April 20th, 2021
April 20th, 2021
NIAGARA FALLS – NDP MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) has written an open letter to Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Vic Fedeli, urging him to take immediate action to provide access to funds from the Ontario Small Business Support Grant program for small businesses in Niagara who are still waiting for the support they need to survive.
Hon. Victor Fedeli, MPP
Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, & Trade
777 Bay St. 21st Flr.
Toronto, ON M7A 1S5
April 20, 2021
RE: Small Business Support Grant Issues (URGENT)
Dear Minister Fedeli,
I am writing to you today with an urgent request for many businesses here in Niagara regarding the Ontario Small Business Support Grant. These locally owned businesses have been pleading with your Ministry for answers as they are left struggling to stay afloat and getting nowhere. Businesses I have spoken with are not being told when they can receive their promised grant money, not being allowed to appeal decisions made on faulty grounds, and in some cases not even receiving any response from your Ministry staff. Our office has been contacted by numerous businesses in Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort Erie and unfortunately it's our understanding these problems are province-wide. These businesses need immediate solutions to their answers or they face bankruptcy and the loss of everything they have built. This cannot be allowed to happen.
Several businesses have applied for the Small Business Support Grant and received approval nearly a month ago, but have yet to receive any of the funds. Their attempts to check the status of their grant continues to only tell them it is ‘under review’. Our office has made repeated attempts to gather more information for these businesses through your Ministry and have yet to receive anything nearing what is required for these businesses to have peace of mind. We are requesting that the payments owed to these businesses be provided immediately—they have lost significant revenue in the past year at no fault of their own, with little to no help from the provincial government.
Furthermore, we have been contacted by several businesses who have been denied the grant with little to no explanation. Businesses that have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and witnessed significant declines in revenue—once again, at no fault of their own. We also struggle to receive any communication from your Ministry on what the next steps should be for these businesses.
I request that your office review our correspondence and please get back to us with an explanation on these business denials. Additionally, businesses must be able to appeal the decisions of your Ministry. One size does not fit all when it comes to the destruction wrought by this pandemic and your government must provide flexibility for these struggling entrepreneurs.
The past year has been exceptionally challenging for our business community, but they have been resilient. They have followed the rules, worked together to keep our community safe and now they face significant problems with the few financial assistance programs offered by your government. It should not be this way. They deserve to be heard and respected for their sacrifices.
I implore you to look into these issues and delays so these businesses can receive the support they were promised. I look forward to your reply and your Ministry addressing the serious issues with this program.
Sincerely,
Wayne Gates
Member of Provincial Parliament for Niagara Falls