The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented situation, and the preventative measures taken by the City has affected the daily lives of all employees and the City of Dawson Creek operations.

“There are a total of 202 employees with the City of Dawson Creek and each one of them are a valued part of our organization,” said Blair Lekstrom, Chief Administrative Officer. “During this challenging time that we are all facing, the City needed to make some very difficult decisions about our staffing level. We will do all we can to bring back our valued employees as soon as possible, with our hope that it is in the not too distant future.”

Following the direction of the Public Health Officer, and with the health and safety of staff and the residents of Dawson Creek as our top priority, all City recreational facilities have been closed. As a result, the City will be issuing temporary layoffs as of April 10th to 75 employees, with 47 of them holding casual employment positions.

In addition to these temporary layoffs, 13 seasonal positions will also not be filled.

“We value and appreciate the commitment these employees bring to our City and look forward to the day where we get our community, facilities and employees back to full operation for the benefit of everyone,” said Mayor Dale Bumstead. “The City will continue to provide our core services to the citizens of Dawson Creek with water, sewer, public works, and public safety.”