Parks Canada Rent Relief Extended
Order Amending the Remission Order in Respect of Non-residential Leases and Licences of Occupation Under the Administration of the Parks Canada Agency: SI/2021-1
The order extends rent relief for commercial tenants on Parks Canada lands by remitting 75% of rent and licence fees for the period April 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020. Eligible tenants were required to provide a signed attestation to Parks Canada by December 31, 2020; the order was registered and came into force on 2021-01-06.
- Published
- January 6, 2021
- Department
- 1 (1) The portion of subsection 1(1) of the Remission Order in Respect of Non-residential Leases and Licences of Occupation Under the Administration of the Parks Canada Agency
- Section
- Order Amending the Remission Order in Respect of Non-residential Leases and Licences of Occupation Under the Administration of the Parks Canada Agency
- Comment deadline
- Unavailable
- Effective date
- January 6, 2021
- Publication part
- Part II
Summary
Summary#
The Order Amending the Remission Order in Respect of Non-residential Leases and Licences of Occupation Under the Administration of the Parks Canada Agency (SI/2021-1) extends rent relief for commercial tenants on Parks Canada land. It extends the period covered to September 30, 2020 and gives tenants until December 31, 2020 to finish their applications; the order was registered on January 6, 2021.
What it does#
- Updates the remission wording so that 75% of rent and licence fees paid or payable for the period April 1, 2020 to September 30, 2020 can be remitted for eligible tenants.
- Requires eligible tenants to provide a signed attestation to Parks Canada Agency by December 31, 2020, to support their eligibility.
- Makes the amendment effective on the day the order was made (registered January 6, 2021).
- Continues to align this relief with the federal Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) approach, but specifically for tenants who pay rent to Parks Canada and could not access CECRA.
Who's affected#
- Commercial tenants that hold non-residential leases or licences of occupation on land administered by Parks Canada Agency.
- This includes about 766 commercial agreements and 2 municipal agreements (the Town of Banff and the Municipality of Jasper).
- Most affected businesses are small and medium-sized local operators — hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses, and other visitor services. Fewer than twenty tenants are large corporations (major hotel chains, large attractions).
- If a tenant already applied for relief covering April–August 2020, they are automatically eligible for the September extension. Tenants who have not yet applied have until December 31, 2020.
Why it matters#
- It gives targeted financial relief to businesses that depend on summer visitation to national parks and historic sites and that were hit hard by COVID‑19 restrictions.
- The order is estimated to remit about $300,000, helping cover a portion of lost revenue for affected tenants.
- The extended application deadline gives businesses more time to claim relief when they otherwise could not access CECRA because they pay rent to Parks Canada rather than private landlords.
- Keeping more businesses afloat helps local tourism economies, especially in rural and remote communities that rely on park visitors.
Key topics
Source: Canada Gazette