The temporary closure of the Myra Falls mine will have economic reverberations throughout the Campbell River area.
And the Campbell River Chamber of Commerce is concerned about that.
“The chamber is concerned about the immediate affect from the layoff of hundreds of employees, the majority who live within Campbell River and surrounding area and first and foremost what the layoffs will mean as a loss to the workers and their families,” said chamber board chair Corby Lamb.
Those jobs and wages help support local businesses.
“This layoff will also affect our local businesses who count on wage earners with disposable income to support their store, products and services,” Chamber CEO Colleen Evans said. “We will be monitoring progress closely to better understand what the longer term viability of Nyrstar’s operation and upgrade timeline is and how that affects good paying local jobs and opportunities..”
Lamb said the future of the community is closely tied to the mine’s.
“As a business-focused organization, we understand the importance of ongoing investment in infrastructure and improvements that business needs to remain competitive in the marketplace and it’s our expectation that Nyrstar’s commitment to undertake this effort now is a commitment to Campbell River future’s,” he said.