 Good morning, I'm Ravi Kelon, BC's Minister for jobs, economic recovery and innovation. I would like to begin by acknowledging that I'm speaking to you today from the traditional territory of the Coastal people, in particular the muskium, squamish and the slawa tooth nations. The continuing surge of Omicron COVID-19 cases has created new challenges for us all. I know that this is not the way we wanted to start the new year. Over the last few weeks, I've been talking to business owners and workers directly impacted by the latest public health orders. I know that many businesses are doing the right thing. They are doing everything they can to keep themselves, their community and their workers safe during these unprecedented challenges. But I want to be clear, you are doing the right thing. By following health orders, helping, you're helping nurses, you're helping doctors, you're helping ensure that our healthcare system can continue to operate and provide the critical support to services that we need. You're doing your part and we really appreciate it. We're here today to say that we have your back. It's why we have fast-tracked a program designed to help those businesses directly impacted by the recent health order closures. Beginning this morning, applications are now open for COVID-19 closure relief grant program. Our government remains committed to continuing to support businesses and people who are able to navigate through better days. This means businesses currently order closed like bars, lounges, nightclubs, gyms and fitness centers can apply for grants starting today. To help pay for some of the bills such as rent, employee wages, insurance, maintenance and utilities. Please visit gov.bc.gov.gov. Please visit gov.bc.gov.gov. Please visit gov.bc.gov.gov. Please visit gov.bc.gov.gov.gov.gov.gov.gov. Please visit gov.bc.gov.gov.gov. Please visit gov.bc.gov.gov. This $10 million grant program is designed to complement the existing federal government programs. For instance, a gym with five employees could receive up to $5,000 of non-repayable grant with the COVID relief grant program. for up to 75% through the federal government's local lockdown program. And their employees can now apply for the federal worker lockdown benefit which they can receive up to $300 a week for income support. I want to personally thank all the businesses that have complied with the provincial health officers orders. I know it's a very difficult thing to do, especially now. As you know, over the last week, the provincial health office ordered that all businesses reinstate COVID-19 safety plans. These plans provide an extra layer of protection for staff and customers. By making such measures, we are doing what we can to ensure that businesses continue to operate in a good way. If you are a business owner and need to learn more about COVID safety plans, we would like or you would like more information, you can reach out and more resources are available. If you are a business owner and need to learn more about COVID-19 safety plans, we would like to make sure that your resources are available. WorkSafe BC website has full list of measures that can be taken to help reduce workplace transmissions. You can also visit smallbusiness.ca for helpful resources. It goes without saying that 2021 was a very, very tough year for the business community. Your strength, determination and kindness has led us through these challenging times. Despite the hardships of COVID and significant weather events, BC has added more than 100,000 new jobs in this province last year. We continue to have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the entire country. And hopefully soon we will all be able to ready and visit our favorite restaurants and favorite gyms and other facilities that have been closed. The COVID-19 closure relief grant will help make sure local businesses who have been impacted can get back to normal in a safe way. These businesses are important members of our local communities and provide jobs to thousands of British Columbians. So please give them the support if you can while they are closed. They need us more than we, they need us just as much as we need them. We will get through this together and we know we can because we have gone through this in four waves. And with that I am happy to take any questions that may come. Thank you. As a reminder to reporters on the phone, please press star 1 to enter the queue. You are limited to one question and one follow-up. Please also remember to take your phone off mute as you are not audible until your name is called. Our first question is from Rob Shaw, check news. Rob, please go ahead. Rob, can you please start your question again, please? Thank you. Please start your question again, please? I am just wondering if you can respond to criticism that it has taken a while for you to open these applications and if you could have done it faster. Thanks for your question, Rob. We were able to in fact announce the funding support within 48 hours, getting everything approved. And now we have the process up in place. We are hiring staff. And we are actually in the process of launching the website, which is launched today. And businesses that have already gone through the program will be fast-tracked because we have a lot of the information of businesses that are impacted. And so we will fast-track their applications. And of course there will be some new businesses that have opened in the pandemic and these supports are available for them. We have also been working closely with the federal government, which we have from the beginning of the pandemic to ensure that any programs that we launch are still in place. And we are also working closely with the federal government to ensure that all of the participating programs and all those pieces have been put in place in a very quick way. And I want to thank the civil service who have worked throughout the holidays to get these programs up, to get staff hired. It means a lot to many of the businesses who are impacted who need these supports as fast as possible. Rob, do you have a follow-up? Yes, I do. I know that we have made some changes and we are very grateful that they have made them. Now businesses that are closed, gyms and nightclubs can actually benefit for up to 75% of the wage subsidies as well as the rent subsidies. And that is on top of the direct grants, the non-repayable grants that we are providing today. And so coupled with the two things together, I know that will help a lot of businesses that are closed. That is in addition with all the supports we have brought in place in the previous year to support many of our businesses which are going through a very challenging time. Our next question is from Lisa Yuzda, City News. The question I needed to ask has been punted to another ministry, so I am sorry, thank you. Our next question is from Bender Sajan, CTV. Hi, Minister, just following up on what Rob said, we have been working on within 48 hours of the announced closures. If the program doesn't even begin to accept applications until three weeks later, is that acceptable to you? And how can it still take so long given that BC has had similar grant programs in the past? Well, it is vitally important for businesses to know how much they would be eligible for so they can plan during a challenging time. And that is why it was so important to be able to announce those dollars right away. I know how many employees I have, this is how much money I am going to have so they can plan. Of course, now with the wage subsidy piece that is added, the rent subsidy piece added to the federal program, that is a very encompassing program that will support many businesses. And I know, having talked to businesses for the last week and workers that are impacted, that these two measures will go a long way and perhaps might not address all the challenges, but certainly it is welcome to have a follow-up. I am just wondering if somebody applies today, how soon can they expect to receive money? Well, we understand the importance of getting this money to businesses as quick as possible. Businesses that have already come through the program, which is a large portion of the businesses that we expect will apply, will be able to get fast-tracked because we have a lot of their banking information already. And so we will be able to fast-track that in the next few weeks. And of course, the federal programs have come online, so we are helping businesses get access to those programs as well. But I think it is also important for me to note that businesses that have not followed the health orders and have refused to close down their businesses are not eligible for the grants that we are announcing today. And we have built in an auditing system to ensure those businesses that have defied orders will not be able to get access to those grants. And that is on the agenda of the next session, Global News. When your grant program was first announced, the closures were set to expire on January the 18th. But yesterday, Dr. Henry said that the restrictions will remain in place for now. So how does that affect your grant program? Well, the grant program is in a response to the order from Dr. Henry on the closures of businesses. Of course the decision on removing restrictions or adding restrictions are decisions that come from Dr. Henry and the provincial health office. And of course, if for some reason those health orders are extended, certainly will be ensuring that the supports that businesses need for that additional time are available. But at this time, those are decisions that Dr. Henry and the provincial health office make and we will continue to engage with them as the results of the pandemic continue to unfold. Lisa, do you have a follow-up? Yes, thank you, minister. Do you know how many of the businesses that have applied for grants or programs before are eligible for this grant? And how are you assessing the impact of your grant? What impact that will make and will that analysis be made public? Yes. So we expect from the previous data that we have from the grant program that we have, that we will be able to get up to 2,600 to 3,000 businesses that may apply. Of course, we may see more than that and we are prepared to increase the financial supports, the dollars that are required to support businesses. And of course, you know, the programs that we have put in place actually are very streamlined with the rest of the provinces across the country. In fact, we have one of the highest per capita support programs that we have put in place. We have one of the highest per capita supports for people and businesses in the entire country. Not only were we able to provide over half a billion dollars of grants last year, we also are one of the only jurisdictions that brought in a food delivery cap for our businesses. We brought in a reduction of 25% of liquor pricing. And of course, many measures that we put in place to support businesses through a very challenging time. And I'm sure there will be a big difference between businesses that work at the supports and whether they were adequate or not. That's a discussion we're going to have, but I can tell you that those that I speak to in the business community are very grateful for the support that we have been able to provide here in British Columbia. You mentioned that businesses that have not been complying with orders are now going to be denied funding. Can you elaborate on that? Yes, businesses that have not followed the orders that Dr Henry have laid out are not eligible for this business relief grant. We have built in an auditing process for those businesses that have chosen not to follow the orders. And we're going to follow through on that. And so to those majority of businesses that have followed the orders, this grant is available. We're here to support you. The federal government programs are available. Marcella, do you have a follow-up? I'm hoping to see if you could see, maybe explain if it's worth their while, are the grants large enough that it would be less than what they would be making just by staying open? Between the grants and the up to 75% wage subsidy, up to the 75% rent subsidy, certainly it will come close. I think what's clear from my conversations with many in the gym sector in particular, is of course they want to be open. I've spent my life in the gym. I've been a former athlete. I know how important it is for not only to go there as a place for physical health, but also mental health. Of course, when it's safe to do so, we want to see those businesses open. But in the meantime, these supports are important. I think they're welcomed. And we're going to continue to work closely with them as things evolve. Richard Sussman, Global News. Minister, you keep saying it's going to come close. How close is it going to come? Is there a commitment that it will be 70% of what they would normally make? 80%? What's the commitment here about how much this will cover? It's really hard to judge because every business is different. They all have different business models. They all offer services in a different way. They offer services to clients. And so it's really difficult to assess even the fitness industry can tell you they have small, very small gyms that operate for a few people and then have very large ones that are operating to hundreds. But everybody will see a benefit in proportion of their size of their operation. The federal government programs are scaled according to how much revenues businesses see in their employees, which is what we've done from the beginning of the pandemic and of course is similar to what other provinces have been doing across the country. Richard, do you have a follow-up? As you're acutely aware, many gyms believe they can operate safely with COVID safety plans. I know that's a decision from Dr. Henry, but is there any sense that you're getting from public health is that they could be reopened soon? We're hearing some of them are losing upwards of $20,000 a month or more. Is this anywhere close to being enough for what people need? Why not just provide a hard percentage saying we're going to cover 75% of your cost in order to continue operating? Many of the assessments made by fitness centers in particular haven't actually to this point considered the new federal supports , the new parameters of the federal supports. I know that the rent subsidy and the wage subsidy, when it's calculated in, it's going to have a big impact and of course these grants are non-repayable and they can be used for anything that the business thinks is necessary at this time. We have expanded that. It has been complimentary to the federal government supports and I do think it's going to make a big impact for businesses and of course we do so that we'll be able to see some of those restrictions eased so that people can go back to gyms and take care of their physical and mental health. Cool. Shisler, black press. Hi, thanks for taking my question. Ms, do you have any words for business owners who have chosen to remain open in spite of the public health orders? Yeah, I would say to those businesses that it's disappointing. It's disappointing for those businesses that have chosen to defy health orders. These orders are not done lightly and they're done to ensure that our community can stay safe so that we can protect our healthcare system for not only those that are needing supports during COVID but others that are going to the healthcare system for whatever needs they have. It's not easy decisions. I support the decisions that Dr. Henry and the provincial health office have made and I know that they're doing the right thing. Even they don't like the fact that there's businesses that are defying orders when they are all following the rules. My message to them is thank you to those that are following the orders. These grants are available to you, non-repayable grants and those that are not, unfortunately, these grants are not available for you. Cole, do you have a follow-up? Yeah, I know that you've been asked this already before, but it does send a bit of a signal that maybe the order could be extended. Have you been included in any conversations or are you aware of any conversations around the order being extended beyond January 8th? I certainly don't want to be sending any signals about any extensions. That is not something that myself or our ministry has any involvement in. Usually we hear very shortly before the provincial health orders come in to this today-to-day, I haven't heard of any changes that they're contemplating or any extensions that they're contemplating. So it's a question that perhaps is better suited for Dr. Henry and provincial health office. Shannon Waters, BC, today. Okay, Shannon has dropped. It looks like that's all the questions that we have for today. That concludes today's event. Thank you, everyone, for joining. Thank you.