Today's letters: Trudeau's 'help' for small business doesn't add up

Tuesday, Oct. 3: Small businesses are struggling to pay back government loans and need more time, says one reader. You can write to us too, at [email protected]

Published Oct 03, 2023 • Last updated 1 hour ago • 2 minute read

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s latest ‘break’ for small business is not all that it seems. Photo by Sean Kilpatrick /THE CANADIAN PRESS

Government ‘help’ not so helpful

Re: So much for Trudeau’s pledge of help to small business, Sept. 18.

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As a solopreneur who has been in the graphic design business since 1987, I have had my share of financial ups and downs. Nobody could prepare business for the COVID lockdown and how long it would take to recover.

I am one of the small businesses who had to take out a federal CEBA loan and I am very grateful something like that existed to keep my business afloat during these times. I have been paying regular chunks on the loan and was thankful that it was extended to December 2023.

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The prime minister’s recent triumphant announcement that the CEBA loan would be extended interest-free until December 2024 at first glance was amazing news. But in fact, the not-so-fine print gave businesses an extension to save their forgivable portion of the loan only until Jan. 18, 2024. Failing to pay the loan in full by this date — just 18 days past the original deadline — means we forfeit $10,000 or $20,000 depending on which loan we originally took.

Why would the government think this is a help? For many businesses this could be the last straw.

Caren Weinstein, Registered Graphic Designer, Ottawa

Repatriations from Syria urgent

Re: Canada is still ignoring the basic human rights of its citizens held in northeast Syria, Sept. 8.

We commend the authors of this article for stressing the need for urgent repatriations of foreign nationals from detention in northeast Syria, including from Al Hawl and Al Rawj internment camps.

Our commission has long advocated for states to take home their citizens. Living conditions in the camps amount to cruel and inhuman treatment and outrages on personal dignity for an estimated 50,000 people, mainly women and children.

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Our recommendations and reports stress that the best interest of children must be a primary consideration, in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child and that this in turn requires mothers in most circumstances to be repatriated with their children. These children, and those among the adults who were forced or coerced to travel to Syria, are also victims of Da’esh (ISIL).

The repatriations must continue, to reintegrate these citizens into society, to rehabilitate them and to hold alleged perpetrators among them accountable for Da’esh war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Such proceedings should be compliant with fair trial standards, and with due respect for the principle of non-refoulement.

Paulo Sérgio Pinheiro, chair; Hanny Megally, commissioner; Lynn Welchman, commissioner — UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic