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By Chris Brown

$300 a week for workers

Ottawa expands Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit

Dec 22, 2021 | 10:58 AM

The federal government is proposing temporarily expanding the eligibility of its Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit to help workers and businesses impacted by capacity restrictions.

The rising threat of the Omicron variant has seen many provinces enact targeted health measures that are impacting restaurants, bars, and large entertainment venues, including Alberta. There have been 1,609 cases of the Omicron variant identified in Alberta, up from 50 one week ago.

Measures introduced by the province yesterday include restaurants, bars and pubs limited to 10 people per table and there will be no mingling between tables.

As well, interactive activities at those venues, such as dancing, darts and billiards are not allowed, and liquor service must end at 11 p.m. The restaurants, bars and pubs must close at 12:30 a.m.

Venues that seat more than 1,000 people and are participating in the Restrictions Exemption Program will be capped at 50 per cent.

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Workers in provinces and territories that have capacity restrictions of 50 per cent or more and who have lost 50 per cent or more of their income as a direct result can qualify for the Canada Worker Lockdown benefit.

“This benefit will put $300 a week in your pocket to supplement your lost wages,” Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland said.

Freeland said employers whose main business has had capacity restricted by more than 50 per cent can receive wage and rent support through the local lockdown program, if revenues have declined 25 per cent. Support will range between 25 and 75 per cent depending on the loss in the current month.

The proposed expanded eligibility is effective as of Dec. 19, 2021 and will run to Feb. 12, 2022.

Freeland said the expanded eligibility will ensure provinces and territories can continue to make “the right, difficult decisions they need to make to save lives.”

She said the program is projected to cost $4 billion.

She added payments will be clawed back from companies that increased the compensation of top executives in 2022 compared to 2019 and companies that pay dividends while getting the support will be ineligible.

The new program is part of Bill C-2, which became law last week.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said nobody wants to be in an Omicron wave right now, but we are.

“We need to, all of us, do what it takes, so Canadians are protected and have what you need to weather the storm,” he said.

Trudeau said there are enough COVID-19 booster shots in the country for everyone who needs it. He also said about 85 million rapid tests were delivered before December and another 35 million were delivered this month. More are coming, he added.

“I get it, none of us want to be here. We’re tired of COVID, we want it to just go away,” the prime minister said. “But we know it’s not going to just go away unless we all do our part.”