OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he’s hoping the latest COVID-19 aid bill –extending the federal wage subsidy and evolving the commercial rent subsidy program—gets a quick passage in the Senate, as calls continue for more federal support for businesses facing a new round of shutdowns amid a still-surging second wave of the pandemic.
Bill C-9 was fast-tracked through the House of Commons the first week of November, and the Senate is currently studying the bill, but still has several legislative stages to still make it through before it becomes law. Trudeau said he hopes the Senate will pass the bill “shortly,” and noted that some of the business supports within the bill will be retroactive and include additional supports for businesses in regions where forced shutdowns have occurred recently.
Over the last month cases have climbed across the country, taking Canada over the 300,000 case threshold, prompting new questions about whether emergency national measures are needed. Trudeau continues to pledge federal assistance to provinces, who ultimately need to make the calls around public health measures in place in their regions.
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“We know that this is extremely difficult on Canadians and on businesses, but the position of the federal government from the beginning has been to make the difficult decisions—by regional authorities, by provincial authorities, by local public health authorities—easier in knowing that businesses that have to close will get strong support,” Trudeau said.
Trudeau’s comments come on the heels of Toronto Mayor John Tory calling for the Senate to speed up its work.
“These businesses need help right now,” he said in a series of tweets. “We cannot afford any further delay.” “I understand the role of the Senate and think its deliberations can often be useful in the cause of good public policy. But if ever there was a case for sitting late nights and weekends to get this emergency bill passed, this is it,” Tory said.
Jon-Rhys Evenchick, owner of a music venue in Ottawa, has been using the rent subsidy program to stay afloat. He said that he’s currently paying out of pocket 100 per cent of his rent and is concerned about being able to stay open for much longer without the next phase of the subsidy.
“Our margins are razor-thin, so every cent counts,” he said.
Should it pass, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has already flagged that a fix to a section of the bill will be needed to clarify the payment requirements for business owners before applying for the updated rent subsidy. Source: ctvnews.ca
Friday, April 24, 2026
