Federal government will provide up to $20 million to Ottawa businesses shuttered by protests

The federal government is funnelling $20 million to Ottawa businesses affected by three weeks of vaccine mandate protests in the downtown core.

Under the program, small businesses will be able to apply for up to $10,000 to help defray non-deferrable operational costs not covered by other federal programs. The initiative is being funded through the federal development agency for the region and run by Invest Ottawa, in collaboration with local business improvement associations.

“Businesses have been forced to drastically reduce their hours and, in many cases, they’ve had to close their doors entirely because they’ve been harassed and intimidated,” said Helena Jaczek,