The federal government has rejected almost half the claims made by downtown businesses for losses incurred as a result of last summer’s G20 summit.
Of the 367 claims submitted by Toronto business owners, 169 have been accepted, though not necessarily for the amount owners were seeking.
The government budgeted $10 million to help Toronto businesses recover losses from the summit weekend but has so far awarded less than one-fifth that amount.
The claims totalled more than $11 million, but less than $2 million has been handed out. Another 161 claims were wholly rejected; 37 more are still awaiting decision.
“Basically, they’ve blown me off,” said celebrity chef Mark McEwan, owner of Bymark restaurant in the TD Centre on Wellington St. W.
McEwan said he boarded up his restaurant for 10 days — a full week before the summit — and lost $170,000 in revenue. But he only filed a claim for $26,500, the cost of disassembling and storing the 140-seat patio, along with fortifying the restaurant, which he says he was “forced” to do by security officials. The government rejected his claim.
“They told me I didn’t have to close. What do you mean I didn’t have to close? They basically closed the whole neighbourhood down.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade set up the compensation process after the summit to lessen the financial burden caused by the summit’s extraordinary security measures, which effectively shut down parts of the downtown core for an entire weekend last June.
Full Article
Source: Toronto Star
Of the 367 claims submitted by Toronto business owners, 169 have been accepted, though not necessarily for the amount owners were seeking.
The government budgeted $10 million to help Toronto businesses recover losses from the summit weekend but has so far awarded less than one-fifth that amount.
The claims totalled more than $11 million, but less than $2 million has been handed out. Another 161 claims were wholly rejected; 37 more are still awaiting decision.
“Basically, they’ve blown me off,” said celebrity chef Mark McEwan, owner of Bymark restaurant in the TD Centre on Wellington St. W.
McEwan said he boarded up his restaurant for 10 days — a full week before the summit — and lost $170,000 in revenue. But he only filed a claim for $26,500, the cost of disassembling and storing the 140-seat patio, along with fortifying the restaurant, which he says he was “forced” to do by security officials. The government rejected his claim.
“They told me I didn’t have to close. What do you mean I didn’t have to close? They basically closed the whole neighbourhood down.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade set up the compensation process after the summit to lessen the financial burden caused by the summit’s extraordinary security measures, which effectively shut down parts of the downtown core for an entire weekend last June.
Full Article
Source: Toronto Star
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