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ARTICLE · 29 APRIL 2020

Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program

Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP
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Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP

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On Friday, April 24, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government had reached an agreement in principle with all provinces and territories to implement the CECRA program to provide rent relief ...

CanadaCoronavirus (COVID-19)
Blakes Commercial Real Estate Group
Blakes Commercial Real Estate Group
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On Friday, April 24, 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the federal government had reached an agreement in principle with all provinces and territories to implement the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program to provide rent relief for small and medium-sized businesses that have been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis.

CECRA promises to lower rents for eligible tenants by 75 per cent for payments due in April and May, retroactively, and June.

While the announcement was expected, full details of the program were not disclosed, and as such, commercial landlords and tenants are left with many questions as to implementation and eligibility. This bulletin is intended to review what we know about the program as well as bring to light some of the issues that both landlord and tenants need to be aware of.

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