‘It’s heartbreaking’: Coronavirus pandemic closes Okanagan businesses

For months we’ve heard about the negative impact the pandemic has had on many local businesses.

Now, between financial pressures and health related challenges, COVID-19 is forcing more Okanagan operations to shut their doors.

They likely won’t be alone, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says thousands of small and medium sized businesses in B.C. are at risk of closing.

The business group’s worse case projection is that more than 28,000 businesses in the province could be on the brink.

Fun Bugs, a kids’ indoor play centre in Kelowna, is among them.

Owner Lori Placide announced last week facility won’t be reopening.

“It’s heartbreaking,” said Placide.

“You hear these comments on Facebook of all these people, ‘Oh, please don’t shut down,’ but I can’t risk my family and my home over a business.”

If no buyer is found to take over the play space by the end of the week, Placide said she’ll be selling off the equipment and closing the doors for good.

1:58 Gabby’s Country Cabaret in Langley closes for good

After a successful opening last summer, Vernon vintage store Mary-Ann’s Closet is facing a similar fate.

“When we opened here on Main Street it was amazing. Everyone was loving it. We were having repeat clients,” said Melissa Schmidt, whose mother owns the store.

However, after COVID-19, things had changed.

“When she reopened it was very, very noticeably different. Some days there was nobody that came into the store,” Schmidt said.

For financial and health reasons, the family ultimately decided to shut the store and move the business back online.

“It was a really sad choice because this is my mom’s first local business out in the community. To see how amazing she did last year and then for her to have to go through (pandemic-related business challenges) this year was horribly sad,” Schmidt said.

Also driving off into the sunset is Driving Hands.

The Vernon-designated driver service is now closed indefinitely.

“It’s hard to stay separated from other people when you are driving their cars so there was no way we could operate,” Driving Hands co-owner Vic Spooner said.

“The bills just kept coming in and we just ran out of money.”

It will leave Vernon residents with one fewer option to get home safely after a night on the town, but the business is not ruling out a return one day once there is a vaccine.

“Until then we can’t keep our drivers safe, we can’t keep our customers safe,” Spooner said.

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is urging consumers to try to support local business so that others don’t face the same fate.