Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Innovation Doug Schweitzer. (Government of Alberta)

By David Opinko

Province extends deadline for Relaunch Grant, support for tourism industry

May 26, 2021 | 12:30 PM

EDMONTON, AB – The Alberta Government is continuing its flurry of announcements Wednesday.

First, Premier Jason Kenney announced the “Open for Summer Plan,” a three-staged program that could see all COVID-19 restrictions lifted as soon as early July.

READ MORE: Province announces three-stage plan to ease restrictions

In addition to that, the provincial government detailed two ways they plan to support businesses.

In April, the second round of applications for the Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant (SMERG) opened up. It was originally going to close on May 31 but will now be extended to June 30.

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Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Innovation Doug Schweitzer says it offers financial assistance to businesses, cooperatives, and non-profits with fewer than 500 employees that have faces restrictions or closures and have lost at least 30 per cent of their revenues.

“Alberta businesses have made sacrifices to stop the spike of COVID-19. Your efforts have made a difference, and we know we will soon be able to begin to lift restrictions and allow businesses to operate at full capacity. As more Albertans are vaccinated, I am hopeful that this is the last time we need to extend the SMERG program.”

Organizations that are eligible for SMERG funding can get up to $10,000.

The government also looks to support the tourism industry.

Finance Minister Travis Toews says accommodation providers can keep the tourism levy amounts they collect between April 1 and June 30 for an additional three months.

“As Alberta businesses continue to face extreme challenges, we will continue to provide meaningful support. The tourism levy abatement has been an effective way to offer lodging providers additional cash flow during the pandemic and the government is pleased to extend it further. Leaving money in the hands of employers in the struggling tourism industry will help them retain staff and continue operating at a time of great need.”

Short-term rental hosts that list their properties on online marketplaces like Airbnb and Vrbo and began collecting the tourism levy on April 1 will also be eligible to keep tourism levy amounts collected during the latest three-month abatement period.

Hotels, short-term rental hosts, and other lodging providers that have already remitted tourism levy amounts collected on or after April 1 will receive a refund from Alberta’s Tax and Revenue Administration.

Businesses are still required to file returns as per the Tourism Levy Act and will be expected to resume regular tourism levy payments on amounts collected on or after July 1.