Small businesses closing due to massive rent hikes say the future is bleak for independent shops and cafes in Ontario [Video]

When COVID lockdowns hit, many Ontario businesses deemed non-essential were forced to close for the better part of two years. While a number of factors continue to hamper their recovery, operators say sky-high rent hikes are forcing them to move or shut down entirely. 

“Our landlord wants a 67 per cent rent increase and an immediate $8,000 top-up on the security deposit, so we’re forced to close our school,” Chris Marti, the owner of the Mississauga-based Do Re Mi for Kids Inc. music school, told INsauga.com. 

When Do Re Mi for Kids began over 20 years ago, Marti operated it out of her home. Once it grew in popularity, she began to look for a new location and found a spot on Sladeview Crescent, close to the Unity Drive and Ridgeway Drive intersection in the city’s Erin Mills neighbourhood. 

Now, more than 10 years and two significant rent hikes later, …