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The Montreal Canadiens are reducing their workforce during the COVID-19 crisis.

Groupe CH, which also owns the American Hockey League’s Laval Rocket, says it will proceed with a temporary reduction in personnel, impacting 60 per cent of the organization’s employees.

The reduction will start Monday.

READ MORE: Quebec coronavirus cases surge to 1,013 as partial shutdown looms

Grope CH says it has established a $6-millon assistance fund to help employees. The organization says the fund will help enhance employment insurance benefits for eight weeks, ensuring that employees will receive 80 per cent of their base salary for that period.

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The fund also will provide loans to employees in difficult financial situations.

READ MORE: Quebec’s number of coronavirus cases nearly tripled in one day: what’s going on?

The NHL and AHL suspended their seasons earlier this month.

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“Now more than ever, it is important to support our community and demonstrate our solidarity to one another. We are working extremely hard to limit the impact this situation will have on our employees,” Groupe CH owner Geoff Molson said in a statement.

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