‘I don’t want to close the doors’: Small businesses in Alliston say government not providing enough support

Small-business owners in Alliston who opened their stores at the beginning of the year say they’ve been forgotten when it comes to financial assistance programs meant to help retailers get through the pandemic.

Shamiran Tamras, owner of Tamras Mini Market, a grocery store in downtown Alliston that specializes in Middle Eastern, Mediterranean and Lebanese products, opened her store in February, just weeks before the provincial shutdown in mid-March.

While her store was considered essential, allowing her to remain open during the spring lockdown, she struggled to stay afloat. She is just barely managing to cover her rent, utilities, insurance and other fixed costs.

“Business is very bad,” she said.

Tamras had planned on expanding her business with a bakery so she could sell fresh pita bread, but that plan has been put on hold indefinitely.

While a $40,000 loan she accessed through Nottawasaga Futures has helped her continue paying rent and suppliers, she is burning through the cash quickly.

Rent relief wasn’t an option since her landlord didn’t apply for the program, and while she is applying for the recently revamped tenant rent-relief program, she doesn’t think she will qualify since the application asks for financial information from 2019.

“This is my dream to keep this business,” she said. “I don’t want to close the doors.”

Just down the road, Mohamed Haidary, owner of Alliston Tailoring and Alterations, finds himself in the same situation.

He opened his shop on March 9, about a week before the shutdown. By that time, he had already signed a lease and provided first and last month’s rent.

He wasn’t able to reopen until a little more than two months later on May 19.

“It was very tough,” he said.

During those months, he was still paying the rent, along with the utilities and insurance, without generating income.

Haidary said his landlord also didn’t apply for the rent-relief program, and he didn’t qualify for any business support since his shop had just opened.

“I don’t know what happened to the new businesses,” he said. “They need the support and it’s not only me — there’s lots of other people.”

Alliston Business Improvement Association chair Mike Jerry recently wrote a letter to Premier Doug Ford requesting more support for small businesses.

He also thinks allowing big-box stores in areas that are in lockdown to still sell non-essential items is a “flawed” decision, adding there “needs to be a fair playing field.”

Nottawasaga Futures said 30 businesses impacted by the pandemic have received loans to cover fixed costs and retain 55 jobs. Funding for the loans was provided through the federal government’s Regional Relief and Recovery Fund.

The feds recently provided Nottawasaga Futures a top-up of $1,085,000, which adds to the $994,888.67 provided in May.

For more details on the loan program, visit .

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Simcoe.com talked to some local businesses to find out how they are planning to get through the next wave of the pandemic and what financial supports they’ve been able to access from the government.