COVID-19 situation 'grave' for small businesses, CFIB warns

Even as the federal government gets set to expand wage subsidies for businesses hit hardby the COVID-19 pandemic, there are concerns it could be too little, too late for some smalloperators.

The House of Commons is holding a special sitting Saturday to debateemergency wage subsidylegislation that would offer a 75 per cent subsidy to businesses that have lost 30 per cent of their revenue.

But according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB), there are fears the legislationmay be either not in time or not enough forthe approximately 80 per cent of small and medium-sized businesses forcedto partially or completely shuttheir doors, often by provincial order.

The federation says it's seen calls to its help lines increase from 50 calls a day to up to 800 a 1,500 per cent spike and some have been heartbreaking.

"Just last weekalone, we had five small business owners call and talk about suicide. That's how grave this has become," saidDan Kelly, CFIB's president.

While the wage subsidy is a positive measure, Kelly wants the government to scrap the 30 per cent threshold and open it upto all businesses.

Forsome businesses, Kelly said, it's likely already too late.

"One-third of the businesses that are currently closed are worried that they will never reopen. One-third. That is a massive number," hesaid.

Barely staying afloat

Sean McVeigh counts himself lucky his Kanata brewery,Small Pony Barrel Works, has been able to stay afloatbecause of online deliveries and stock in the LCBO but even he'shad to lay off halfof his four-person staff.

He's worried what will happen if his brewery's still closed duringpatio season. He alsohas questions about whether he's eligible for the wage subsidy, which wouldhelp bring back his other two employees.

"I don't want to just call them all up and say, 'Hey everyone, you're all back on payroll. You'll all be getting 100 per cent ofyour pay right now,'" said McVeigh.

Not everybody's going to have the money to keep spending on these things, too, if we're in a recession situation- Sean McVeigh

"[I'd hate to realize]in a month that, oh no, I'm not going to get the subsidy [and] that was my rent money that I just paid them."

McVeigh said he's watching closely to seeif alcohol producers will remainan essential service in Ontario, and if his revenues fromdeliveries will continue the longer people remain out of work.

"Not everybody's going to have the money to keep spending on these things, too, if we're in a recession situation," he said. "That's always a concern."