SYDNEY, N.S. — Like many groups and organizations the Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce has turned to a virtual world to communicate with its members as public health measures impact the traditional operation of businesses.
Who is open and who is closed have become common questions from consumers, so online resources have been developed to clarify operating hours and changes.
“It’s been live for over a month now and we have well over 3,000 people that have interacted with the page or liked that page,” Kathleen Yurchesyn, CEO of the chamber said about the Open For Business in Cape Breton Facebook page.
“I wanted to kind of create a place where businesses, without having a middle man, could share what they are doing. It’s been awesome.”
Yurchesyn monitors the page that’s become home to restaurant menus, weekly specials from retail outlets and innovations.
“I felt like it was really important to have a stake beyond their personal page, where people within their community could share what they are doing during this very unusual and uncertain time.”
TOWN HALL
The chamber has also turned to virtual town halls and other online initiatives to keep the lines of communication open for its members.
Main pillars of the chamber, pandemic or not, according to Yurchesyn are advocacy, connectivity, networking, transparency and transfer of information.
She feels that two recent online town hall type initiatives with Cape Breton-Canso MP Mike Kelloway and provincial Business Minister Geoff MacLellan served those purposes.
There was a good response to the live forum and plenty of feedback to the recordings which are now found on the chamber website.
Other virtual town halls are planned.
Candid questions were posed, notes taken and the chamber plans for ongoing follow up with town hall subjects.
Her phone has also been ringing often as members reach out with questions and concerns about the various assistance programs from federal and provincial governments.
“It’s a mixture of everything but right now the chamber is really in a position to help as much as possible and to get answers.”
