Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Given a 4% rate of delivery on the Recovery Grant program, will Premier Horgan’s government be able to do any better with this one?

The failure of the BC NDP government’s Small and Medium Business

Recovery Grant can only be described as a Large failure.

 

Here in BC, according to the Province newspaper ... the Small and Medium Business Recovery Grant program, which was launched in October, provides non-repayable grants of up to $30,000 for struggling businesses or up to $45,000 for tourism operators, but many businesses are struggling to qualify. Kahlon said Wednesday only $12 million of the $300 million earmarked for the grant program had actually been delivered to business owners...

 

Next door in Alberta however, it's a whole different story. There, the Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant, launched at the end of June 2020, was funded with a government commitment of half a billion dollars ($500 million).

 

AND it’s been successful – very successful.

 

As of the beginning of this month (February 1st) Alberta’s Conservative government had already delivered more than $327 million to over 47,000 businesses – two thirds of the total funds available.

 

So, the question must be asked, ‘Why is BCs NDP government, unlike Alberta, unable to provide desperately needed funding for business here?’

 

Why can’t BC NDP Jobs Minister Ravi Kahlon deliver the same kind of results?

Yesterday Kahlon announced another new financial package to business, the Launch Online Grant program, which he stated is to help over 1,500 eligible small- and medium-sized B.C. businesses adapt to changes in consumer behaviour and pivot to market their products online.  

 

While the Launch Online Grant program -- designed to provide funding for businesses to launch new online stores -- is being funded with $12 million, the fair question to ask is how much of that will get to BC’s struggling businesses?

 

Given a 4% rate of delivery on the Recovery Grant program, will Premier Horgan’s government be able to do any better with this one?  Only time will tell.

 

Meantime, how many more businesses will be hanging out signs saying CLOSED ... forever?

 

Care to share your thoughts?

Comments

  1. BruceFebruary 4, 2021 at 4:43 PM

    My contacts in the SME world say that the application process is too onerous and does not provide enough certainty. Owners are scrambling to survive, so creating and submitting business plans and many other documents is something no one has time to do - especially when there is not a lot of confidence that the person "approving" has any real idea how your business operates. I sense there is a gap between what well-intentioned bureaucrats (very few having any experience being an owner/operator) think is appropriate to "help" the owner (while avoiding wasted grants and fraud) on one hand, and what would really help all those owner in each SME's unique situation on the other.
    Although this may seem scandalous to some, I'd go with the pay-everyone model: send money to every SME, and tax back any profits. Get the money out ASAP - this literally could be a lifesaver for many small enterprises.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

RCMP gag order comes after BC NDP catch heat for diverted safe supply (Northern Beat)

In the wake of several high-profile police drug seizures of suspected safer supply that put the BC NDP government on the defensive last month, BC RCMP “E” division issued a gag order on detachments, directing them to run all communications on “hot button” public safety issues through headquarters in the lead-up to the provincial election. “It is very clear we are in a pre-election time period and the topic of ‘public safety’ is very much an issue that governments and voters are discussing,” writes a senior RCMP communications official in an email dated Mar. 11 in what appears to have gone out to all BC RCMP detachments . . . . CLICK HERE for the full story
Post a Comment
Read more

PEATS: I am writing with a critical concern regarding the imminent closure of the Eljen Medical Clinic, a vital healthcare facility in our community

The following is a copy of a letter sent to me, which was sent to BC’s Minister of Health Adrian Dix. It is with regards to the impending closure of the Eljen Medical Clinic in Dawson Creek.   Dear Minister,   I am writing to you today with a critical concern regarding the imminent closure of the Eljen Medical Clinic, a vital healthcare facility in our community. The closure, scheduled for the summer of 2024, is a result of the utterly burdensome terms and conditions imposed by the bureaucratic Northern Health. As a result, Dawson Creek stands to lose four doctors who have made this city their home, and who wish to continue serving the people of our community.   The impending closure of the Eljen Medical Clinic is a significant blow to our city. Not only will it result in the loss of highly qualified and dedicated healthcare professionals, but it will also deprive thousands of Dawson Creek residents of access to their primary physicians. At a time when healthcare se
3 comments
Read more

KRUGELL: BC NDP turns its attention from BC United to BC Conservatives

The BC NDP turning its attention, from BC United, to BC Conservatives was reported over the weekend from a variety of sources. It is the result of the surge in the BC Conservative's polling numbers and the subsequent collapse of BC United. The NDP has largely ignored the BC Conservatives, instead they opt to talk about issues directly or attack their old foes BC United. Practical politics says that parties closer to the centre tend to ultimately prevail over the long haul. They do wane but often make comebacks. A good example is the federal Liberals going from third party to government in 2015. Centrism has a lot of appeal on voting day. The NDP shifting its fire from United to Conservative is a reflection of reality. BC United did buy advertising online and radio over the last few months. Did that shift the polls back to them? Nope. The reality is today, the BC Conservatives are the party of the Opposition, and day by day the Conservatives are looking like a party not ready to fig
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more