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KITCHENER – As part of the City’s ongoing effort to support businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kitchener City Council has approved ongoing and additional measures including:

  • Waiving of fees for portable signs until June 30, 2021 and authorizing staff to further extend the waiving of these fees until the end of the pandemic if necessary.
  • Extending 2021 business licensing due dates and deferring late fees until June 30, 2021.
  • Continuing to offer free parking in Downtown Kitchener surface parking lots after 5 p.m. and on weekends until June 30, 2021 and authorizing staff to further extend the waiving of these fees until the end of the pandemic if necessary.
  • Waiving municipal patio fees and ensuring all patio approval program applications are reviewed in advance of the warmer weather.
  • Continuing support through the Waterloo Region Small Business Centre for businesses accessing Provincial funding.
  • Continuing to ensure local businesses are aware of all Federal and Provincial funding supports by sharing information through all City communication channels.
  • Continuing support to the Kitchener-Waterloo Chamber of Commerce, Business Improvement Areas (BIAs), and the Waterloo Region Tourism Marketing Corporation for their recovery initiatives, such as the ‘Ask an Expert’ webinar series.
  • Continuing to support tenants of City of Kitchener facilities, such as the Kitchener Market, with accessing Federal and Provincial support programs including applicable rent relief subsidies.

The motion approved at Council today directs staff to continue with a phased and flexible approach to business support by continuously consulting partners and reviewing industry best practices.

“This past year of the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for many of the small family-owned businesses upon which our community has been built,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. “The City’s actions today show that we are committed to augment the federal and provincial supports by doing all we can to get our local businesses back on track to build back better in 2021.”

The report maps out the City’s approach to ongoing industry consultation and potential timing of future recovery measures. Including economic supports previously approved by Council, the City will be providing an estimated total of $2.3 million in unbudgeted economic and financial supports to businesses in the community. In the fall, City Council allocated up to $5 million from the Make It Kitchener 2.0 reserve to support a wide range of economic recovery supports.

To learn more about continued support measures in place for local businesses impacted by Provincial restrictions due to the COVI-19 pandemic, visit www.kitchener.ca/business.

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For more information:
Shawn Falcao
Manager, Corporate Communications and Marketing
shawn.falcao@kitchener.ca