Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates is asking the Ford government to help small businesses.
Gates told the Ontario legislature today that one local Niagara Falls business was evicted recently after 20 years of operating.
Gates says he reached out to the Minister of Finance to try to help the company, but direct support wasn't offered.
He says the issue is that landlords have to apply for the rent subsidy program, but some are refusing to do so.
“My question is simply, why won’t this Conservative government step up and provide the rent support directly to businesses? Why are they sitting on their hands while businesses in Niagara and the rest of the province are forced to permanently close and lay off workers?” asked Gates.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has been incredibly difficult for small businesses in Niagara and across Ontario,” said Gates.
“Recently, the impact of this government’s unwillingness to help resulted in a business in Niagara Falls being forced to shut their doors permanently. With a sharp reduction in income and full closure for several weeks, this business owner couldn't keep up with rent payments. Their landlord refused to use the rent subsidy program and evicted them at the end of August. This is unacceptable.”