New financial and employment supports announced for Yukon businesses

Economic Development Minister Ranj Pillai has announced new financial and employment supports for Yukon businesses.

Under the new stream of the Tourism Non-Accommodation Sector Supplement (TNASS) program, all bars and restaurants throughout the territory are eligible to receive up to $20,000 per month up to $60,000 to breakeven. This funding is available to cover both fixed and variable costs, including payroll. All bars and restaurants are also eligible to receive a one-time sector supplement of $10,000. Eligibility under this new stream will be retroactive to November 8, 2021, when the Government of Yukon declared a State of Emergency in response to COVID-19.

To help reduce business costs, the Yukon Liquor Corporation will provide bars and restaurants with a rebate on their liquor licence fee for the 2022–23 licence year. Yukon liquor licensees have received approximately $3 million in support from the Yukon Liquor Corporation through a variety of initiatives since the pandemic began.

The Government of Yukon is also streamlining the Yukon Nominee Program to support Yukon businesses in urgent need of workers. The Yukon Nominee Program is the Yukon’s main economic immigration program. Previously, employers looking to hire a foreign worker through the program were required to demonstrate the need to hire outside of Canada by attempting to recruit locally and nationally, advertising the position for four weeks, and continuing to search locally during the application process. These requirements will be temporarily waived to allow Yukon employers to act quickly to address their staffing needs. This change is effective immediately and will remain in effect until June 30, 2022.