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Saint-Anicet Municipality

Emergency Assistance for Businesses in the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent

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The MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent (MRC) would like to remind business owners affected by the pandemic that it is still possible to apply for the Emergency Assistance for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Program (PUHSL). The maximum amount available for a business loan is $49,999.

The program is designed to facilitate access to capital to maintain, consolidate or relaunch the operations of businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was developed in the context of this extraordinary and circumstantial economic situation.

The emergency assistance program is part of an agreement between the Ministère de l’économie et de l’innovation (MEI) and the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent signed on April 14, 2020.

A revised application form is available in the section below.

“During this difficult time, it is essential we support our businesses that have been forced to close due to the second wave of COVID-19,” said Louise Lebrun, the prefect of the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent.

Assistance stream for businesses in high alert regions

In order to support businesses required to cease all or part of their activities as a result of being located in an area at high alert (red zones), a component has been created and added to the emergency assistance program, Assistance for Businesses in Regions Under Maximum Alert (ABRUMA also called AERAM in French). This component allows businesses operating in the sectors listed below to obtain non-refundable assistance (loan forgiveness) in the amount of $15,000 or 80 percent of eligible expenses when they apply for an emergency loan from the MRC, under certain terms and conditions.

  • Restaurants and food courts in shopping malls and stores, except for deliveries, take-out or drive-through orders;
  • Bars and clubs;
  • Microbreweries and distilleries, but only in relation to on-site food or beverage services;
  • Casinos and gaming houses;
  • Museums, biodomes, planetariums, insectariums, botanical gardens, aquariums and zoos;
  • Arcades, amusement centres and parks, as well as water parks.
  • Saunas and spas, with the exception of personal care;
  • Libraries, other than those maintained by educational institutions, except lending services;
  • Cinemas, theatres and performing arts centres, including all performing arts venues;
  • Youth hostels;
  • Fitness centers and gyms;

Eligible expenses include certain fixed costs incurred during the period in which the business remains closed, including:

  • Municipal and school taxes;
  • Rent (portion not covered by any other government program);
  • Interest paid on mortgages;
  • Utilities (e.g. electricity and gas);
  • Insurance;
  • Telecommunications;
  • Licensing and association fees.

Salaries, benefits, employer and employee contributions, taxes and other fixed costs are not included.

Businesses located in a red zone and whose closure has been ordered by decree of the Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux are invited to contact Iris Delagrange, the economic and social development coordinator at the MRC du Haut-Saint-Laurent, to learn more about the terms and conditions of the new ABRUMA/AERAM component.

Additional information

  • To be eligible for the AERAM program, a loan contract under the Emergency Assistance for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Program must be signed beforehand.
  • Companies are eligible for subsidized assistance for a given month if they have been required to close for at least 10 days during the month.
  • This component is effective for the month of October 2020. If the order to remain closed is extended, it may apply in November and again in December 2020.
  • A business with needs exceeding $50,000 will be required to apply to IQ (Investissement Québec) through the PACTE program.

For more information

Please contact Iris Delagrange, Economic and Social Development Coordinator, at: 450-264-5411 ext. 233 or by email at: iris.delagrange@mrchsl.com.

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