COVID-19 Relief - Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program (HASCAP) Guarantee The grim one year anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada has highlighted that many businesses across the country continue to struggle financially. Two Federal assistance programs, the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) have helped by giving out a combined total of over $77 billion in subsidies, but it is not enough for many small and medium-sized businesses. 1 The CEWS was announced nearly a year ago to prevent job loss by encouraging employers to maintain or re-hire workers previously laid off via wage subsidies based on revenue