Town Seeks Renewed Funding to Support Businesses

Halton Hills, ON – The Town continued its advocacy efforts for local businesses, approving a motion at Monday’s Council Meeting that called on the Provincial and Federal Governments to further invest in the Digital Main Street Program. The program enabled the Town to hire a Digital Support Squad lead to deliver services by meeting one-on-one with local businesses to help them improve their online presence, e-commerce capacity and digital offerings.

“The Town fully leveraged the tools given to us by the other orders of government,” said Mayor Rick Bonnette. “And the success of the program clearly means that there is a continued need in our community to help businesses enhance their online presence whether it is through a new or improved website, online payments or just using technology for promotion. The pandemic has certainly driven home the fact that this is the world we live in now.”

The $12,500 grant through the Digital Main Street Program enabled the Town to reach out to over 150 businesses and support almost 70 businesses to build their virtual presence and expand e-commerce capabilities. The 10-week program that ran from October to December last year was well-received by participants who gave it high praise as many had to pivot their business models. Support was also provided to help businesses apply for $2,500 grants which resulted in a total award of nearly $60,000.

Town Council’s motion calls on the Provincial and Federal Governments to:

• Renew funding support for the Digital Service Squad and the $2,500 Digital Transformation Grants;
• Expand the grant eligibility criteria to include businesses and previously eligible non-profit organizations located outside of Business Improvement Areas (BIAs); and
• Commit to a minimum 2-year funding.

About the Town of Halton Hills

The Town of Halton Hills, with a population of approximately 60,000, consists of two urban centres, Georgetown and Acton, the Halton Hills Premier Gateway employment area, three hamlets – Glen Williams, Stewarttown and Norval and several smaller settlements. Halton Hills has long been recognized for its natural beauty, active agricultural community, high quality of life and proximity to major centres, including Brampton, Mississauga and Toronto. The Town is ranked as one of the top small communities in Canada by a national magazine.

Visit the Town of Halton Hills website 

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