Toronto, May 6, 2020 - We applaud the news from the Ontario government that non-essential retail businesses with a street entrance will be permitted to offer curbside pickup starting Monday, May 11. We thank the government for listening and acting on small business concerns over the past month from all parts of the retail sector.
It’s also very encouraging to see that restrictions are being relaxed in the construction sector and that garden centres and nurseries, hardware stores and safety supply stores will be allowed to operate starting this weekend, while following strict public safety guidelines.
It’s critical for small businesses – especially the one-third that have seen revenues drop by 90-100 per cent due to COVID-19 – to return to making sales and becoming less reliant on government subsidies as soon as it is safe to do so.
Since all retail businesses with a street entrance are included in the curbside measure, the move provides much-needed clarity to businesses about who can and can’t offer curbside pickup. It also represents an important step towards leveling the playing field between small businesses and big box stores that have been allowed to fully operate because they sell groceries.
We look forward to continuing working with the Ontario government to safely reopen the Ontario economy to full operation in the days and weeks ahead.
-Julie Kwiecinski, Director of Provincial Affairs, Ontario
For media inquiries or interviews, please contact:
Milena Stanoeva, CFIB
647-464-2814
public.affairs@cfib.ca
About CFIB
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small- and medium-sized businesses with 110,000 members across every industry and region, including 42,000 in Ontario. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.