Reception hall owner hoping for federal compensation

MONTREAL (CITYNEWS) – The owner of a reception hall in Montreal is hoping to receive compensation from the federal government for revenue losses due to COVID-19.

Giulio Di Minno, owner of Le Chateau Classique, remains in the dark regarding his eligibility for federal aid. His reception hall was deemed a non-essential business once the government banned all social gatherings.

“I can’t even get emergency funding because I have no history in 2019,” said Di Minno. “So what do we do? There’s no help.

“We never expected to be closed and shut down this long. And we never expected for our season to be gone.”

Di Minno purchased the existing business this February, one month before the COVID-19 crisis hit the country. His reception hall has been part of Montreal’s East End community for over 31 years.

Earlier this week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a $962 million relief fund for seasonal tourism companies that don’t qualify for other federal programs and who are still facing cash-flow issues.

Di Minno, who is also the head chef at Le Chateau Classique, is hoping his business falls in that category.

“There are so many people that are touched in this industry,” he said. “And it’s seasonal. First of May, most of the weddings start, and it goes to the end of September. And 75 per cent of our season is done over the summer.”

But even if he receives funding, Di Minno says he will have a very difficult time managing and rescheduling weddings and events because dates for next year have already been booked.

In the meantime, the Montrealer is finding creative way to keep the business afloat, like running social media giveaways or offering takeout for special occasions like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.

“We’re trying to just keep our image, our name out there so you know business will eventually get back to normal.”