Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of commercial event spaces, including trade shows, consumer shows and exhibitions, which have been severely impacted by the pandemic. Petitioners in my riding call for a sector-specific recovery plan, because they believe more specific support is needed to support this industry. They believe that giving a hand up to this industry, whose members are active participants in their communities, would provide a golden opportunity to simultaneously support local economies, including sparking the creation of well-paying jobs and making it possible for small businesses across the supply chain not just to survive, but to succeed.
The petitioners, including members of the Canadian Association of Exposition Management, are calling on the government to expand CERS eligibility, to establish a specific business events funding stream and to amend the current highly affected sectors credit availability program.