A brand new coalition is calling on the federal government to extend wage subsidies to help save jobs across the country.

The Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses officially launched its campaign this week. It is calling on Ottawa to extend the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program until next summer at the full 75 per cent rate for businesses facing ongoing revenue decline of 50 per cent or more.

President and CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada, Charlotte Bell says their businesses were the first to shut down and the last to recover. She says the worst-hit sectors will bounce back when COVID-19 is behind us—but this fall, up to two-million Canadians are facing bankruptcy and unemployment.

Meetings, events, and festivals have all been canceled for this year, and many will not be rescheduled until at least 2022, representing tens of billions of dollars in economic activity that vanished overnight according to Major Events and Festivals Canada.