Debbie Donelle owns a successful lingerie business that has two locations: one in Pointe-Claire and another on Monkland Avenue in the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, she had eight employees to help her run the stores — she’s now down to three.
And she says if the closures continue, she isn’t sure how she will continue to pay the rent for both stores.
“It’s really hard to say. I’m not 100 per cent certain that we’ll be able to keep both stores open,” said Donelle. “It depends how long this goes on.”
READ MORE: Quebec business community bracing for extended coronavirus lockdown and curfew
During a news conference about the pandemic on Tuesday, Quebec Premier François Legault cited a study conducted by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business that shows that 11 per cent of businesses in the province are at risk of closing.
He compared that to Ontario, which stands at 20 per cent and the rest of Canada, which sits at 17 per cent.
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Legault added that the results show that the help the Quebec government has provided businesses during the health crisis have produced the best results.
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But the federation behind the study says not so fast.
“If Quebec could lose 11 per cent of its businesses due to COVID-19, putting at risk 300,000 jobs — it is everything but good news,” said François Vincent, Quebec vice-president at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
Vincent stresses that more still needs to be done for Quebec businesses.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: Montreal-area business owners anxious to get back to work
In fact, in another study done by the federation, one third of small- and medium-sized businesses in Quebec said they will run out of cash before summer 2021.
Meanwhile, 88 per cent of business owners say they still need a lot of support from the Quebec government and 60 per cent are asking for subsidy programs in the form of grants, instead of loans.
During a virtual press conference Wednesday, Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante said if the province plans to keep businesses shut down as part of lockdown measures that more needs to be done to help.
READ MORE: Coronavirus: Montreal business owners struggle as revenues dry up amid pandemic
“There has to be help for businesses — for the retail sector, restaurants, bars — there has to be help,” she said.
For Donelle, though she appreciates the help from all levels of government, she said the best thing they can do for her is allow her to reopen.
“I’m not asking for an extra handout,” she said. “I want to be allowed to operate safely.”
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