Ontario's small business owners are being "battered" by the pandemic and need more help than they're getting from the provincial government, said Ontario Liberal Party leader Steven Del Duca during a stop in Guelph on Thursday.
Del Duca was at the Wooly Pub in downtown to meet with several business owners during an event arranged by the Guelph Chamber of Commerce, as well as tour a couple local businesses.
"I have grave concerns about how our small business entrepreneurs are being battered," he said ahead of the discussion with local business leaders, speaking to what he's heard during other stops along his tour of the province.
"I think it's really important for those in positions of leadership to be able to listen to those on the frontlines about the good things they're seeing and the opportunities that exist, but also the challenges."
Del Duca said the top business-related concerns he's heard are problems accessing personal protective equipment for staff and customers; various deferred provincial charges, such as WSIB payments, should be forgiven rather than deferred; and issues around commercial landlord rent relief.
"We know before the pandemic struck, somewhere around 88 per cent of Ontario workers work for small and medium-sized businesses and I want to make sure, as we go through the rest of the pandemic and into the recovery, that we have ideas that are actually going to help those small business owners stay in business, keep employing people, and not let them be sacraficed because we didn't show the kind of leadership we need to."
He's also been hearing concerns about access to COVID-19 testing, classroom sizes and longterm care.
