LETTER IN SUPPORT OF CHMC​

On June 17, 2020 the executive of GIBCA sent a letter to the Prime Minister's office in support of CMHC Granville Island's request for "Emergency Relief Funding". By granting this request the Government of Canada would enable CMHC to offer rent relief to the direct-tenants of the island who are unable to directly access CECRA.

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Dear Mr. Trudeau,

We are writing to you today as representatives of the merchants and direct tenants of CMHC Granville Island. Our group, the Granville Island Business and Community Association or GIBCA, was established in 1995 in British Columbia as a non-profit Society to officially represent the Granville Island community. Our association has 73 active members.

We would like to thank the Government of Canada for amending CECRA to allow head lessors on Granville Island to access rent relief but we need to impress that this is not enough. Our community is in jeopardy. There are direct tenants who are not able to access relief and the only way we can see to remedy this situation is for CMHC Granville Island’s petition for one year’s operational funding to be approved.

If the requested “Emergency Funding Relief” is approved, Granville Island would be able to cover ongoing expenses usually paid for through collected rent and parking revenues. This in turn would allow CMHC to develop a rent relief program for the 300+ small business tenants directly impacted by their inability to access CECRA.

This is a matter of some urgency for our community and we are asking that the Government of Canada grant the request from the local CMHC Administration for emergency operating funding.

Please help our community.

Thank you.