(Ottawa) Ottawa businesses impacted by weeks of trucking convoy protests will be able to seek up to $15,000 to compensate for their losses.
Posted at 7:39 p.m.
The MP for Ottawa-Vanier and President of the Treasury Board, Mona Fortier, indicates that the portal on which applications can be made will be launched next Tuesday.
The government had previously announced an investment of 20 million to help businesses affected by the convoy. The province has pledged an additional $10 million to support affected businesses.
Ontario companies will be able to apply for up to $10,000 in federal funds and $5,000 in provincial funds through a platform on the Invest Ottawa site.
Mme Fortier said small businesses have shown incredible resilience throughout the pandemic, but especially during the three weeks when protesters opposing mandatory vaccinations occupied the heart of the city.
“The occupation has forced many small businesses to close their doors or drastically reduce their hours,” she said. This impacted the delivery of goods by owners and employees and resulted in significant loss of revenue. »
Ottawa Center MP Yasir Naqvi said the occupation had dealt another blow to downtown businesses already hit by the pandemic.
“Our businesses for nearly three weeks have been absolutely, completely shut down,” he said.
“It was really necessary that we do everything to help these businesses reopen and rebuild as they go through this pandemic, as well as the consequences of the illegal lockdowns. »
The funding will help businesses deal with lost sales and other additional costs caused by the protest, such as hiring security or losing inventory that had to be discarded.
Invest Ottawa President and CEO Michael Tremblay explained that the portal was designed to be simple, fast, secure and reliable.
“We really want to keep it nimble and simple. It is extremely important. These companies have suffered enough,” he said.
Tremblay said it will take about three weeks for companies that apply to receive financial assistance. He said the program should be in place for the next six or seven weeks.
Mme Fortier added that Gatineau businesses will also be eligible for government assistance if they suffered losses during the protest.
She mentioned that Monday will be a revival of Valentine’s Day in Ottawa, asking Ottawans to celebrate the occasion by shopping locally.
This story was produced with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, which funds a project of Carleton University’s School of Journalism and The Canadian Press.