OTTAWA — The federal government is rolling out financial help targeting hard-hit sectors of the economy, acknowledging that some companies need more help while others are slipping through the safety net of emergency COVID-19 aid.
The combined package of spending and loans will target the oil and gas sector, small companies that haven’t been able to access existing loan programs, and help for start-ups that had just got off the ground before the pandemic struck last month.
Since then, the economy has gone into a tailspin. The latest figures the federal government has provided about the Canada Emergency Response Benefit, which will now be updated and published, show the program has paid out $17.35 billion to date.