Ontario's government, with the help of Canada's federal government, is helping small businesses in Ontario with a $57 million contribution to the Digital Mainstreet program, according to a press release. 

"Ontario's small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and their recovery is critical to Ontario's recovery,"  Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said in the release. "As thousands of small businesses across the province closed their doors and halted business during the COVID-19 outbreak, many struggled to shift sales or services online."

shopHERE, a program powered by Google, will help businesses hire trained students to create online stores, according to the press release. The program will also help businesses adopt technology to help them thrive in the future. By transforming businesses on Main Street with technology, the Digital Mainstreet program will be future-proofing it with new online businesses and by maximizing the digital tools these businesses use, the news release said.