Strait Area's Business, Tourism Sectors Feel Pandemic Pinch

L’ARDOISE – Amanda Mombourquette’s time with the Strait Area Chamber of Commerce didn’t end as quickly as she thought, with the local small-business body bringing her back on as a COVID-19 advisor one month after she stepped down as the chamber’s executive director.

Mombourquette’s plans to begin her new position at the two Cape Breton campuses of the Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) took a detour on two fronts shortly after leaving the chamber. The coronavirus pandemic and its resulting social-distancing regulations in Nova Scotia led the NSCC to immediately shut down its campuses throughout the province, and the chamber asked Mombourquette to return as an advisor to small businesses grappling with the grim new reality.

In an interview with TELILE 24/7 host Adam Cooke from her home in L’Ardoise, Richmond County, Mombourquette suggested that many of the Strait region’s entrepreneurs have stepped up to the COVID-19 challenge. She pointed to several business owners that have successfully adapted delivery models for such items as restaurant food and groceries, adding that some of these establishments are doing so at a loss because of the community’s greater need.

“In times of crisis, look to the helpers,” Mombourquette suggested, quoting children’s television host Fred “Mister” Rogers’ famous remarks following the 2001 World Trade Centre attacks in New York City.

Mombourquette added that her former chamber colleagues are doing all they can to assist small businesses, citing everything from the chamber’s group insurance plans to its online information sessions regarding the federal government’s assistance packages for individuals and wage subsidies for business owners.

In addition to her service with the chamber, Mombourquette continues to serve with the Village On the Canal Association (VOCA), a lobby group designed specifically to assist business and community growth in the village of St. Peter’s.

While she expressed sadness at the pandemic’s impact on a Richmond County community that has seen several new small businesses cropping up over the past five years, Mombourquette commended those who have already gone the distance to make their businesses safer.

She also expressed hope that the community’s pandemic-ravaged summer tourist schedule would rebound in 2021 with a renewed focus on bringing locals and visitors together for such unique celebrations as St. Peter’s Pirate Days and Swim The Canal.