Open Letter to Premier Jason Kenney
December 31, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Red Deer – Mountain View, AB
Effective December 13, 2020, thousands of Alberta small business owners were forced to close their doors again in the name of the “greater good”. These closures were enacted just two weeks after you apologized for lockdown measures in March, calling those measures “a grave mistake”.
A week later, on December 21, 2020, you stated that “circuit-breaker” lockdowns create a “false hope for the public”. As 2020 draws to a close, small business owners have questions:
Will the mandatory public health measures be lifted on January 12, 2021?
Were current measures enacted to create more than just a false hope?
Operators of restaurants, personal service businesses, and entertainment facilities need your reassurance now. They need time to prepare, to re-order stock, to schedule employees and to make plans for the future.
Small business owners have borne the brunt of the pandemic. Unjust and unsubstantiated lockdowns have disproportionately impacted not only their current financial situation but for many, their life-long work and retirement savings.
These same individuals will be the driving force that rebuilds the Albertan economy post-pandemic. Their ingenuity and hard work will undoubtedly Make Alberta Great Again.
They are not asking for grants, loans or subsidies. They are simply asking for the opportunity to do what they do best; create employment opportunities, provide for their families and support the most vulnerable in their communities.
I urge you to immediately reassure all small business owners that current lockdowns will end on January 12, 2021 and no further lockdowns will be imposed on Alberta businesses in the future.
Sincerely,
Jared Pilon
Candidate for Red Deer – Mountain View, AB