The Downtown Stratford Business Improvement Area (BIA), representing over 400 property and business owners, is sharing with you today to voice our concern for the business community and the residents of Stratford, and to advocate for further support regarding the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loan program date extension, as well as to advocate that Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) and Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program (HASCAP) funding be considered for further business supports. No one will argue that CEBA, RRRF and HASCAP were important lifelines to many businesses that were forced to close and had restricted operations during COVID-19.
Your Downtown Stratford BIA has been a vibrant BIA filled with family-owned shops, restaurants, services, and accommodations for more than 50 years, and all have faced challenges recently that we have not seen since the inception of the BIA. Many who have experienced quiet winters here and know how to hang on through slow times have been faced with reaching out to banks and loan programs to get to the other side of the pandemic. These businesses are now facing large loan repayments when our community has not “recovered” from the loss of visitors and discretionary income of residents.
We are very worried about the future of our community and these businesses and families. Our local recovery, as seen in many other centres, is a gradual one and needs a little more time. The BIA has been lobbying the Federal Government to get that little more time for the businesses of Stratford. We need the help of all businesses and residents of Stratford to take the time to reach out to key cabinet ministers. Stratford Business closures do affect you!
The BIA has been lobbying the Federal Government to get that little more time for the businesses of Stratford. Here are the contacts of the key people we sent letters to. Stratford Business closures do affect you!
Chrystia Freeland, Finance Minister: [email protected]
Rechie Valdez, Minister for Small Business: [email protected]
Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario: [email protected]
John Nater, Member of Parliament, Perth-Wellington: [email protected]
Please feel free to visit the BIA website to review BIA letters sent: https://downtownstratford.ca/members_resources/advocacy-for-ceba-loan-repayments/
