Governments of Canada and Ontario offer financial support to businesses affected by capacity limits
In response to the economic threat posed by the Omicron variant, the governments of Canada and Ontario will offer new and extended financial assistance to affected businesses.
The Government of Canada will use its regulatory authority granted by Bill C-2 to temporarily expand the Local Lockdown program. From December 19, 2021, until February 12, 2022, businesses will be able to qualify for federal support if:
- one or more locations are subject to a public health order that has the effect of reducing the entity’s capacity at the location by 50 per cent or more, and
- activities restricted by the public health order accounted for at least 50 per cent of the entity’s total qualifying revenues during the prior reference period.
In addition, the government intends to temporarily lower the current-month revenue loss threshold from 40 per cent to 25 per cent. Employers would continue to need to demonstrate current-month losses only, without the requirement for a historical 12-month revenue decline.
The rate would start at 25 per cent for eligible organizations with a 25-per-cent current-month revenue decline, increasing thereafter in proportion to current-month revenue loss up to a maximum rate of 75 per cent for those with a current-month revenue decline of 75 per cent or higher.
The Government of Canada will also expand the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit to help workers affected by lockdowns.
For more information on the federal assistance programs, click here.
The Government of Ontario announced today that it will:
- Offer rebates equal to 50% of property taxes and energy bills incurred by businesses subject to capacity limits, while those limits are in place
- Provide a six-month interest- and penalty-free period to make payments for most provincially administered taxes from January 1, 2022 to July 1, 2022.
Online applications for the rebate program will open in mid-January 2022, with payments to eligible businesses provided retroactive to December 19, 2021. Businesses will be required to submit property tax and energy bills as part of the application process.
Click here for more information on these provincial relief programs.
Niagara transit amalgamation green-lit after Thorold Council passes deciding vote
Thorold City Council became the seventh Niagara municipal government to vote in favour of Niagara transit amalgamation, following supportive votes from Fort Erie, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Grimsby, Port Colborne and Niagara-on-the-Lake. With a majority of Niagara municipalities supporting amalgamation, representing a majority of the electorate, and following a majority vote at Niagara Region on November 25th, the transit amalgamation plan now has the triple majority needed to proceed.
Ontario calls for businesses willing to offer employer-led vaccination clinics
In an effort to head off a fifth wave of COVID-19 prompted by the highly contagious Omicron variant, the Government of Ontario is making all efforts to increase the rate of vaccination in the province.
As more mass-vax sites, hospital clinics, pharmacies and primary care clinics come online, Ontario is asking the province’s businesses, workers and union leaders to support the vaccine rollout by hosting employer-led clinics. Employer-led clinics must be set up, operated and funded by employers and meet established criteria to vaccinate employees aged 18 and over, their families and retirees, as well as members of the local and neighbouring communities as capacity allows.
Businesses can call the Ontario Together Contact Centre at 1-888-777-0554 to learn more about hosting a vaccination clinic. Community groups and places of worship interested in arranging a GO-VAXX mobile bus clinic visit, can contact GOVAXX@ontario.ca.
Click here for more information.
Fort Erie will waive 2022 business license fees
Town Council recently approved recommendations from staff to temporarily waive all business licence fees, save and except short-term rentals, for 2022 to offer continued support to the Fort Erie business community. New and existing businesses that require an annual licence renewal are still required to apply for a 2022 business licence from the Town of Fort Erie as in the past.
It is estimated that waiving business licencing fees for 2022 will result in a business licencing revenue reduction of about $20,000. The plan is to recoup this financial impact through COVID-19 funding the Town received from Provincial grants.
Click here for more information.
Vaccine clinic to be opened at Lincoln’s Fleming Centre on December 23
From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on December 23rd, a vaccination clinic will take place at the Fleming Centre to administer the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to eligible individuals 5 years of age and older, and eligible booster doses while supplies last. No appointment is required. The province of Ontario operates the vaccination clinic being held at the Fleming Centre.
Click here for more information.
Niagara Health extends hours at COVID-19 assessment centres
Niagara Health’s COVID-19 Assessment Centres are temporarily extending their hours due to an increased demand in booking for COVID-19 tests. Self-referrals have steadily increased over the last week to a high of 1,800 on Dec. 20. Please note that Niagara Health does not accept walk-ins for COVID-19 testing.
Holiday hours of operation for the St. Catharines and Niagara Falls assessment centres are as follows:
Dec. 21-23: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Dec. 24: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Dec. 25: Closed
Dec. 26-30: 8 a.m. to 6 p .m.
Dec. 31: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Jan. 1: Closed
After Jan. 1, regular hours will resume at both locations.
Click here for more information.
Reading Recommendations
Canada should temporarily ban foreign home buyers, rezone cities – housing minister
Reuters
Municipalities should rezone broadly to allow more density and Canada should temporarily ban foreign buyers to help alleviate the housing affordability crunch faced by residents, the country’s housing minister said on Tuesday.
Ahmed Hussen told Reuters in an interview that housing should be for Canadians to live in, not passive foreign investment, and that he backs Canadian cities implementing density measures like those recently rolled out in New Zealand, which allow up to three homes to be built on most single-family lots.
“I support that,” he said. “That’s one of the ways to easily increase housing supply by using the same land for single-family dwelling and creating more units.”
How work perks are shifting during the pandemic
CBC News
Employers and experts say the COVID-19 pandemic has made companies focus on the challenges this shifting landscape poses for them and what they need to do to retain staff.
For some, that effort involves offering key perks to their people — including mental health and well-being supports and allowing more flexible working arrangements — as they make their way through this trying time.
Niagara COVID-19 statistics tracker
Niagara COVID vaccination tracker
Free rapid COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses. Visit gncc.ca/workplace-self-screening-kits to learn more and reserve kits for your organization.
For information on rapid testing kits for individuals, click here.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.
Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. We disseminate all news and information we feel will be important to businesses. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.
