Mayor Bonnette Appeals to the Province for Increased Support for Businesses in Halton Hills

Halton Hills, ON – Today, Mayor Rick Bonnette reached out to Premier Doug Ford and Minister Vic Fedeli, Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade on behalf of the businesses in Halton Hills who are experiencing difficulties during the pandemic. The Mayor, who is also the Co-Chair of the Halton Hills Economic Support and Recovery Task Force, is advocating for businesses in the red zone, particularly the hardest hit sector that includes restaurants, retail and entertainment, to be able to access the same level of rebates as businesses in lockdown zones and that enduring enterprises launched during the pandemic should be able to access the full range of federal and provincial supports. “The Town of Halton Hills recognizes the hard work, support and efforts of Public Health in keeping our communities safe,” said Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette. “But I urge you and your federal counterparts to consider individual scenarios and fill the gaps in existing supports.” Recognizing that decisions made are based on the best advice from the Medical Officer of Health, the Mayor commented that “one size does not fit all” and urged the Province to consider linking restaurant capacity to square footage and to provide clarity and flexibility around existing tent provisions as a means of expanding restaurant capacity safely. The Mayor also expressed an interest in working with the provincial and federal governments to increase supports for restaurants and businesses that own their own buildings and are ineligible for the rent subsidy program and he wanted to ensure that small business and restaurant representatives are included in ongoing discussions about the sector.