs look at ways to keep their businesses
resources to bear with the development of regular newsletters to running while keeping their families safe.
connect citizens with the essential businesses serving the community
and to connect businesses with the support programs that were We are all in this together, and we will continue to adapt processes
implemented by the Provincial and Federal governments. As the and programs to ensure that we are supporting the business
pandemic has gone on, and the BC Government announced the community as we navigate through this new reality.
BC Restart Plan we participated in an online Town Hall meeting with
colleagues from all levels of government to support the reopening » How are you doing business differently in the City
and hear, first hand, what some of the challenges might be. of Maple Ridge to help prevent the spread of Covid
19 and keep people in your community safe?
The City purchased advertising and launched social media campaign
for both a ‘Shop Local’ and a ‘Local Tourism’ series to encourage Our organization turned on a dime when the pandemic hit. Our
people to connect and reconnect with the local entrepreneurs who staff deployed technology to allow Council to continue to hold
have been doing so many innovative things in the pandemic to keep meetings using virtual meeting tools. We never missed a single
their staff and customers safe. meeting, the only Council in BC to ensure that important decisions,

22. FDI ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL