>> I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY
ACKNOWLEDGING I'M SPEAKING FROM
THE TRADITIONAL TERRITORY OF THE
♪, MESH AND SLEIGH NATIONS.
OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, I HAVE
BEEN TALKING TO BUSINESS WORKERS
IMPACTED BY THE HEALTH ORDERS.
I KNOW BUSINESSES ARE DOING
EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO KEEP
THEMSELVES, THEIR COMMUNITY AND
WORKERS SAFE DURING THESE
UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES. I
WANT TO BE CLEAR YOU ARE DOING
THE RIGHT THING BY FOLLOWING
HEALTH ORDERS YOU ARE HELPING
NURSES, HELPING DOCTORS AND
HELPING ENSURE OUR HEALTHCARE
SYSTEM CAN CONTINUE TO OPERATE
AND PROVIDE CRITICAL SUPPORT AND
SERVICES WE NEED. YOU ARE DOING
YOUR PART AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
WE ARE HERE TODAY TO SAY WE HAVE
YOUR BACK. IT IS WHY WE
FAST-TRACKED A PROGRAM DESIGNED
TO HELP BUSINESSES DIRECTLY
IMPACTED BY THE RECENT HEALTH
ORDER CLOSURES. BEGINNING THIS
MORNING, APPLICATIONS ARE NOW
OPEN FOR COVID-19 CLOSURE RELIEF
GRANT PROGRAM. OUR GOVERNMENT
REMAINS COMMITTED TO SUPPORT
BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE AS WE
NAVIGATE THROUGH BETTER DAYS.
THIS MEANS THAT BUSINESSES
CURRENTLY ORDERED CLOSED LIKE
BARS, LOUNGES, NIGHTCLUBS, GYMS
AND FITNESS CENTERS CAN APPLY
FOR GRANTS STARTING TODAY. TO
HELP PAY FOR SOME OF THE BILLS
SUCH AS RENT, EMPLOYEE WAGES,
INSURANCE, MAINTENANCE AND
UTILITIES. PLEASE VISIT
GROSS-MARGIN OV.BC.CA/BUSINESS
RELIEF GRANT TO APPLY. THIS
$10 MILLION grant program is. I
want to personally thank all the
businesses that have complied
with the health officers orders.
I know it is a very difficult
thing to do, especially now. As
you know, over the last week,
the health office ordered all
businesses reenstate COVID-19
safety plans. These plans
provide an extra layer of
protection for staff and
customers. By making such
measures, we are doing what we
can to ensure that businesses
can continue to operate in a
good way. If you are a business
owner and need to learn more
about COVID safety plans, or if
you would like more information
you can reach out and more
resource are available. Work
safe BC website has a full list
of measures that can be taken to
help reduce workplace
transmissions. You can visit
small business.CA for helpful
resources. It goes without
saying that 2021 was a very,
very tough year for the business
community. Your strength,
determination and kindness has
lead us through these challenges
times. Despite the hardships of
COVID and significant weather
events, BC added 100,000 new
jobs last year. We continue to
have one of the lowest
unemployment rates in the entire
country. Openfully soon we'll
all be able to visit our
favorite restaurants and
favorite gyms and other
facilities that have been
closed. The COVID-19 closure
relief grant will help make sure
local businesses who have been
impacted can get back to normal
in a safe way. These businesses
are important members of local
communities and provide jobs to
thousands of British Columbia.
We'll get through this together.
With that, I'm happy to take
any questions that may come.
>> Thank you. As a reminder to
reporters on the phone please
press star 1 to enter the cue.
You are limited to one question
and one follow-up. Remember to
take your phone off mute, you
are not audible until your name
is called. Our first question
is from Rob Shaw, tech news.
Rob, please go ahead.
>> It has been 28 days since you
announced the program. There is
only six days before the
restrictions --
>> Rob, can you please start
your question again, please.
>> Sorry. I'm wondering if you
can respond to criticism that it
has taken a while to open these
applications and if you could
have done it faster.
>> Thanks for your question,
Rob. We were able to announce
funding supports within 48
hours, getting everything
approved. Now we have the
process up in place. We are
hiring staff and we are actually
in the process of launching the
website, which is launched
today. Businesses that have
gone through the program will be
fast-tracked. We have a lot of
information of businesses
impacted. We'll be able to fast
track their applications. Of
course, there will be some new
businesses that opened during
the pandemic and these supports
are available for them. We have
been working closely with the
federal government, which we
have from the beginning of the
pandemic to ensure any programs
we launch are in line with the
programs they have so there is
not overlap and we are not
duplicating programs. All those
pieces have been put in place in
a quick way. I want to thank
the civil service who worked
through the holidays to get
programs up and get staff hired.
It means a lot to the
businesses impacted who need
these supports as soon as
possible.
>> Rob, do you have a follow-up.
>> Sure. Are there any
improvements to the federal
program.
>> We have asked for changes and
we are grateful they made them.
Now businesses that are closed,
gyms and nightclubs, can benefit
for up to 75% of the wage
subsidies as well as the rent
subsidies. That's on top of the
direct grants, non-repayable
grants we are providing today.
Coupled with two things
together, I know that will help
businesses impacted by closures
here in British Columbia.
That's in addition with supports
we put in place in the previous
year to support many of our
businesses which are going
through a challenging time.
>> Our next question is from
Lisa, city news.
>> The question I needed to ask
has been answered. Thank you.
>> Our next question is from CT
V.
>> Hi, minister. Just following
on what Rob asked there. Is it
good announcing a grant program
within 48 hours of the announced
closures if the program doesn't
begin to accept applications
until three weeks later? Is
that acceptable to you? How can
it take so long given BC has had
similar grant programs in the
past?
>> It is nice for businesses to
know how much they'll be asking
for so they can plan. If
businesses know how many
employees they have and this is
the money I'll have so they can
plan. Now with the subsidy
piece added, that's an
encompassing program that will
support many businesses. I know
having talked to businesses for
the last week and workers
impacted that these two measures
will go along way and perhaps
might not address all the
challenges but certainly it is
welcome news by stakeholders we
have been working with.
>> Vendor, do you have a
follow-up?
>> Yes. I'm wondering if
somebody applies today, how soon
can they expect to receive
money?
>> Well, we understand the
importance of getting this money
to businesses as quick as
possible. Businesses that have
come through the program, which
is a large portion of the
businesses we expect will apply
will be able to get fast tracked
because we have a lot of their
banking information already.
We'll be able to fast track that
within a few weeks. The federal
programs have come online. We
are helping businesses get
access to those programs, as
well. I think it is important
for me to note that businesses
that have not followed the
health orders and refused to
close down their businesses are
not eligible for the grants we
are announcing today. We have
built in an auditing system to
ensure those businesses that
defied orders will not be able
to get access to these supports.
>> Richard, Global News.
Vancouver Sun.
>> Thank you. When your grant
program was first announced,
closures we are set to expire on
January18th. Yesterday Dr.
Henry said the restrictions will
remain in place for now. How
does that affect your grant
program?
>> Well, the grant program is in
response to the order from Dr.
Henry on the closure of
businesses. Of course, the
decision on removing
restrictions or adding
restrictions are decisions that
come from Dr. Henry and the
health office. If for some
reason the health orders are
extended, we'll ensure supports
businesses need for that time
are available. At this time
those are decisions that Dr.
Henry and the health office
make. We'll continue to engage
with them as a result of the
pandemic continue to unfold.
>> Lisa, do you have a
follow-up?
>> Yes. Thank you, minister.
Do you know how many of the
businesses that have applied for
grants through programs before
are eligible for this grant?
How are you assessing the impact
of your grant? What impact it
will make? Will that analysis
be made public?
>> We expect, from the previous
data we have from the granting
intake process we can get up to
2600 to 3,000 businesses that
may apply. Of course, we may
see more of that. We are
prepared to increase financial
support dollars required to
support businesses. Of course,
the programs that we have put in
place actually are streamlined
with the rest of the provinces
across the country. In fact, we
have one of the highest per
capita supports for people in
businesses in the entire
country. Not only were we able
to provide over half a billion
dollars of grants last year. We
are one of the only
jurisdictions that brought in a
food delivery cap. We brought
in 25% of liquor pricing. And
many measures we put in place to
support businesses through a
challenging time. I'm sure
there will be a discussion past
the pandemic to look at supports
and whether they were adequate
or not. That's a discussion we
are going to have. I can tell
you those I speak to in the
business community are grateful
for the supports we have been
able to provide in British
Columbia.
>> CBC
>> You mentioned that businesses
that have not been complying
with orders are now going to be
denied funding. Can you
elaborate on that.
>> Yes. Businesses that have
not fellowed the health orders,
the orders Dr. Henry laid out,
are not eligible for the
business relief grant. We have
built in an auditing process for
those businesses that have
choosen chosen not to follow
through on the orders. For the
majority of businesses that
followed orders, this grant is
available, we are here to
support you. The federal
government programs are
available.
>> Do you have a followup.
>> I do. I have hoping to see
if you could make explain if it
is worth their while, are the
grants large enough that it
would be less than what they
would be making just by staying
open.
>> Between the grants and the up
to 75% wage subsidy up to the
75% rent subsidy, certainly it
will come close. I think what
is clear from my conversations
with many in the gym sector, in
particular, is of course they
want to be open. Of course they
want to see their patrons. I
spent my life in the gym. I
have been a former athlete. I
know how important it is to not
only go there as a place for
physical health but also mental
health. When it is safe to do
so, we want to see those
businesses open. In the
meantime, these supports are
important. I think they are
welcomed. And we are going to
continue to work closely with
them as things evolve.
>> Richard Global News.
>> You keep saying it is going
to come close. How close is it
going to come? Is there a
commitment that it will be 70%
of what they would normal make?
80%? What's the commitment here
about how much this will cover.
>> It is really hard to judge.
Every business is different.
They all have different business
models. They all offer services
to different clients. It is
really difficult to assessment
even the fitness industry can
tell you they have small gyms
that operate for a few people
and then have very large ones
that are operating to hundreds.
Everybody will see a benefit in
proportion of their size of
their operation. The federal
government programs are scaled
according to how much revenues
businesses see in their
overhead. Ours are by
employees. Which is what we
have done from the beginning of
the pandemic and of course is
similar to what other provinces
have been doing across the
country. .
>> Richard, do you have a
follow-up?
>> As you are acutely aware,
many gyms believe they can
operate safely with COVID safety
plans. I know that's a decision
from Dr. Henry. Is there any
sense that you are getting from
public health that they could be
reopened soon? You mentioned
some of the larger gyms, we are
hearing some are losing upwards
of $20,000 a month or more. Is
this anywhere close to being
enough for what people need?
Why not just provide 100% saying
we'll cover 75% of your costs in
order to continue operating.
>> Many of the assessments made
by fitness centers haven't
considered the new parameters of
the supports. I know rent and
wage subsidy, when calculated
in, will have a big impact.
These grants are non-repayable.
They can be used for anything
the business think it is
necessary. We have expanded
that. It has been complimentary
to the federal government
supports. I do think it will
make a big impact for
businesses. We hope that when
it is safe to do so, we'll be
able to see some 0 those
restrictions eased so people can
go back to gyms and take care of
their physical and mental
health.
>> Nicole, Black Press
>> Thanks for taking my
question. Minister, do you have
any words for business owners
who have chosen to remain open
inspite of the public health
orders?
>> I would say to those
businesses it is disappointing.
It is disappointing for those
businesses who have chosen to
defy health orders. These
orders are not done lightly.
They are done to ensure our
community stays safe so we can
protect our healthcare system
for not only those needing
supports during COVID but others
going to healthcare centers for
other needs they have. I
support the decisions Dr. Henry
have made. For those that have
not followedded follow orders,
these grants are not available
to you.
>> Given that the order is set
to expire in six days, this does
send a bit of a signal that
maybe the order can be extended.
Have you been included in any
conversations or are you aware
of any conversations around the
order being extended beyond
January 8th?
>> I don't want to send signals
of any extensions. That's not
something myself or our ministry
has any involvement in. Usually
we hear shortly before the
provincial health orders come in
place. I have not heard of
changes they are contemplating
or extensions they are
contemplating. It is better
suited for Dr. Henry and the
health office.
>> Shannon Waters BC today.
Shannon has dropped. It looks
like that's all the questions we