‘We’re not through COVID’: Sask. chamber calls for extension of pandemic benefits

Pandemic benefits rolled out by the federal government are set to expire Saturday, but the Saskatchewan Chamber of Commerce wants them to remain in place for a while longer.

CEO Steve McLellan joined Gormley on Wednesday to talk about the programs, including the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) and Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS).

He explained the labour market is still very volatile, especially in the hospitality and food and beverage sectors, describing it as “tumultuous at best.”

McLellan is calling for Ottawa to extend the benefits, especially CEWS to give businesses some stable ground.

“Like everybody else, we’re frustrated with some of the weaknesses of these programs but they’re better than nothing,” said McLellan.

He added if businesses have to pay rent without consistent or predictable revenue, they need some assistance like CERS.

“The reality of it is if we lose these businesses because of a month or two (of) extra dollars, the net loss to the country, the province, employees and employers is way larger,” said McLellan.

He has heard frustration from businesses that can’t find workers, whom they believe are at home collecting CRB.

“To the worker out there who’s on EI that could be going back to work, I say, ‘Now is the time, folks,’ ” he said. “There’s jobs out there.”

McLellan said unless those people have a good excuse, it’s going to be a blight on resumes if employers have to ask what job applicants did for the last few years.

For those who absolutely need CRB, McLellan argues that program should also be extended but with some modifications like adding income testing. He said some people who are retired but hold a part-time job used CRB legitimately, but he doesn’t believe that was the intent of the program.

But he said there are people who still need the benefit, like mothers and young families who don’t have work stability.

“We’re not through COVID and the impacts of it,” he said. “I don’t know what the next three, six, 12 months are going to look like, but I do know there’s going to be some rough waters. There’s no sense getting rid of the lifelines until we get through it.”