CGLCC Connects: Budget Brunch in partnership with RBC

One in 40 businesses across Canada is owned by a member of the LGBT+ community. This equals 28,000 LGBT+ owned Canadian businesses, who collectively generate 1% of Canada’s gross corporate revenues and employ over 435.000 full and part time jobs – or the population of Halifax. In other words – LGBT+ business is big business, and the priorities of LGBT+ entrepreneurs must be reflected in the federal economic plan.

On Tuesday, April 20 – Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce hosted CGLCC Connects: Budget Brunch in partnership with RBC. Dawn Desjardins, Vice President & Deputy Chief Economist with RBC, provided expert insight on Budget 2021: A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience.

Dawn specifically spoke to new initiatives, including establishing a Canada-Wide Early Learning and Child Care System – as well as continuing supports for small businesses and entrepreneurs, including extending the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy and Lockdown Support beyond June 2021 and enhancing the Canada Small Business Financing Program.

Following Dawn’s presentation – Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Office, Darrell Schuurman, and Chief Operating Officer, Dale McDermott, highlighted key priorities that Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce advocated on behalf of LGBT+ entrepreneurs. 

This includes the establishment of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Development Fund, which will provide targeted measures to LGBT+ entrepreneurs and other equity seeking entrepreneurs – as well as the federal government’s intention to leverage supplier diversity in domestic procurement with businesses run by equity seeking groups.

Members of Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce are able to access a recording of CGLCC Connects: Budget Brunch through their CGLCC.ca Members Portal. If you are interested in joining as a member, visit cglcc.ca/membership.

Canada’s LGBT+ Chamber of Commerce is proud to advocate for LGBT+ entrepreneurs to all levels of government – and will continue to do so in advance of the next federal election.