We don't have to let local community businesses fail - there are good options if only the Federal government would take the lead. Our coalition has proposed a common sense national rent abatement strategy. Here's how it would work:
(1/14) #covid19Canada https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/we-have-to-share-the-burden-small-businesses-call-for-commercial-rent-relief-amid-covid-19-losses-1.5530442

Landlords would waive the first $10K of rent for business most affected by social distancing (restaurants, day cares, barbershops, etc) for three months. Businesses with less than $5M in revenue, so covering pretty much every local community business. (2/14) #savesmallbusiness

They'd ask their tenant to sign a simple document confirming the regular rent amount, and the fact that they waived it. They'd send the document into the federal government, who would write them a check for 66% of the total. Landlord pays one month, gov't pays 2. (3/14)

A national moratorium on commercial evictions would be declared while the details are being worked out. That will give everyone some breathing room, and force landlords and tenants to work together. (4/14)

At tax time next year landlord revenue would be reviewed to ensure the amount waived was accurate, and that it actually happened. A database of landlords receiving subsidies would be posted online for tenants to validate. Anyone abusing would be penalized. (5/14)

We estimate the program to cost $1-1.5B for three months, using StatsCan data. (6/14)

This program would address the fundamental unfairness of the government's current approach, which asks small businesses to take out a loan to pay rent for space they're not allowed to use. Many just can't take on more debt and will fail without help. (7 /14)

It's also a fair deal for landlords. They only lose one month's rent which, given the circumstances, is a great result. It also gives them cash flow now and avoids the uncertainty of rent deferrals for businesses that may never re-open. We just want fair burden sharing. (8 /14)

This proposal was co-written with the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas, and organization representing both tenants AND landlords in local communities. We can't let this be a landlord vs. tenant issue. It's a national public health crisis. (9/14)

Before you say "yeah, but property is Provincial jurisdiction," I will point to Australia. They are structured exactly the same way. And their Federal and Provincial governments all agreed on a national strategy for commercial rent. If they can, we can. No excuses. (10/14)

Also, every other comparable country has either grants or fixed costs reductions in place for small business. The US, Australia, the UK, France, Denmark, Singapore, South Korea, China, etc. Canada stands alone in offering only tax deferrals, wage subsidies and loans. (11/14)

Ours isn't the only viable plan. There are other options. But we haven't done enough yet, and need to catch up to the rest of the world. (12/14) #savesmallbusiness

On April 15, tenants who didn't pay April rent can be locked out. On May 1, our surveys say 70% of small business won't make rent. If we don't act now, we will return to communities without our favourite spots, and to families destroyed by losing their livelihoods. (12/14)

There is no time left. We need our governments to come together on a strategy to tackle fixed costs. Our local small businesses closed in order to protect their communities. Now we need to act to protect them (13/14) #savesmallbusiness #Covid19Canada

For more detail, our proposal is posted here, and was submitted to the Federal government in early April. An earlier version was submitted in late March. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VD7G319wHOmD487N-KqukRfgz1cw4gS2/view?usp=sharing