Restaurants will need subsidies to survive winter says industry group
A foodservice industry group is calling for a continuation of wage and rent subsidy programs as restaurants look to rebound from COVID-19 restrictions. Restaurants Canada said eight out of 10 establishments across the country will need help getting through the fall and winter seasons.
Rebecca Sawyer, manager of Shooters Downstairs Lounge in Sault Ste. Marie, said government subsidies have helped them keep the doors open and their staff employed.
"Without the wage subsidy program and a number of little supports that we've been able to kind of get our hands into, there's a good chance that we wouldn't even be open right now," Sawyer said. "I do believe that the wage subsidy program going into the new year is almost going to be absolutely necessary, if not closer to the spring."
James Rilett, a vice-president of Restaurants Canada, said the industry in Ontario continues to struggle and that wage and rent subsidies must continue. He said many establishments have taken on a lot of debt over the last 19 months.
"They're now having to service that debt or pay back bills that had just been put on hold," Rilett said. "So all that is coming due and it just makes profitability in the restaurant sector a delayed thing right now."
The industry saw a rebound in the summer, he said, but with patios closing for the season and the vaccine passport system in place, restaurants are once again seeing a drop in sales.
"When the vaccine passport was brought in, about 60 per cent reported decreased revenue, and 40 per cent say it was significant," Rilett said.
Sawyer agrees, saying the passport system has had an impact on her business.
"Despite how soon we saw it coming, it's nothing you can really, truly prepare for," she said. "We're dependent on the public to decide that this is what they are willing to participate with and still come out and support restaurants, bars, and the industry as a whole."
Even after all public health restrictions come down, Rilett estimates it will take up to 18 months for the industry to fully recover. Sawyer contends it will take even longer given the pandemic's impact on the economy as a whole.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.