Ottawa: Affected due to ongoing protest by truckers against Covid-19 restrictions for oast three weeks, Canadian government has announced financial assistant to businesses worth $20 million to support downtown Ottawa businesses impacted by demonstrations.

Officials said that business in Downtown Ottawa have been hard hit by the ongoing illegal blockades of the nation’s capital. For the past three weeks, many businesses in the downtown core have been unable to operate safely due to serious concerns caused by the blockades, which has resulted in significant financial losses for local businesses. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Government of Canada has been committed to supporting businesses and entrepreneurs and will continue to help them with the supports they need to recover.

“For three weeks now, because of illegal blockades and occupations, businesses in downtown Ottawa have not been able to open or operate safely. Today, we announced funding to make sure these small businesses can get the support they need,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), announced a up to $20-million investment to provide non-repayable contributions to Ottawa businesses who have suffered losses due to these illegal blockades.

Small businesses will be able to apply for non-repayable contributions of up to $10,000 for non-deferrable operational costs not covered by other federal programs.

“We have heard the growing concerns and frustrations from many of the Business Improvement Associations and small businesses in Downtown Ottawa that were forced to close, or have seen their business drastically impacted due to the illegal blockades in Ottawa. Our government’s investment of up to $20-million to Invest Ottawa will help local businesses get the support they need to recover.” said Helena Jaczek, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

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Ottawa: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday announced that he has imposed rarely used emergency powers in a bid to end protests that have shut some border crossings and crippled parts of the capital.

“I want to be very clear about what we are – and are not – doing by invoking the Emergencies Act, and how taking this step will help get the situation under control. In case you missed our announcement earlier today,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Twitter while sharing his speech.

David Lametti, Minister of Justice announced the declaration of a public order emergency under the Emergencies Act, to end disruptions, border blockades and the occupation of Ottawa’s downtown core.

The public order emergency grants the Government the authority to apply the following temporary measures:

-Regulating and prohibiting public assemblies, including blockades, other than lawful advocacy, protest or dissent

Regulating the use of specified property, including goods to be used with respect to a blockade

-Designating and securing places where blockades are to be prohibited (e.g. borders, approaches to borders, other critical infrastructure)

-Directing specified persons to render essential services to relieve impacts of blockades on Canada’s economy

Authorizing or directing specified financial institutions to render essential services to relieve the impact of blockades, including by regulating and prohibiting the use of property to fund or support the blockades

-Measures with respect to authorizing the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to enforce municipal and provincial laws by means of incorporation by reference

-The imposition of fines orimprisonment for contravening on any of the measures declared under this public order emergency

Officials said that in order to declare a public order emergency, the Emergencies Act requires that there be an emergency that arises from threats to the security of Canada that are so serious as to be a national emergency. Threats to the security of Canada may include the threat or use of acts of serious violence against persons or property for the purpose of achieving a political or ideological objective.

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