The BC Wildlife Park, is feeling the pinch during the COVID-19 pandemic and like many businesses, they’re hoping some of the announced government programs can keep them afloat.

The Park has had to lay off about half of it’s staff but there’s still 15 workers keeping the animals fed and looked after.

The park spends about $10,000 a month on food alone and than includes, what General Manager, Glenn Grant calls “a lot if donations.”

He said, like the Vancouver Aquarium, the park is reaching out for financial help and fortunately they will qualify for some of the announced government programs.

Grant was on the NL Morning News and said the Park should be able to get some help once the details are ironed out. “Because we’re a not for profit, the 75 per cent wage subsidy does apply to us and again, I spoke with Cathy McLeod and her office late last week to inquire how that process is coming along and it should be up and available pretty soon.”

Grant thinks Ottawa is close to getting things figured out. “We check every day and it still says on the C-R-A website that further details are coming soon but I’m told that ‘coming soon’ is like very soon. So, that’s a breath of fresh air because we can only hang on for so with the reserves that we have until we start getting some of the help from that program.”

Grant said the Aquarium, that has asked for $11 million, is “far, far more expensive to operate”, noting the Wildlife Parks budget is $2.3 million per year while the aquarium spends $3.3 million per month.

Grant says a successful past couple of years has given them a decent reserve and between that and a bit of government help, the park should be okay if they open by mid summer.