Good Afternoon All,
Please note that I've added a new person to the top send line of this email. In addition to our MP Julie Dabrusin, MPP Peter Tabuns and City Councillor Paula Fletcher, I've included Zachary Nixon - Special Assistant, Regional Affairs Ontario, Federal Ministry of Small Business, Export Promotions & International Trade - Zachary works for Minister Ng.
Today is May 13th - it's been 20 days since April 24th which was the day the PM announced the CECRA program for small businesses. Since then we haven't had any updates on this program. May 1st came and went and businesses struggled to try and make rent; landlords struggle to figure out what to do. This Saturday, May 16th landlords in the Province of Ontario can lock out commercial tenants for non-payment of rent. It is every one's hope (including landlords) that they won't have to do that. But without further details being released on the CECRA program as well as a start date, small businesses and landlords across Canada are in a dire state of limbo. I'm not sure that the PM and Minister Ng understand the level of stress that business owners and landlords are dealing with as a result of the Federal gov't announcing a rent relief program and then just letting everyone hang without any further information.
On April 22 the PM announced the Emergency Benefit Program for Students; and, today in his briefing he announced that this portal will be open this Friday, May 15. That's great but again it begs the question: when is the CECRA opening?
Last Friday, May 8 the PM announced that the 75% wage subsidy program would be extended past the June deadline and details would follow. Do we have further details on this extension yet?
BIAs in the City of Toronto continue to push our Premier to legislate a temporary moratorium on commercial rent evictions but so far we are getting no movement on this and without this as a temporary safety net businesses and landlords need the CECRA program to be activated.
Julie and Zachary, we're urging you to help get details on the CECRA program released - we need this now, not sometime down the road.
Peter, we urge you and your NDP colleagues to keep pressing the Premier on the eviction moratorium.
Paula, we urge you and your fellow City Councillors to ask Mayor Tory to keep the pressure on the Premier to enact a temporary moratorium.
Finally for our Broadview Danforth BIA members who asked the question about HST payments on the CECRA funds - Zachary provided the following answer:
You will not have to charge HST on the funds you receive. The 50% from the government will be treated as regular income however, and is taxable income.
Thank you all for your continued efforts to resolve the above issues.
Susan