'When are we actually going to get it?' Some Alberta businesses are still waiting for government grant payments
Some Alberta small business owners say they're still waiting for the financial help the provincial government promised them months ago.
Alberta rolled out the third round of its Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant (SMERG) funding in the spring.
It's meant to help businesses that were forced to close or limit service during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, but some of the payments have still not been received.
"I'm curious as to when they're actually going to distribute that money," said Amanda Fex, the owner of City Fit Shop in Edmonton.
Amanda Fex of City Fit Shop in Edmonton said she's been waiting for weeks for her grant payment to come through.
"You do get to a point when you've been closed for as long as we have that you really are counting on that money to get you through these closure months and come out the other side. So, it's tough when you don't see it coming in."
Fex said she applied and received funding in the first two rounds of the SMERG program without issue, but the third is taking weeks.
The money is for businesses that experienced a revenue drop of at least 30 per cent due to public health measures, up to $10,000.
Fex said she was approved for $5,000.
"That $5,000 would definitely help. I'm definitely not ungrateful for that that, I just find it odd. Why is it different for this spring grant than it's been for the last few grants?" she said.
"When are we actually going to get it?"
TAKING LONGER THAN EXPECTED
The government said it's paid out $620 million to 91,000 applicants since the SMERG program started in June 2020. Some applications may take longer to review and approve due to incorrect or incomplete information, a spokesperson for the province said.
"Those who are approved should receive their payment within ten days of receiving that approval," reads a statement from Alberta's ministry of jobs, economy and innovation.
But CTV News has spoken to nearly a dozen Alberta business owners who say they are still waiting for payments. One owner shared a screenshot of their application portal, which confirmed they had been approved and waiting for payment since April 23.
"We have definitely heard from at least up to 15 business owners in the last couple weeks who are quite concerned that they still haven't received their payment," said Annie Dormuth with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
Dormuth is urging the province to hurry up delayed payments and properly communicate with business owners who are unsure of why they haven't received the funding.
"This has been a common problem, I feel, since the third round was launched," she said.
Annie Dormuth
The Alberta Hospitality Association (AHA) said businesses are relying on any and all funding help they can get as they recover from the rules and restrictions from the last 15 months.
"There's so many small businesses waiting for that relaunch grant," said Ernie Tsu with the AHA.
"We've got businesses from hospitality to coffee shops and cafes, from here to Grande Prairie still waiting for that relaunch grant."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.