Ontario sending $11.5M to Ottawa for post-convoy business, tourism

The Ontario government is sending $10 million to Invest Ottawa for grants to cover money lost because of the occupation of downtown streets earlier this winter. Another $1.5 million is going to Ottawa Tourism to market the city.

Some streets in Ottawa's downtown core are still closed to vehicles for cleanup after more than three weeks of a demonstration, which stretched from the last weekend of Januaryuntil theFamily Day long weekend.

Security concerns, road closures and messages to avoid downtown led many businesses to closejust as they emerged from the latest provincial capacity limits.

As police were moving protesters out of the capital two weeks ago, the federal government announced a $20 million pool of money for small businesses affected by the occupation each would be allowed to draw up to $10,000.

Some business leaders said it wouldn't be enough.

It cant get worse: Businesses face double whammy of pandemic and protest

3 years ago

Duration 1:13

Michelle Groulx, executive director of the Ottawa Coalition of Business Improvement Areas, says local businesses that were already struggling during the pandemic have had to close once again because of the protest.

On Friday, a provincial news release announced a similar fund in the amount of $10 million. Like the federal money,Invest Ottawa will co-ordinate it and give small businesses grants of up to $5,000.

But one business owner echoed previous comments that, while hewouldn't turn down financial assistance, the money being offered is "a drop in the bucket" compared to the multitude of expenses he has to cover in a month.

Nazmi Fawaz co-owns Bello Uomo, a men's clothing store on Sparks Street that only reopened Wednesdayafter being shuttered for four weeks because ofthe protest and subsequent street closures.He said rentaloneis more than what's being offered by the province, not to mention the cost of insurance, an accountant, and paying suppliers.

"We do have close to $10-15,000 a month we are responsible for," he told CBC.

The money for Ottawa Tourism will go toward a campaign to attract visitors tothe capital this spring and summer, the news release said.

"Tourism has a major role to play in the recovery of our community; in the short term, we encourage Ottawans to support the downtown as we resume our role as a welcoming, safe, inclusive destination," said Ottawa Tourism President and CEO Michael Crockatt in the release.

Crockatttold CBC the money is especially needed because the effects of the occupation could be long-lasting.

"Information that people were seeing caused them to cancel trips that they had planned, and certainly caused them to consider other destinations if they were already considering Ottawa for March break, for summer or for other reasons," he said.

WATCH | The effects of the Omicron closures, then the occupation:

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwathwas actually visiting Ottawa Friday to ask the province to match the $20 million from the federal government.

There's also a class-action lawsuit looking for compensation for residents, workers and businesses from protesters and donors to crowdfunding campaigns.