Support for Tourism and Other Hard-Hit Businesses

To: Hon. Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Finance
Hon. Melanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages
Copied: Melanie Brehon and Darren Reader – Banff & Lake Louise Hospitality Association
Pierre Poilievre, Shadow Minister for Finance
Pat Kelly, Shadow Minister for Small Business & Western Economic Development
From: Blake Richards, MP – Banff-Airdrie
Subject: Support for Tourism and Other Hard-Hit Businesses

Dear Ministers,

I am forwarding a letter from the Banff & Lake Louise Hospitality Association. They are a member of the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses, representing enterprises across the country that have been the most effected by COVID-19 restrictions. This coalition includes tourism, hospitality, and travel-related businesses.

The government has continually failed to provide adequate access to several response measures and have not been transparent about qualifications for these programs. Furthermore, you have failed them when it comes to rapid testing, and certainty around the criteria and safety measures involved in reopening and restarting. It is imperative that these struggling businesses are not left in the dark.

As Ministers responsible for this matter, I echo the concerns of my constituents to you regarding the precarious situation these businesses are facing.

Thank you,

Blake Richards, MP
Banff-Airdrie