News Release - Community Safety Still at Stake with Ontario Line Vehicles Using Residential Streets
Councillor Fletcher calls on Metrolinx to stop endangering East Yorkers.
The survey of 561 small businesses and 137 landlords painted a stark picture of the financial issues facing small businesses on main streets.
Half of businesses surveyed said that they had not been able to make all of April’s rent, and 72 per cent said they would not make all of May’s.But 84 per cent said that rent relief during their enforced closures would help.
Ginger Robertson, the owner of The Edmund Burke and Off the Hook, said that small main-street businesses like hers are in jeopardy of closure. “People are closing every day — their savings are dwindling,” she said. “We have to pay our rent — it was not negotiable. There’s no protection for small businesses (from eviction) — none. Everything you worked so hard to build can be sold right from under you. It’s not the landlord’s fault either. So we’re asking the government to do the right thing.” Hynes called the shutdown an “existential crisis” for small businesses and main streets. “I think that what’s being set up is that all small business fail — that we’ve been blatantly left to fail,” he said. “That’s my fear.” The business owners spoke at a news conference hosted by Toronto-Danforth Coun. Paula Fletcher and Toronto-Danforth New Democrat MPP Peter Tabuns. Tabuns called for the province to offer rent relief, and place a four-month moratorium on evictions similarly to as it’s done for residential tenants unable to make rent. “If we want to have businesses on our main streets across Canada, (Premier Doug Ford) needs to step in with cash and a moratorium,” said Tabuns.Councillor Fletcher calls on Metrolinx to stop endangering East Yorkers.
City Council adopts 2025 City Budget this week. Read my budget breakdown.
Councillor Fletcher calls for immediate review of safety measures after pedestrian hit by Ontario Line construction vehicle.