Pandemic killing off Merritt businesses

Merritt's economy has been hit particularly hard in the last few years with the decline of resource industries.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been another blow the small town can ill afford.

Locally, many businesses have been forced to reduce their hours or lay off staff. Several have closed their doors permanently.

Mary Holgate of Mary's Corner Cafe and Catering closed the doors of her Garcia Street. restaurant, citing COVID-19 as a major factor.

"COVID altered our lives on March 17," said Holgate.

"On March 22, I was broken into. It's one thing after another. Restaurants, bars and catering almost shut down.

“At first, we did OK because people were coming home from out of country and had to self-isolate, so we did a pretty good business with frozen meals.

“Then we were lucky enough to have crews staying at the hotels and they were ordering meals, then they left.

“Catering jobs were cancelled, I didn’t know what we were going to do,” she said.

“The frozen meals kept us going, but I didn't qualify for the wage subsidy.

“The $40,000 loan the government offered businesses didn’t work for me, and my landlord hadn’t agreed to apply for rent relief.

“Fast forward four months, bills were piling up and my stress level was out of control. I decided I couldn't carry on, especially with the threat of another wave coming.

“Once I said I was closing my landlord did bring me the paperwork for rent relief, but by that time it was way too late.”

Holgate plans to close at the end of August, The doors are already shut, but she will continue to offer frozen meals and catering.

Similarly, B’s Bath closed its doors on July 29, after first enduring a temporary closure due to COVID-19 pandemic regulations.

“COVID-19 has been hard on all of us,’ reads a post on B’s Baths social media.

“In many different ways, for many different people. With tears in my eyes and a heavy weight in my heart, this post is to announce that B’s Bath will be closing its doors for good.”

With a second wave predicted as summer ends and cold and flu season hits, many other local businesses are bracing for layoffs, lockdown, loss of income or permanent closure in the months ahead.