Today’s reopening not a free pass for Ford to abandon small biz

March 1, 2022

QUEEN'S PARK — Mike Schreiner made the following statement on today's full capacity reopening:

“Today’s reopening and capacity increase is not a free pass for the government to abandon small businesses. They need support going forward, or else we risk more losses on our treasured mainstreets.

The average Ontario small business is in 6 figures of debt. Increasing capacity does not mean mom and pops will immediately return to normal sales.

The Small Business Support Grant has been a mess: many business owners are still waiting for funds, and others are wondering why they suddenly became ineligible.

Ontario Greens are calling on Doug Ford to:

• Immediately expand eligibility for the new Ontario COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant to all impacted businesses
• Increase the amount of the staycation tax credit and expand it to include dining at restaurants
• Provide additional sector-specific support for small business sectors that have been hardest hit, such as gyms and indoor dining.”

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