Disaster response team helps Halifax businesses navigate wildfire recovery

Halifax-area businesses that have been affected by the wildfires are getting support from a disaster response team created to help them recover.

The team has been set up to help businesses manoeuvre through the steps many are beginning to face as they attempt to bounce back from the Tantallon fire, which damaged or destroyed more than 200 structures.

"We're just making sure they know they've got an organization they can call to help them navigate through all of the programs, the resources, the tools they need," said Jason Guidry, the director of trade and international partnerships with the Halifax Partnership.

The organization, which is the municipality's economic development group, deployed the disaster response team in collaboration with Discover Halifax and the province's business development agency, Invest Nova Scotia.

It began trying to contact businesses a few days after the fire started on May 28. Since then, calls have been made to more than 300 businesses, including more than 100 home-based businesses in the area.

"There were some that were mildly inconvenienced, all the way at the other end of the spectrum where they were completely devastated," Guidry said.

Earlier this month, the province announced one-time $2,500 grants to small businesses and farmers impacted by the evacuation orders in the Tantallon area as well as in Shelburne County, where a large wildfire burned out of control.

Part of the team's work involves identifying possible gaps in financial relief programs that are available.

Guidry has been working with the store Aquarica Tropical Fish. It's owner estimates it has lost about $10,000, but he is not sure if it is eligible for provincial aid.

Aquarica's store is in Bedford, but its storage facility is in Westwood Hills, where the fire began. All the fish being held there died.

Since the store is registered in Bedford, which was outside the evacuation zone, and did not close during the fires, owner Paul Chang is not clear if it meets the criteria for aid, even though he said there was little he could do to prevent what happened.

"We weren't able to access our inventory for two weeks and we weren't able to access our livestock, which was also kept in our Westwood facilities for two weeks," said Chang, who started Aquarica about 5½ years ago.

'We lost about 200 fish'

He was allowed to go back to the facility quickly to try to rescue some fish during the time the area was still under an evacuation order, but could not save them all.

When it was finally safe to go back, Chang returned to his storage facility to find "a soup of dead fish," and a big clean-up job.

"We lost about 200 fish, including fresh and saltwater. We lost about 150 coral frags that we were growing," Chang explained. "They simply died from poor water conditions or a lack of nutrition."

He said his insurance does not cover his livestock loss, so he expected there were no avenues for him to claim any support.

However, Guidry has been talking to the provincial Department of Economic Development and said it has indicated Aquarica may be eligible due to the storage facility being in the evacuation zone.

Chang now plans to submit an application.

Province has approved 370 applications

"We've got things back up and running again," Chang said. "And so we're on the road back, customers have come back and supported us over the last couple of weeks."

The province has already expanded its relief program to support more businesses that were impacted.

It has approved 370 applications under the small businesses relief program in Halifax and Shelburne County totalling $925,000, as of Tuesday.

In a statement to CBC News, the Department of Economc Development said it "continues to work with the business community to assess the ongoing impacts." It encourages business owners with questions to email SBWRP@novascotia.ca.