By Melissa Renwick, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter HA-SHILTH-SA

Communities across the west coast of Vancouver Island are facing labour shortages, forcing some businesses to adjust their operations.

Lewis and Cathy George have been operating the House of Himwitsa, a First Nations art gallery and lodge in Tofino, since 1991. In previous years, Cathy said their storefront would be open from 9:30 a.m. until as late as 7 p.m. Now they now have to close their shop as early as 4 p.m.

B次元官网网址淲e donB次元官网网址檛 have the staff,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 kind of heartbreaking.B次元官网网址�

Cathy regularly works 10-hour days to compensate for staffing shortages.

B次元官网网址淚 have to,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no other way.B次元官网网址�

When Terry Deakin launched INEO Employment Centres in Port Alberni 22 years ago it was created to facilitate a Services Canada pilot project that aimed to provide services to those struggling to enter the job market.

In the 22 years Deakin has been running INEO she said sheB次元官网网址檚 never had a problem filling their programs.

B次元官网网址淲e are struggling right now,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭here are so many job opportunities out there. People can apply for jobs and get them, even if they canB次元官网网址檛 keep them.B次元官网网址�

The skills training for employment offered by INEO are usually operated at 100 per cent capacity. This year, Deakin said occupancy rates have dropped to 60 per cent for the first time.

While Deakin said she doesnB次元官网网址檛 think the labour shortage is caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, B次元官网网址渋t is correlated.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淧eople who were laid off or shut down because of the pandemic and were close to retirement age have decided just to stay at home,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he other piece of it is that people are able to work from home.B次元官网网址�

Indeed, populations are aging. The median age in the Port Alberni census agglomeration was 50 years old in 2021. Comparatively, the median age for B.C. as a whole in 2021 was 42.8 years old.

And as for the rest of the workers, Deakin said sheB次元官网网址檇 be a B次元官网网址渕agicianB次元官网网址� if she knew where the answer.

B次元官网网址淭he demand for workers is extremely high all across the board,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淓verybody keeps thinking itB次元官网网址檚 just the hospitality and tourism sectors that are crying for help right now. But as far as I can see, itB次元官网网址檚 everywhere B次元官网网址� every industry is looking for people.B次元官网网址�

ItB次元官网网址檚 a sentiment shared by Bill Brown, manager of employer services for Work BC in Port Alberni.

B次元官网网址淭he labour market was tightening up before the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. B次元官网网址淭he pandemic just made that happen much more quickly.B次元官网网址�

To keep people safe during the pandemic, the governmentB次元官网网址檚 response was to send workers home B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址渁nd pay them to stay home,B次元官网网址� said Brown.

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) provided financial support to employed and self-employed Canadians who were directly impacted by COVID-19.

B次元官网网址淏ut what we noticed is that when the benefits ended, employers still had a hard time finding workers,B次元官网网址� he said.

And yet, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 unemployment rate was 4.9 per cent in July B次元官网网址� a record low, according to Statistics Canada.

Places like Tofino have their own very specific labour market challenges, said Brown.

B次元官网网址淭hey need a workforce thatB次元官网网址檚 bigger than the number of people who live there,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淭ofino relies on a workforce that comes from somewhere else. And there isnB次元官网网址檛 housing and there isnB次元官网网址檛 good local transportation for people to get to their jobs.B次元官网网址�

Despite only having a population of roughly 2,000 residents, Tofino draws around 600,000 visitors every year.

The median cost of a one-bedroom rental unit in Tofino and Ucluelet rose by 71 per cent between 2017 and 2020 to $1,200, according to the 2021 Clayoquot Biosphere TrustB次元官网网址檚 Vital Snapshot report. Two-bedroom units saw an increase of 6 per cent to $1,480, and three-bedroom units surged by 38 per cent to $2,200.

Al Little has been the general manager for the Nuu-chah-nulth Economic Development Corporation (NEDC) for the past 25 years.

NEDC is an organization that assists Indigenous peoples start, expand and acquire businesses through financial and business support. While staffing challenges have forced operators to expand their businesses with more caution, Little said it hasnB次元官网网址檛 deterred anyone.

B次元官网网址淚t requires some extra thought and planning under the current times,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址�.125Business operators.375 have to be aware of where theyB次元官网网址檙e going to get employment from.B次元官网网址�

Depending on where people are opening or expanding their business, Little said they may be limited by the housing market.

Increasing rental prices are making it more difficult to attract employees because the cost of living is B次元官网网址渂eyond the means of a lot of employees,B次元官网网址� he said.

Without staff accommodation to offer potential employees, Cathy George said she relies on the local workforce.

But even then, she said B次元官网网址渨e canB次元官网网址檛 seem to retain staff.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚f you can get somebody to stay for a few weeks, at least theyB次元官网网址檙e here for a few weeks and theyB次元官网网址檙e helping,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just the norm. ItB次元官网网址檚 just how it is.B次元官网网址�

ItB次元官网网址檚 a trend that causes Cathy to B次元官网网址渨orry about the next generation.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 think a lot of people have the same work ethic their parents or grandparents had,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 try to instill in my kids and my grandkids that this is not a free ride. YouB次元官网网址檝e got to work.B次元官网网址�

As the busy season in Tofino comes to an end, Cathy said she just has to make it through another four weeks of worrying about staff.

B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know what the answer is to the labor shortages,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 hard to say whatB次元官网网址檚 going to come of it.B次元官网网址�