Border duty free stores are calling on the federal government to completely forgive loans from a government program they took out during the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing the pandemic disproportionately affected them and that border traffic has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
At a news conference Thursday morning, Barbara Barrett, the executive director of the Frontier Duty Free Association (FDFA) — which represents 32 land border duty free stores in Canada — called for the government to waive its Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) loans to FDFA members. CEBA provided eligible small businesses and not-for-profits with interest-free loans of up to $60,000.
Barrett said the demand is a matter of fairness.
“It
