The scale of the federal deficit announced on Wednesday caught many off guard, but some Calgary businesses just hope to see some of that spending continue. Sandip Lalli, the president of the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, says the $343-billion deficit is troubling but not unexpected given the scope of the current challenges. Spending on businessesThe federal government has provided partly forgivable loans for struggling businesses and an emergency wage subsidy to help businesses keep employees on the payroll. "Alberta retailers and restaurants face a much greater challenge," said Diane Brisebois, the council's president and chief executive officer. Federal revenues have fallen by $81.3 billion and the economy is expected to shrink by 6.8 per cent this year before rebounding by 5.5 per cent next year.

Source: CBC News July 09, 2020 16:13 UTC