Ottawa commits $133M in further aid for Indigenous businesses

Ottawa will spend a further $133 million on helping Indigenous businesses suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the federal government has heard from First Nations, Inuit and Metis business owners who have said the last few months have been extremely difficult.

Of the total amount announced today, $117 million is to help small and community-owned Indigenous businesses.

The remaining $16 million is to support Indigenous businesses in the tourism sector, which supports thousands of jobs across the country. This money adds to $306 million in federal emergency aid announced in April for small and medium-sized Indigenous businesses.

That money was earmarked for short-term interest-free loans and contributions through Aboriginal financial institutions, which offer financing and business support services to First Nations, Inuit, and Metis businesses.