Support to help over 200 Windsor businesses recover as they reopen following Ambassador Bridge blockade
April 1, 2022 - Windsor, Ontario
The illegal blockade that shutdown the Ambassador Bridge hurt local businesses in Windsor. Many of these small businesses were forced to close or were unable to operate at normal levels, which resulted in financial losses. The Government of Canada is providing financial assistance to these businesses as they recover from the impact of this illegal blockade. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Government of Canada has supported small businesses and communities and will continue to help them with the supports they need to recover.
Today, on behalf of the Honourable Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), Irek Kusmierczyk, Member of Parliament for Windsor−Tecumseh, announced over $2.5 million in Government of Canada support to impacted businesses along and near the Huron Church Road corridor that faced hardships as a result of the illegal blockade.
With this FedDev Ontario funding, the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre, a division of Invest WindsorEssex, will provide small businesses with non-repayable contributions of up to $10,000 for costs not covered by other federal programs. This initiative will also be in collaboration with the City of Windsor, Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island.
This support will ensure that local, small businesses can recover costs such as utilities, insurance, bank charges, loss of inventory (e.g., spoiled food), wages, rent, and other extraordinary costs related to the repair or protection of a business due to the demonstrations.
To support the most vulnerable small businesses, eligible applicants impacted by the demonstrations will need to meet the following criteria: be located along and near the Huron Church Road corridor; have been unable to operate their business at normal levels during the blockade; have fewer than 100 employees; have intended to provide in-person client services during the demonstrations and could not transition to virtual services in the short-term; and be fully open, operating and providing in-person services at the time of application.
Additional details on eligibility criteria are available on the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Centre website.
The Government of Canada is helping small businesses and local communities recover, and building a strong and resilient economic recovery for Canadians.
