Ontario plans to spend billions to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, help small businesses and support families.
The province has unveiled a $186.1 billion budget that also shows a $33.1 billion deficit, which the government says will take until 2029 to eliminate.
The spending plan contains $6.7 billion for pandemic-related measures, including $1 billion for the vaccine effort, and $2.3 billion for testing and contact tracing this year.
The government says it will offer a second round of grants to small businesses to assist with pandemic expenses and create a new job training tax credit.
It will also offer a third round of payments to families with children through the Ontario COVID-19 Child Benefit, doubling it to $400 per child and $500 for each child with special needs.
The budget also contains an additional $1.8 billion for hospitals and $650 million more for long term care this year to address demands placed on both sectors by the pandemic.
Bay of Quinte MPP Smith explains benefits to Bay of Quinte residents
Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith tells Quinte News that under the province’s new budget, parents will continue to be supported.
“The COVID-19 child benefit will be continued and it will double. So, $400 will be received by every child newborn to grade 12 and any kids with special needs will get a $500 payment.”
Smith also tells Quinte News that owners of wineries and cideries in the Bay of Quinte Region will be supported by the government of Ontario’s new budget.
“There’s also a $10 million grant to help our wineries and cideries in Prince Edward County that have been impacted by lockdown measures just to help them get through this as well.”
Small businesses hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic are going to get another wave of funding support from the provincial government.
“There’s the small business support grant that started in January. It’s going to be doubled to reach businesses again that received a grant in the first round, they’ll get the same amount in a second round.”
MPP Smith also touched on a $100 million investment in helping the ailing hospitality and tourism sector, a jobs training tax credit and the expansion of the broadband internet program to $4 billion in order to increase broadband internet service across the province.
Belleville sees Ontario budget as good news
“And that’s going to be really important to us here because again it allows us to build all those bridges across the 401 and allows us to have meaningful discussion about that 5th interchange on the east end.”
“That’s another $40,000 for businesses investing in their equipment. That’s great to see. We’re one of the few areas in Ontario that will have that opportunity.”
