Montreal’s mayor wants business owners in the downtown core to bring workers back to the office. It’s one of several measures recommended by the city’s new advisory committee to get the local economy back on track.
But merchants who have been hit hardest during the COVID-19 pandemic believe more government subsidies and tax cuts would serve them better.“We need to make sure that we bring people back to our city centre,” said Montreal mayor Valerie Plante, adding that it’s safe to take public transit and that businesses are respecting the rules. “Everybody’s now adapting to the new COVID situation so it is a safe place to be.”But it’s also a lonely place to be since the start of the pandemic, according to business owners.