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The province has apologized to some small business owners in Bedford, N.S., who were affected by July’s floods, after they applied to a relief program that was posted online in error.
The program called for applications from small businesses who could not operate due to the floods, saying they could be eligible for a one-time grant of $2,500.
“This whole time I thought somebody was working on it,” said John Connors, the owner of East Coast Kicks, a sneaker store in Bedford Place Mall.
His store was inundated with up to 13 centimetres of water, leaving many high-end shoes damaged. With losses estimated at more than $150,000, Connors said he applied to the program in September.
He received a response on Monday — in the form of an email explaining the mistake — after CBC News contacted the province to check on the status of his and other applications.
“Kick us while we’re down, kind of mentality, with this one,” he said.
In a statement to CBC News, the provincial Department of Economic Development said: “The draft program details were posted online inadvertently. We apologize for the error.”
East Coast Kicks reopened on Nov. 4 after undergoing extensive renovations, including replacing the floor.
Connors remains in negotiations with his insurance company about how much of the renovations and damage will be covered.
‘It seems slapdash’
Ken Halef, who owns Pro Tailors in the same mall, was also left wondering what had happened to his claim until he received a similar email this week.
“It just didn’t seem very responsible of the government,” said manager Lyndsay Ambler, “just to kind of turn around and say, ‘oh, that didn’t exist anyway, so sorry.'”
The family-owned tailor shop and menswear store has operated for more than 40 years and has endured one of its most challenging periods with the pandemic and the flood.
Both businesses say the province should still pay out the $2,500.
“We really feel they should offer that because it was available. We did apply for it and you know, it’s kind of their mistake so we feel they should honour it,” Ambler said.
Kelly Regan, the Liberal MLA for Bedford Basin, supports the idea.
“We’re concerned about the lack of attention to detail,” Regan said, characterizing the province’s response to flooding in Bedford as inadequate.
“It seems slapdash. It seems like the gang that couldn’t shoot straight,” Regan said. “It just seems like amateur hour.”
Province says 11 businesses affected
The department said financial assistance can only be issued through programs that are funded. And since the program in question wasn’t up and running when the details were posted online, it said there was no way to notify staff of any applications.
The department also said it has “reached out to the 11 applicants to determine if they qualify for other financial assistance.”
The program wasn’t included in the final provincial support package announced on July 26, which covered up to $200,000 in uninsurable losses for small businesses, the statement said.
Connors said he wasn’t eligible for that because his store has insurance.
“That $2,500 was in the back of my head the whole entire time.”
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