CENTRE WELLINGTON – The Township of Centre Wellington has established a fund to help local businesses reopen.
Don Vallery, economic development task force chair, presented a report advocating for creating the Support Local Centre Wellington Recovery Grant Program to council at a committee of the whole meeting.
The report says the program would total $50,000, coming from the township’s capital reserve fund, to be used by local businesses for marketing assistance, online promotion and to expand or establish patios.
The report says the subcommittee has been concerned about businesses' ability to market their reopening given the hardships many endured through the past several months.
“Some small businesses are hit by the closure and the length of closure has been really devastating to a lot of small businesses,” Vallery said to council. “We can see in our community businesses that just won’t be back.”
The program will be run through the Waterloo-Wellington Community Futures (WWCF) who Vallery said have the ability to handle applications and money.
Vallery explained that applicants can apply for up to $3,000 grant but they would need to contribute 50 per cent of their ask as well. For example, a $3,000 application would end up as $4,500 for the applicant to use to get back on their feet.
Applicants have to put forwards a proposal to show they have a solid business plan that can sustain itself.
Mayor Kelly Linton said to council they wanted to move through with this because the county’s Keep Well program was run very well by WWCF.
“We wanted to do something that was similar to that but people are kind of tapped out when it comes to taking out additional debt,” Linton said. “That’s why the recommendation before us is a grant versus a loan program because some of our businesses are really struggling that way.”
Council voted unanimously in favour of the recommendation.
