Charities say aid needed to survive

The federal Liberal government is facing increasingly desperate pleas for assistance from Canadian charities and non-profit groups as some of the country’s best-known and largest organizations say they are struggling to survive because of COVID-19.

The YMCA Canada, the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada and the Royal Canadian Legion are among those that say they are facing severe financial difficulties and been forced to permanently close some locations even as demand for their services has increased.

A YMCA facility permanently closed its doors in Yarmouth, N.S., because of the pandemic while the Boys and Girls Clubs shuttered its operations in Edson, Alta. The legion has seen three halls close for good in Ontario and one in New Brunswick.

While the fear is those are just the beginning, the government is also being warned that failing to help now could cost more in the long run as organizations that provide child care, emergency food support and other social services disappear.

“The problem is the bill will come due later,” said Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada president Owen Charters. “Because as these organizations disappear, the social safety net becomes a tax burden where the government needs to step in and provide those services directly.”

The sector began to bang the drums with alarm at the end of March as Canadians started to realize the pandemic would last longer than a couple of weeks and donations and other sources of income such as the provision of child care started to dry up.

Dozens of charities signed a letter on March 25 asking Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government for financial aid to prevent “irreparable damage,” particularly at a time when more people needed their services.

Ottawa has since included the sector in some of its COVID-19 supports such as wage subsidy and rent-deferral programs. It also created a $350-million fund for organizations to provide emergency assistance to Canadians during the pandemic.

While welcome, those interviewed say the already-announced federal programs and funding fall far short.

“What we need is direct supports to make sure Ys can survive the crisis,” YMCA Canada president Peter Dinsdale said.