Less than half of hard-hit Interior businesses applied for wildfire recovery funds, report says

Only 40 per cent of businesses affected by wildfires in theCache Creek area of B.C.'s souther Interior have applied for funds to help them recover.

A report from the Thompson Nicola Regional Districtsays457 out of492 businesses in the area includingCache Creek, Ashcroft andClearwater told researchers they were affected by the 2017 wildfires either financially or physically.

Yetonly about 40 per cent of those impactedare using wildfire recovery programs offered by the Canadian Red Cross, the provincial government and other agencies, although most of them are eligible for some funding. The Thompson Nicola Regional District chalks that up to a change in Red Crossfunding rules that left people confused about eligibility.

Colin O'Leary, head of the district'sbusiness recovery initiative, said hewants to promote those programs to businesses in the district.

"We're looking at provisions to help reduce red tape and help businesses get back on their feetas fast as possible," he said.

The report notes that the Red Cross Phase 2 fundingof up to $20,000could cover most of the financial losses for nearly half ofof the region's businesses.

• Businesses eligible for more wildfire financial assistance

In addition, the regional district is working on its own plan for businesses to be prepared for emergency situations like the wildfires, in order to minimizeloss.

Millions of dollars in revenue lost

More than $21 million in business revenue was lost in the region according to thereport.

"We didn't expect the numbers would be as significant as they were in terms of the economic loss," saidThompson Nicola Regional Districtspokesperson Debbie Sell.

That financial loss causedlayoffs andsome business owners considered shutting down,O'Leary said

O'Leary said the lack of tourism duringthe summer months played a large role.

• 'It's been a challenge': B.C. tourism operators feel the heat from wildfires

Thewildfires made headlines around the worldwhich discouragedtourists from visiting B.C.'s Interior, he said.

"There was a lot of feeling of miscommunication in the media ...and hype that all of B.C. was burning."

With files from Daybreak Kamloops