Two Hamilton, Ont., outlets that recently paid back federal government pandemic support say they now have to make a few business model changes to cope with tight margins.
As of December 2023, only 40 per cent of CFIB members reported having paid back their loans, and 'an alarming 17 per cent were quite certain' they wouldn't meet deadline.
As the deadline for pandemic loan repayments arrive, some small businesses owners in Atlantic Canada said they've struggled to access enough funds to pay back the full amount.
Ottawa paid out close to $49 billion to nearly 900,000 businesses through CEBA. Now, many businesses are trying to refinance CEBA, and essentially taking a loan on a loan.