Montréal, April 10, 2020 ‒ The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal would like to pay tribute to the businesses and workers who are working every day during this pandemic to provide essential services to the public efficiently and safely.
“In a few days, it will have been three weeks since Premier François Legault ordered all non-essential activities to shut down in Quebec,” said Michel Leblanc, president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal. “This week, the shutdown had to be extended to May 4. The forced shutdown for critical health reasons has created a brutal economic shock. Today the Chamber would like to highlight the responsiveness and innovation of the business community, which in just a few days adapted to an extremely difficult situation.”
“Almost instantaneously, businesses had to review how they approached work in order to retain jobs,” Mr. Leblanc said. “In mere hours, they made the shift to remote working and e-commerce. Many of them responded to the call from governments to provide medical and basic necessity equipment. We applaud all of the workers who adapted and mobilized to ensure activities continue.”
“We must never forget that businesses and workers in the food chain have held the fort and that organizations dedicated to mobility have continued to ensure people can get around,” Michel Leblanc said. “We applaud the merchants who quickly introduced measures to protect their employees and clients. Thank you to the people who are working tirelessly to enable millions of Quebecers to get around and stock up safely.”
“We need to point to the crucial role played every day by employees of the Port of Montreal and the essential contribution of truck drivers, delivery people and rail workers to maintaining activities,” Mr. Leblanc. “Without a functional logistics chain, no essential services would be possible.”
“We also owe a great deal to the banks, which are mobilized to make government aid available,” Michel Leblanc said. “The accommodations offered by these institutions, combined with the swift action on the part of governments, are giving breathing room to businesses and workers who are having difficulty meeting their obligations.”
“Telecom companies faced the challenge of maintaining the stability of their network to respond to demand from workers forced to work remotely,” Mr. Leblanc said. “Internet service and phone providers have shown solidarity by offering unlimited data access to their users with no additional fees, as well as free long distance in Canada.”
“This collaboration between governments, businesses and essential services suppliers will remain one of the keys to our collective success through this crisis,” Michel Leblanc said. “We are extremely proud of the business community’s mobilization.”
About the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
With a network of over 8,000 members, the CCMM is active on two fronts: being the voice of the Montréal business community and delivering specialized services to businesses and their representatives. With its finger on the pulse of current events, it acts on issues that are decisive for the prosperity of the city’s businesses. With the support of the Acclr experts, the CCMM’s goal is to accelerate the creation and growth of businesses of all sizes, at home and around the world.
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Source:
Julie Serero
Advisor, Media Relations
Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: 514 871-4000, ext. 4042
jserero@ccmm.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/chambremontreal
Twitter: @chambremontreal
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