Corporate Governance

Small businesses are hoping for promised rent relief from both landlords and government as the COVID-19-related shutdown drags on and their bills pile up.The urgency comes as some landlords have already started issuing eviction notices for businesses that didn't pay April rent, while those who were able to pay are stressed about the months to come."We don't want to be closed, we're forced to be closed...but we're still every single day racking up costs,'' said Barb Bushe, who co-owns The Point of Light gift shop in Newmarket, Ont.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Thursday his government is working on on a program to help businesses and commercial landlords cover their rents for at least three months.

Restaurants Canada estimates that 800,000 foodservice jobs have already been lost nationwide due to COVID-19 and might not return if current conditions continue.Canada’s $93 billion foodservice industry represents 4% of the country’s GDP and many run in tandem or share sites with c-stores and gas stations.Nearly 10% of the country’s restaurants have already closed permanently, and many more might close by the end of April if conditions don’t improve.With businesses now struggling to pay rent and other bills due in April, the national association has conducted a survey to shed light on the state of the industry.