Community News

LOCKDOWN SUPPORTS FALL SHORT, CHAMBER SAYS

RICHARD LEITNER rleitner@hamiltonnews.com

The Stoney Creek Chamber of Commerce is joining others in urging the province to do more to help businesses hit by the latest COVID-19 lockdown that has once again closed indoor dining and recreation.

"We would definitely say it's not enough," executive director Patti Hall said of supports announced so far, including a $10,000 grant for restaurants, gyms and other businesses subject to a Jan. 5 closure order that will run until at least Jan. 25.

The province is also offering an Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program as of Jan. 18 that will allow businesses forced to close or reduce indoor capacity to claim up to 100 per cent of proper

ty taxes and energy costs during restrictions.

But Hall said that although the supports are great, they provide little relief to many affected businesses, including one supplying those subject to closures or who rent their premises, and the rollout is too slow.

"It's available in the coming weeks. In the coming weeks there could be businesses that are already dead at that point," she said.

The Ontario chamber is asking the province to make all existing supports available immediately and to provide additional ones, including rent subsidies and help for businesses whose revenues are indirectly affected by closures.

"I really hoped we'd never see this again," said Hall, who views increased vaccination rates as the ultimate way to help businesses.

"Having the businesses open is great, but we have to have that consumer confidence, that people actually want to go out and be out and about among people."

Laura Gyldenbjerg, a Stoney Creek insolvency trustee, said she's not seen an increase in business bankruptcies, including because many owners are tapping into RRSPs and mortgages to survive, but that's forecasted to change by June of this year.

She called the province's current lockdown supports "woefully inadequate," noting rebates don't help businesses unable to pay their bills, apart from the fact many won't qualify for the propertytax

relief because they rent.

"It's all smoke and mirrors," Gyldenbjerg said. "If you don't own a property, there's no benefit there. The hydro — if you're shut down, you're not using hydro anyway," she added, suggesting the province needs to reconsider lockdowns.

"Businesses that have been in business for decades are having to close. We've been going through this for two years now and it's impossible. It's impossible. I think the government really needs to reassess what they're doing."

Mary Terziev-Clifford,

owner of The Village Restaurant in downtown Stoney Creek, said any government support is welcome, but the latest lockdown is "a real slap in the face" after taking precautionary measures when indoor capacity was cut in half.

Many servers were double-masked and the restaurant bought an iPad to verify vaccine passport QR codes, took names for contact tracing, put Plexiglas barriers between tables and didn't allow singing or dancing, she said.

"This one's a hard one to swallow. We weren't even getting our funds up to a decent amount to pad us,"

Terziev-Clifford said, adding the short notice meant she had to give away food that would otherwise spoil.

The Village is once again offering takeout from 4 to 8 p.m., Wednesday to Sunday, but business is slow because most customers prefer to dine in, limiting the hours she can offer servers, she said.

"This time my main concern is my staff," TerzievClifford said, noting there's no work for those working the bar at the Village and neighbouring Penalty Box and Karlee's. "I really, really feel for them this time, especially after Christmas."

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