The Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce was saddened to learn of the passing of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, on September 8, 2022. Her life, legacy and leadership have been, and will continue to be, impactful in our local community and around the world.
While the Chamber respects the need to mourn the loss of such an outstanding personage, the subsequent announcement from government, implementing a one-time statutory holiday on September 19th, 2022, has left the Summerside Business Community disappointed by the lack of consultation prior to making this decision.
The Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce, which represents approx. 400 business in the Summerside area, polled their membership and found that approx. 63% of business owners did not support the government’s decision to introduce a statutory holiday. With many businesses still struggling in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the added cost of an additional statutory holiday in a month that already contains two stat-holiday’s was found to be particularly onerous. Additionally, being the only province in Canada to declare this day a statutory holiday puts PEI businesses at a disadvantage.
Chamber President Blake Doyle acknowledges that more should have been done to determine and consider the needs of the business community prior to this decision being made. “Businesses need reliable information on which to make decisions. In this instance, businesses were not consulted, communicated with, or informed” says Doyle. “While we recognize the significance of the Queen’s passing, it is important to acknowledge the negative economic impact of an imposed statutory holiday, especially on the small business community, which is already facing significant challenges due to increasing inflationary pressures, chronic labour shortages and supply-chain disruptions.”
As a non-profit organization, the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce represents and promotes the needs of the local business community, with the goal of enhancing economic development. It is the desire of the Chamber to work collaboratively with government, as doing so benefits all Islanders. In the future, it is hoped that government will seek feedback from the local business community prior to making decisions of this nature.
More information on the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce can be found at the website: http://www.summersidechamber.com/
For additional information contact: Blake Doyle
About The Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce:
Established in 1900, the Greater Summerside Chamber of Commerce is a volunteer organization made up of business and professional people sharing a common goal — the economic development of the Greater Summerside area. Small and large businesses from virtually every sector and profession form the membership.
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Blake Doyle
President
bdoyle@blakedoyle.com
(902) 436-9651