Canada announces $306M for Indigenous businesses during pandemic

Apr 18 2020, 4:09 pm

The federal government is distributing $306 million to Indigenous businesses to help them through the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday.

The funding will be sent to Indigenous organizations and financial associations across the country, Trudeau said. He hopes the money can help thousands of Indigenous-run businesses.

“We will allow businesses to have an interest-free loan and non-refundable amounts of money so they can weather the crisis and recover,” he said.

Trudeau also hinted that further measures are coming to support Indigenous businesses and their employees.

MP and former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould tweeted that Trudeau’s announcement was “important,” and that the program’s rollout would need to accommodate the “challenges of financing and raising capital in Indigenous communities.”

This latest business stimulus is in addition to measures such as the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. 

At his daily press briefing Saturday, Trudeau also said a new shipment of N95 masks and gowns has arrived, and more shipments of medical supplies are expected this week.

Canada and the US have also agreed to extend their coronavirus border closure for another 30 days.

Daily Hive StaffDaily Hive Staff

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