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Saskatchewan small businesses struggle to get back to normal sales despite lifted COVID-19 restrictions
Global News
According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), only 34 per cent of small businesses in the province have returned to normal sales.
Though all remaining COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, some small businesses in Saskatchewan continue to struggle to get back to normal sales.
According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), only 34 per cent of small businesses in the province have returned to normal sales.
CFIB Saskatchewan provincial affairs director Annie Dormuth said some sectors are hurting more than others.
“Thinking about your local bowling alley, your local gym, as well as those in hospitality — your local restaurant, your local hotel; all of those businesses have been hardest hit throughout this pandemic,” Dormuth said.
CFIB found that one in seven or 15 per cent of Saskatchewan small business are “actively considering bankruptcy or permanently winding down operations.”
In Saskatchewan, almost two thirds of business or 62 per cent reported taking on debt at an average of $95,188 per business.
“While it might seem like it’s back to normal operations when you drive by a parking lot and it’s full at a local restaurant, however the struggles are still very much a reality for small business owners in the background,” Dormuth added.
With many cancelled tours and shows due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Broadway Theatre in Saskatoon has seen a significant reduction in attendance, interim executive director Aryn Otterbein said.