For those business owners who qualify to receive funding through the Sector Impact Support Program, many say the funds just aren’t enough. Seaside Bowling Lanes and Lounge, a local establishment in Clare, fears that the money they are eligible to receive just isn’t enough for them to survive another wave of the pandemic.

“With the new government supports, my business is only eligible to receive $2500 in funds, which only covers our power bill for one winter month,” says business owner, Pat Wright. “We’ve already had to scale back operations since the pandemic began, but without increased support, we simply won’t be able to remain open.”

Businesses in rural Nova Scotia that often rely on a strong tourism season to carry them through the year are hanging on by a thread.

Under the Houston government’s financial aid program, select businesses are only eligible to receive up to $7,500 — barely enough to cover basic operational costs for many entrepreneurs.

“Small businesses are the heart of our economy, and a fixture in our local communities,” says Clare MLA Ronnie LeBlanc. “The sad reality is that if the Houston government does not do more for these small businesses, we’ll see many of them collapse.”