COVID-19 Business Update: November 30th, 2020

November 30, 2020 | Daily Update

Today, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland delivered the Fall Economic Update from the Government of Canada, with a short-term stimulus package valued at $70 billion to $100 billion over roughly three years.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, as well as policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • Today, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland delivered the Fall Economic Update from the Government of Canada, with a short-term stimulus package valued at $70 billion to $100 billion over roughly three years. Highlights of the announcement, which represents a budgetary update short of a new government budget, include:
    • The wage subsidy will be bumped back up to a maximum of 75% again, at least until March, and the program will be continued until June 2021.
    • The new Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program (HASCAP) will offer new credit for the tourism sector. Fully government-backed loans of up to $1 million will be granted to businesses that have lost revenue at below-market rates on repayment terms of up to ten years.
    • A top-up of up to $500 million, on a cash basis, to Regional Development Agencies and the Community Futures Network of Canada, bringing total funding to over $2.0 billion in this fund. The government will earmark a minimum of 25 per cent of all the Fund’s resources to support local tourism businesses, representing $500 million in program support through June 2021. This is in addition to the new Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program.
    • An additional $20,000 top-up to the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) program, of which $10,000 will be forgivable, bringing the total available under CEBA to $60,000. The deadline to apply for a CEBA loan has been extended to March 31, 2021.
    • An extension of the current subsidy rates of the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy for an additional three periods. This means a base subsidy rate of up to 65 per cent will be available on eligible expenses until March 13, 2021. With the 25 per cent Lockdown Support also being extended, businesses may be eligible for a subsidy of up to 90 per cent of their eligible expenses.
    • $181 million will be spent to assist people working in the arts and entertainment.
    • Financial support for more environmental projects including mass tree-planting, home retrofits for energy efficiency, and electric vehicle chargers.
    • $1 billion for long-term care to be allocated through the provinces and territories.
    • Temporary support of up to $1,200 per child aged under six for low- and middle-income families eligible for the Canada Child Benefit (CCB).
    • $1.5 billion to facilitate lifting all long-term drinking water advisories in First Nations communities.
    • A promised overhaul of the tax system to raise more revenue from digital giants such as Amazon, Netflix, Facebook, or AirBnB.
  • Although the update noted a deficit projected to reach $381.6 billion by the end of March, no deficit reduction plan was forthcoming. Also notably absent were details of a national childcare program, which were promised for the upcoming spring budget. Further details are available at https://www.budget.gc.ca/fes-eea/2020/home-accueil-en.html.
  • Tomorrow, the Honourable Mona Fortier, Canada’s Minister of Middle Class Prosperity and Associate Minister of Finance, will join the Ontario Chamber of Commerce from 9:00 am to 9:30 am for a discussion of the 2020 Fall Economic Statement. Registration is free.
  • Yesterday, the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, announced that Canada will extend the Mandatory Isolation Order and temporary travel restrictions for all travelers seeking entry into Canada from a country other than the US, until January 21, 2021. Travel restrictions for US citizens and foreign nationals arriving from the US remain in place until December 21, 2020 and may be extended at that time. In addition, the Government is amending its order and creating a framework for considering applications from high-performance amateur sport organizations seeking to hold International Single Sport Events. To be considered, applicants would need to include written commitments of ongoing support from provincial/territorial and local public health authorities and provincial/territorial governments, as well as a robust plan to protect public health and the health of participants. The Government of Canada reminds everyone experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, or who has recently come into close contact with someone infected with COVID-19, that they should continue to quarantine or isolate for 14 days.
  • George Spezza has begun work at Niagara Region as the new Director of Economic Development. Spezza brings with him more than 20 years of experience in the economic development sector, and in his new role will be responsible for leading Niagara Region’s Economic Development team. The team promotes Niagara on a global scale and works in partnership with the region’s 12 local area municipalities.
  • The Council of the Corporation of the Town of Lincoln has given notice that it has commenced discussions to adopt the 2021 Budget for the Town of Lincoln and its associated Boards and Committees. As part of the budget review process, Council will consider the 2021 Fees and Charges By-law and the establishment of the 2021 Water and Wastewater Rates, and a public meeting will be held on Wednesday, Dec. 2, at 6 p.m. This meeting is to be held electronically in accordance with section 238 of the Municipal Act. Any person wishing to make submissions to Council regarding the proposed 2021 Water/Wastewater Rates or Fees and Charges are invited to submit written comments to clerks@lincoln.ca no later than 9:00 a.m. on the Friday before the meeting. Council will meet to consider and adopt the 2021 User Fees and Charges the following day, at 6 p.m. Members of the public may observe the proceedings by accessing the live webcast on the Town’s YouTube Channel.
  • The Town of Pelham 2021 Capital Budget is scheduled to be presented for Council approval at the December 7, 2020, meeting of Council at 5:30 p.m. To view this year’s budget schedule and previous year’s budgets and  reports, visit: www.pelham.ca/budgets.

Reading recommendations:

Thanksgiving is over, and public health officials’ persistent warnings that large celebrations and travel could douse accelerant on out-of-control Covid-19 spread have passed. But whether their warnings were heeded — and what kind of impact Americans’ decisions might have had — won’t be clear for a few weeks. It will take a few days for those who got infected to start feeling sick, to get tested, and to get their results back. It will be two weeks or so before people who get sick enough to need hospital care show up in emergency departments. And it could be another two weeks after that before the seriously ill die, and a bit longer before those deaths are recorded in official tallies.

Many companies in Canada have turned to the government for help weathering the pandemic and the often devastating effects from the business slowdown. But some remote employees can also take advantage of the situation, from a tax-wise perspective. Employees working from home may be able to deduct certain expenses while they remain remote and many employers are actively trying to help their workers do so.

 If you are showing symptoms, contact your health care provider, call the Public Health Info-Line at 905-688-8248, or chat to Public Health online. For testing, call 905-378-4647 ext. 42819 (4-CV19) for information on test centres in Niagara and to book an appointment.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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Briefing Note: COVID-19 and the broader retail trade sector

November 27, 2020 | COVID-19 Member News, Municipal Advocacy

This briefing note is one of a series on COVID-19 and its impact on the retail trade sector. This piece focuses on the broader implications of the pandemic with respect to retail trade businesses. Other briefing notes will focus on retail trade employees, the link between retail trade in Niagara and the tourism sector, as well as what a post-pandemic reality might look like for Niagara’s retail trade sector.

To slow the spread of COVID-19, governments in Canada enacted a series of supports, stay-at-home recommendations, and by-laws. Though these mandates helped slow the spread of COVID-19, they also impacted businesses (e.g., closures of non-essential businesses). However, even without government intervention, COVID-19 may have led to a decrease in consumer spending. Between March 16 and 18, 2020 (i.e. before many provincial closure were mandated), Deloitte conducted a survey of 1,001 Canadian residents and found that 68% of respondents already planned to reduce discretionary spending as a result of COVID-19.[1] Further, 61% of respondents expected to spend less time at restaurants and 66% noted they would spend less time at malls.[2]

These stay-at-home mandates and changes in consumer confidence likely had compounding effects on retailers. In March 2020, approximately 40% of retailers responding to a Statistics Canada survey had been forced to temporarily close their physical locations.[3] Locally, 37.1% of retail trade businesses responding to the Niagara Economic Rapid Response Team’s Business Impact Survey noted that, due to COVID-19, by mid-May they were either vulnerable to closure or at risk of imminent closure.[4]

Alongside these changes, retail trade sales within Ontario fell by 38.5%, from $19.9 billion in February to $12.2 billion in April. However, provincial retail trade sales have already rebounded from April’s low to $19.6 billion in June 2020 (see Figure 1). NWPB will monitor this trend as we navigate the continued impacts of COVID-19 and the risk of subsequent outbreaks.

Figure 1 Retail Trade Sales in Ontario, by month

Source: Statistics Canada Retail Trades Sales, Table: 20-10-0008-01 (formerly CANSIM 080-0020). Custom Tabulation.

Retail adjustments in response to the pandemic

To combat the effects of the pandemic during March and April, most retailers worked to adapt their products, sales methods, and strategies for consumer engagement. Data from Statistics Canada show that only 2.8% of Canadian retail trade businesses made no changes to their businesses due to the pandemic. Comparatively, 80.2% of retailers added new ways to interact with or sell to customers, significantly higher than the 49.7% of businesses across all industries that did the same. The five most common methods of adaptation are presented in Table 1.

Table 1. Methods business used to adapt to challenges of COVID-19, Canada

Percentage of  Respondents
All Industries Retail Trade
Added new ways to interact with or sell to customers 49.7% 80.2%
Increased maintenance costs 23.1% 44.0%
Altered products or services offered to customers 27.4% 36.7%
Closed temporarily as mandated by government 25.8% 28.0%
Increased use of virtual connections externally 25.2% 25.5%

Source: Statistics Canada. Table 33-10-0250-01 Changes made by businesses to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic

As businesses shifted strategies, national e-commerce sales grew to $3.9 billion in May, more than doubling the digital sales seen in February 2020 ($1.6 billion).[5] However, as restrictions began to ease, in-store sales rebounded; therein, e-commerce sales fell to $3.2 billion in June, though this figure is still substantially higher than the $1.6 billion sales figure from February (see Table 2).

Table 2. Monthly percentage of sales by method, retail trade, Canada

February March April May June
Total Sales (in billions) In-Store $43.0 $43.6 $34.9 $47.3 $57.0
E-Commerce $1.6 $2.2 $3.6 $3.9 $3.2
Percentage of Total Sales In-Store 96.4% 95.2% 90.6% 92.4% 94.6%
E-Commerce 3.6% 4.8% 9.4% 7.6% 5.4%

Source: Statistics Canada, Monthly Retail Trade Program

Though businesses were forced to make abrupt changes to their methods of sales and consumer engagement due to COVID-19, it is unclear whether those changes will remain after the pandemic. A Brookings Institute report suggested that when the pandemic ends, many traditional retail trade experiences may no longer exist given the adjustments that have been made in response to the pandemic.[6] Over the coming months this project will monitor local and national indicators for retail trade to  help us better understand whether COVID-19 is as a catalyst for long-term change within retail trade, or is better understood to be a large, short-term, shock.

Read more from Niagara Workforce Planning Board.

[1] Deloitte. 2020. COVID-19: Voice of Canadians and Impact to Retailers.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Statistics Canada Retail Trade Survey (monthly), Survey 2406. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/en/daily-quotidien/200721/dq200721a-eng.pdf?st=b2h6SYqY

[4] Niagara COVID-19 Business Impact Survey Part 2. https://niagaracanada.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2020/06/COVID-2-Report_Final-Draft.pdf

[5] Aston, J.; Vipond, O.; Virgin, K.; and Youssof, O. 2020. Retail e-commerce and COVID-19: How online shopping opened doors while many were closing.

[6] Loh, Tracy H. 2020. Brookings Institute: COVID-19 will upend retail, but there are steps we can take to save it.

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COVID-19 Business Update: November 27th, 2020

November 27, 2020 | Daily Update

The Ontario government is moving five public health regions to new levels with stronger public health measures, effective Monday, November 30, 2020.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, as well as policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, local medical officers of health, and other health experts, is moving five public health regions to new levels with stronger public health measures. Effective Monday, November 30, 2020 at 12:01 a.m., Windsor-Essex County will be moved into Red-Control, Haldimand-Norfolk into Orange-Restrict, and Hastings Prince Edward, Lambton, and Northwestern into Yellow-Protect. Niagara’s status remains unchanged, in Orange-Restrict. No health units were moved into less restrictive levels.
  • The Ontario government is calling on the federal government to immediately lay out its plan to allocate COVID-19 vaccines across the country as the province continues to prepare for the distribution and administration of COVID-19 vaccine doses. The request comes on the heels of the Prime Minister’s admission that Canadians will not be the first to receive vaccines, and could receive doses months after citizens of countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, Spain, or Mexico roll out their programs. The majority of the Canadian population may not be vaccinated until almost a year from now.
  • The Ontario government has signed agreements with public colleges and universities that ties funding for Ontario’s colleges and universities to student outcomes. The agreements, which are in effect from 2020-2025, introduce a new ‘made-in-Ontario’ performance-based funding model that places a higher weighting on student and economic outcomes. The government will measure performance against a set of 10 metrics. Institutions will report on indicators such as graduate employment rates in related fields, experiential learning and graduate earnings.
  • Port Colborne Fire and Emergency Services will host their annual fill-the-fire-truck toy drive in Support of Port Cares tomorrow between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. at the fire hall on 3 Killaly Street West. Toys will be collected in socially distanced safe ways, including a drive-through donation drop-off. Residents are encouraged to bring new unwrapped toys for children ages 0-18 and non-perishable food items. The Fire Hall will have designated drive-through lanes and participants are asked to roll down their windows and hand over unwrapped toys and non-perishable food items to Fire Fighters who will be wearing personal protective equipment, or participants can open their vehicle trunks. At no point will participants need to leave their vehicles. Drop-off locations will also be available until Dec.15, 2020 at the front entrance of the fire hall and at the Port Colborne Christmas Market on Friday, Dec. 11, from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m.
  • The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s President and CEO, Perrin Beatty, has outlined three specific components that businesses are seeking from the Fall Economic Statement.
    • First, what will be an uneven recovery will require a new approach for government support programs. Instead of a one-size-fits-all strategy, governments should shift to smaller, more targeted programs to help the most vulnerable Canadians and sectors survive the pandemic’s impacts.
    • Secondly, Canada must move from simply reacting to the pandemic to actively managing it. The pandemic will continue at least until a high percentage of the population has been vaccinated. We urgently need a coherent COVID-19 management strategy, based on solid data and sound science, that will bring down infection rates and allow Canadians to safely resume their normal lives as rapidly as possible.
    • Thirdly, the Fall Economic Statement should aim to boost Canada’s declining business investment and competitiveness. This is not a time to be introducing permanent programs that were unaffordable before our debt reached $1.2 trillion. Our priority must be to restore economic growth.
  • Niagara Health President Lynn Guerriero today issued a COVID-19 update, outlining various preparations for the health system’s response to the second wave, visitation and safety protocols, and long-term care. Guerriero reminded the public that with the rising number of cases in Niagara, it is especially important that we remain vigilant with our infection prevention and control practices to maintain a safe environment for all, including screening, masking, physical distancing, and hand washing.
  • Empire Co., which owns chains such as Sobey’s, IGA, Safeway, Thrifty Foods, Foodland, and Freshco, has brought back “hero pay” for its hourly workers in Winnipeg, Toronto and Peel region, which are currently in lockdown. Sobeys workers on hourly wages in those regions will get between $10 and $100 extra per week, depending on hours worked.
  • Today is Black Friday, and the GNCC encourages everyone in Niagara to support their local businesses, local jobs, and the regional economy by making their purchases from Niagara stores, utilizing safe options such as curbside pickup or delivery. The GNCC runs the Shop Local campaign, powered by Meridian Credit Union, where you can find local options for your shopping needs. Niagara residents can also keep up with local business announcements, sales and new offerings with the Shop Local Facebook group.

Reading recommendations:

It’s hard to overstate the power tax collector’s wield over regular Canadians, especially business owners. Draconian tax assessments and outrageous and unreasonable behaviour can ruin lives. For the first time, a judge ruled the CRA owed a “duty of care.” Duty of care is a legal obligation requiring CRA agents to maintain a certain standard of care in the way they treat taxpayers. It also makes the CRA liable for damages if it fails to meet that basic standard. Unfortunately for Canadian taxpayers, this obligation of duty of care is not firmly established.

More than just a design trend, tiny living has become a social movement. It emphasizes individual agency, free-market ingenuity, and private ownership—often as false correctives to the bigger problems of housing insecurity and inequality. But our housing challenges are far too complex to be solved by individual consumer choices, like building a shed in the woods. As we look down the barrel of record government deficits and environmental catastrophe, we should be skeptical of the tiny house as a full-blown solution to our housing problems. More likely, the resurgence of tiny living is a symptom of the situation’s severity.

 If you are showing symptoms, contact your health care provider, call the Public Health Info-Line at 905-688-8248, or chat to Public Health online. For testing, call 905-378-4647 ext. 42819 (4-CV19) for information on test centres in Niagara and to book an appointment.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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COVID-19 Business Update: November 26th, 2020

November 26, 2020 | Daily Update

Information on government grants, resources, and programs, as well as policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • The Ontario government is introducing new legislation aimed at reducing delivery fees for restaurants. The Supporting Local Restaurants Act, 2020, would cap fees charged by food delivery companies in areas where indoor dining is prohibited. Currently, fees placed on restaurants by food delivery companies can reach as high as 30% in Ontario. Minister Sarkaria said restaurants should expect a cap of 15% for delivery fees, similar to what has been put in place in New York City, with an overall cap of 20% inclusive of all fees. Restaurants would be able to file complaints online if a food delivery service has overcharged fees in excess of the cap, and food delivery company employees or contractors who perform delivery services would be able to file complaints if their compensation or payments were reduced once the act comes into effect.
  • The Ontario government is providing $13.6 million to enable school boards to hire more teachers and staff in regions recently moved to the Red-Control level and providing stabilization funding for school boards, if needed. The province is also expanding testing in school communities and launching new online learning portals. Ontario is launching targeted voluntary testing of asymptomatic students and staff in Ottawa, Toronto, Peel and York regions, which currently have a high number of active COVID-19 cases. This new effort will be complemented by funding for school safety in high priority regions, with Ontario allocating $13.6 million for school boards in Durham, Halton, Hamilton and Waterloo Region in response to the increase in COVID-19 cases in these communities.
  • The Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada have introduced a bill that proposes to decriminalize single event sport betting. Single event sport betting is placing a bet on the outcome of one single sporting game. The proposed changes will give provinces and territories the ability to offer single event sport betting products and the discretion to manage single event sport betting in their respective jurisdictions. In provinces and territories that choose to offer single event sport betting, Canadians would have an opportunity to engage in this activity in a regulated environment, either online or in physical facilities. The GNCC has been a proponent of legalized single sport event betting for several years, and is pleased to see this bill come forward after earlier attempts met with failure.

Reading recommendations:

A recent surge in COVID-19 cases is derailing Canadian banks’ plans to bring employees back to offices, with one lender even asking some workers who had already returned to go back home. Canada is now facing about 5,000 new COVID-19 cases a day, prompting provinces and cities including Toronto — home to the country’s five biggest banks — to implement new restrictions to limit the virus spread. Even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently returned to working from home in an attempt to set a national tone of caution.

Provincial finance ministers have quietly prodded Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland to put a pause on planned increases in premiums workers and businesses pay into the Canada Pension Plan. The planned increase on Jan. 1 is part of a multi-year plan approved by provinces and the federal government four years ago to boost retirement benefits through the public plan by increasing contributions over time.

 If you are showing symptoms, contact your health care provider, call the Public Health Info-Line at 905-688-8248, or chat to Public Health online. For testing, call 905-378-4647 ext. 42819 (4-CV19) for information on test centres in Niagara and to book an appointment.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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COVID-19 Business Update: November 25th, 2020

November 25, 2020 | Daily Update

The Minister of Labour, Filomena Tassi, announced that the Government of Canada is addressing wage gaps in federally regulated workplaces
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, as well as policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • Today, the Minister of Labour, Filomena Tassi, announced that the Government of Canada is addressing wage gaps in federally regulated workplaces by publishing the final Regulations Amending the Employment Equity Regulations to introduce new pay transparency measures. According to Statistics Canada, female employees aged 25 to 54 earned 88 cents on the dollar compared to men in terms of their average hourly wage in 2019, representing a wage gap of 12.1%. Canada is the first country to make wage gap information for women, Indigenous people, persons with disabilities and members of visible minorities working in federally regulated workplaces publicly available. These new measures apply to federally regulated, private sector employers with 100 or more employees covered by the Employment Equity Act (such as airlines, banks, Crown corporations, port services and shipping lines, radio and television broadcasters, railways, trucking operations that cross provincial or national borders, or telecommunications) and to approximately 428,215 employees who self-identify as a member of a designated group (source: Employment Equity Act: Annual Report 2019). Employers are encouraged to reach out to the Labour Program at 1-800-641-4049 if they need assistance understanding the new reporting requirements.
  • The Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough, today announced the release of the Future Skills Council’s report, Canada – A Learning Nation: A Skilled, Agile Workforce Ready to Shape the Future. The report identifies five priority areas for building a country that supports ongoing learning, and proposes concrete actions that require participation from all levels of government, private sector, labour, non-profit and Indigenous partners, and educational/training institutions. The five priorities are:
    1. Helping Canadians make informed choices
    2. Equality of opportunity for lifelong learning
    3. Skills development to support Indigenous self-determination
    4. New and innovative approaches to skills development and validation
    5. Skills development for sustainable futures
  • The first administrative review by the U.S. Department of Commerce of U.S. anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders on certain softwood lumber products from Canada has been met with condemnation by federal and provincial ministers. The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, called the duties “baseless” and remarked that “Canada expects the United States to comply with its WTO and CUSMA obligations.” The Honourable John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry and the Honourable Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, issued a statement in which they expressed the Government of Ontario’s belief “that any rates of this sort are unfair and unjustified” and that “the rate for all companies should be zero – that’s the meaning of free trade.”
  • The Government of Ontario has issued guidance, based on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and input from the Public Health Measures Table, on how to celebrate the 2020 holiday season. No matter where you live in the province, the government states, the safest way to spend the holidays this year is by only celebrating in person with the people you live with and celebrating virtually with everyone else. If you live alone, consider exclusively celebrating with one additional household as a safe way to spend the holidays. Suggested safer activities include virtual holiday gatherings, outdoor holiday activities such as building a snowman, visiting Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus or their elves outdoors and taking photos while two metres apart, watching holiday or other movies with your household, decorating your doors and putting up lights around your home, baking holiday treats with your immediate household, or donating to your favourite holiday charity or toy drive.
  • Due to the resignation of West Lincoln Councillor Christopher Coady, the position for Ward 2 for the remainder of the 2018-2022 term of Council will be filled through the appointment of the third place candidate in the 2018 Municipal Election for Ward 2, Shelley Ann Bradaric.
  • The City of Thorold has cancelled its annual Santa Claus Parade, but is working to deliver alternative safe events including the grand re-opening of Downtown Thorold, a socially distanced scavenger hunt, a mailbox to deposit letters destined to the North Pole, and virtual letter readings from Santa.
  • The West Lincoln Parade Committee has also cancelled this year’s Santa Claus Parade, and will hold a Residential and Business Lighting Décor Contest instead, which is currently underway and is advertised within the community. For more information, please visit the Township of West Lincoln’s website.

Reading recommendations:

Ontario’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic was hampered by poor emergency preparedness, inadequate lab capacity and a disorganized public health system, according to a report issued Wednesday by the province’s auditor general, Bonnie Lysyk, which raises concerns that flaws in Ontario’s communication, decision-making and management of positive cases contributed to a wider spread of the virus during the eight months since the pandemic was declared.

Mr Biden must bridge a split in the Democratic Party between run-of-the-mill centrists and tear-it-down millennial socialists. And before she becomes treasury secretary, Ms Yellen must be confirmed by the Senate, which Republicans currently control. That hurdle ruled out candidates such as Elizabeth Warren, a senator from Massachusetts whom many Republicans would never confirm because she is seen as too hostile to free markets and the financial industry.

 If you are showing symptoms, contact your health care provider, call the Public Health Info-Line at 905-688-8248, or chat to Public Health online. For testing, call 905-378-4647 ext. 42819 (4-CV19) for information on test centres in Niagara and to book an appointment.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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COVID-19 Business Update: November 24th, 2020

November 24, 2020 | Daily Update

Information on government grants, resources, and programs, as well as policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • Today saw the final session in the Niagara Economic Summit series, which can be seen here. Moderator Janice Thomson of Niagara Falls Tourism was joined by Anthony Annunziata from the Tourism Partnership of Niagara, Dottie Gallagher from the Great Lakes Metro Chamber Coalition and the Buffalo-Niagara Partnership, Dan Paszkowski of Wine Growers Canada, and keynote speaker the Honourable Pierre Pettigrew, Executive Advisor, International at Deloitte Canada for a wide-ranging conversation on tourism, recovery, and rebuilding that touched not only on what has been lost in the pandemic, but how we could seize opportunities for regrowth.
    • “This pandemic will accelerate history… In my lifetime, this has been the most challenging situation we’ve had.” — Pierre Pettigrew
    • “40% of Niagara’s business rely on an open border.” — Anthony Annunziata
    • “35% of Buffalo-Niagara Partnership members said the border closure had affected their business.” — Dottie Gallagher
    • “The wine industry is not pandemic-proof, it is pandemic-resistant… For small craft wineries, 85% of the wine sales take place at the winery. The other 15% is at bars and restaurants. At the beginning of the pandemic, the only option left was direct consumer delivery.” — Dan Paszkowski
    • “Government has to take a different role. Liquidity has been exhausted, reserves have been depleted… this is all part of the equation that government needs to fund redistribution.” — Anthony Annunziata
  • Today, the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Health, announced that the Government of Canada has signed an agreement with Eli Lilly for an initial order of up to 26,000 doses of their COVID-19 monoclonal antibody therapy Bamlanivimab (LY-CoV555). Under the agreement, deliveries of Bamlanivimab will begin in December 2020 and be completed in February 2021. Beginning in March 2021, Canada will have the option to purchase additional allocations, based on the current medical need in Canada and the global product availability. Eli Lilly co-developed this therapy with AbCellera Biologics, a Vancouver-based technology company that searches, decodes and analyzes natural immune systems to find antibodies that can be developed to prevent and treat disease.
  • On November 25, 2020, all provincial and territorial emergency management organizations will conduct public alerting tests in Canada, except for Nunavut. Test alerts will be distributed on TV, radio and compatible mobile devices connected to a LTE (long-term evolution) or a newer wireless network (5G) in all provinces and territories. Ongoing testing of the National Public Alerting System provides an opportunity for stakeholders to validate and improve the system’s performance and reliability to ensure it operates as intended in the event of a life-threatening situation. The messages will be identified as test alerts and will not require Canadians to take action. Testing in Ontario will be conducted at 12:55 p.m. (EST). If you have a wireless device that is connected to an LTE wireless or a newer wireless network (5G), wireless public alerting (WPA) compatible, and equipped with a recent Canadian version of its operating software, but do not receive the alert, contact your wireless service provider. To learn more about test alerts, visit Alert Ready.
  • The Town of Pelham’s annual Christmas Market event, part of the overall Christmas in Pelham festivities, will not occur this year. After careful consideration and discussion of Provincial and Regional Public Health guidelines and recommendations, the decision to cancel the event was made in the best interest of health and safety pursuant to Public Health guidelines. Though the Christmas Market is not running this year, some of the most cherished market traditions will be upheld through a variety of other planned events. To learn more, click here.
  • Port Colborne City Council approved the 2021 Operating Budget at last night’s meeting, which focuses on maintaining core programs and services, COVID-19 pandemic expenditures, economic development growth, and community support. The City is the first municipality in Niagara to approve their 2021 Capital and Operating Budgets. In 2021, Port Colborne taxpayers will see an overall increase of 2.44 per cent in property taxes per household, or about $82 more than last year. This increase was undertaken to support measures such as:
    • Allowing residents financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the flexibility to defer property tax bill payments, water, and wastewater billings without penalty until March 31, 2021. Residents interested in taking advantage of this deferral program can visit portcolborne.ca.
    • Increasing the community grant program by 20 per cent. The City is now able to provide more funds to local non-profit organizations in the community.
    • Expanding the student placement program to create more opportunities for students to gain hands on experience at a local municipality.
    • Increasing economic development capacity by creating a Tourism Coordinator position.
    • City staffing to offset COVID-19 related needs, including an additional Information Technology Specialist and Communications Officer.
  • The members of the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) approved a resolution at their Annual General Meeting to change the organization’s name to the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI). OCI and the Government of Ontario are pleased to announce the organization’s rebranding as they work together to further increase and strengthen the role of OCI in Ontario’s innovation strategy. For over 33 years, the Ontario Centre of Innovation has fostered industry-academic R&D collaboration and accelerated the development, commercialization and adoption of emerging technologies in Ontario.
  • Major airlines including Qantas, Korean Air, and Air New Zealand have opined that future air travellers may have to be vaccinated before boarding flights. These airlines are anticipating their respective governments requiring proof of vaccination before travellers arrive in order to safeguard their population from the virus.

Reading recommendations:

Sometimes a habit-changing product wants to be used, but the users want to stop using it. Ultimately they want the habit, they don’t want the product. The habit-changing product is the temporary tool being used to get them from one place to another, but you don’t want to just keep that around versus habit-changing products because they are businesses, they need to make money, they want to continue to be used. They have an incentive to not ever totally empower users to go on their own.

After more than 10 months of limping through evolving pandemic safety restrictions on indoor gatherings, this holiday season is shaping up to be historically slow for many businesses as new lockdown orders take hold in places such as Toronto and neighbouring Peel region. Small-business advocates are warning that the retail and restaurant sectors could be looking at a wave of mass closures without a solid holiday shopping season or an additional influx of government aid.

 If you are showing symptoms, contact your health care provider, call the Public Health Info-Line at 905-688-8248, or chat to Public Health online. For testing, call 905-378-4647 ext. 42819 (4-CV19) for information on test centres in Niagara and to book an appointment.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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RFP: Accommodation & Hospitality Partners

November 24, 2020 | Inactive Tenders

The 2021 Canada Games Host Society, Inc., (also known as the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games) a non-profit organization, requests proposals for accommodation & hospitality partners that will satisfy the guest room & various hospitality requirements of hosting the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games. As per the standards identified by Canada Games, all secured accommodations shall be a minimum of CAA or Canada Select 3-Star rating.

Due to the postponement of our Games from August 2021 to August 6 to 21, 2022, there is a need to reissue the original RFP from September of 2018.

Proposals to be completed and submitted by 12:00pm on Friday, December 18, 2020 with notice of intention to submit a proposal by Monday, November 30, 2020.

Questions regarding this RFP should be directed to: Paula Racher, Coordinator, Community Relations, pracher@2022canadagames.ca.

Electronic submissions of the proposal are preferred and should be submitted to pracher@2022canadagames.ca with “Proposal for Accommodation Partner” in the subject line. If submitting a hardcopy proposal, 2 copies must be delivered by the proposal deadline to:

Paula Racher
Manager, Events & Community Relations
Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games
25 Corporate Park Drive, Suite 302
St. Catharines, ON L2S 3W2

Introduction

Since winning the bid to host the 2021 Canada Summer Games almost four years ago, Niagara’s opportunity to welcome Canada’s largest multi-sport event has truly captured the imagination and spirit of the Niagara Region. The Games, which were originally scheduled for the summer of 2021, were postponed to 2022 as a result of public health concerns relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now set to take place from August 6-21, 2022, the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games will provide a unique, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Region to showcase itself on a national stage and deliver an unforgettable experience to participants of the Games, the people of Niagara and those visitors who’ll attend the festivities.

The Games will be a powerful catalyst to help provide critical legacy in Niagara, and represents a tremendous opportunity for incredible growth. Niagara’s vision for the Games is based on four pillars of growth:

  • For the Games’ participants;
  • For Niagara, Ontario and Canadian sport development;
  • For all of Niagara; and
  • For the Canada Games.

The Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games is scheduled over a period of 18 days in August 2022 welcoming over 5000 participants (athletes, coaches, officials, etc.) involving 20 sporting disciplines. This high-profile sporting event will also be certain to attract government officials, media, professional sport scouts, participant family & friends and of course the Niagara Region at large.

The Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games are more than just sport. The vision of the Games is to Inspire, Transform and Unify the entire Niagara Region, comprising 12 municipalities and home to some of Canada’s best sporting traditions, its greatest natural and man-made wonders (Niagara Falls and the Welland Canal, respectively) and its premiere wine region. Moreover, there are the Games beyond the Games – we will be driven to create Niagara 2022 as a model and showcase for environmental sustainability, for celebrating diversity and inclusion, for leveraging the unique power of experiential learning in partnership with Niagara College and Brock University and for fresh thinking and innovation.

About the Niagara Host Society

In order to prepare for the Canada Summer Games in Niagara, a Host Society was established in 2018. It is led by a Board of Directors that is composed of passionate, experienced and accomplished sport and community leaders. Mr. Doug Hamilton, a lawyer, Olympic medalist and World Champion rower, is the Chairman of the Board. He is joined by Dr. Barry Wright, the Host Society’s Chief Executive Officer, in leading the organization’s vision and mandate.

The goals of the Niagara Host Society are to:

  • Provide a phenomenal experience for the athletes and other participants at the 2022 CSG—an experience that will propel their development, allow them to perform their best and inspire them to dream big;
  • Provide a legacy of sport infrastructure and programs that are vital for Niagara, Ontario, and Canadian sport development;
  • Provide a legacy of infrastructure, community programs and unify a spirit that will be transformative for Niagara; and
  • Provide an unmatched podium and partnership for the Canada Games Council to build upon the success of previous Canada Games and strengthen the Canada Games property.

Scope of Work:

Room Blocks:
There are a total of eight (8) i ndividual accommodation categories that are required for Games Time in August
of 2022. They are as follows:

  1. VIP Group
  2. Canada Games Council
  3. Games Mission Staff
  4. Media & Broadcasting
  5. Multi-Sport Service Organizations (**) Ideally together in same property
  6. Future Host Society (**)
  7. Niagara Host Society Internal
  8. Friends & Family*

Number of Guestrooms per Block:
Please refer to Appendix A for room count & block allocations.

*Friends & Family Block – it is the intention of the 2022 Host Society to secure Sport Travel to manage the Family & Friends accommodation block. As such, interested properties will be requested to submit availability and guest room rates for this room block category under separate cover at a later determined date. However, an intent to quote for this specific room block will be required by the prescribed submission date of this RFP.

Method of Reservation and Payment per Block Affiliation:

 

Affiliation Method of Reservation Method of Payment Additional Requirements
VIP Group Individuals to book own Individuals Pay Own – Full Folio
  • Welcome Desk for Lobby Area
  • Hospitalty Room/ VIP Lounge central to guests, on a lower floor, with opportunity to have Niagara College sponsor and supply F&B elements
  • Private Business Office. N22 to supply required equipment
  • Welcome Gifts, preferred as VIK Sponsorship component
Canada Games Council Individuals to book own Individuals Pay Own – Full Folio
Media and Broadcasting Individuals to book own Individuals Pay Own – Full Folio Preference to have breakfast included in the rate.
Games Mission Staff Individuals to book own Individuals Pay Own – Full Folio
Multi-Sport Service Organizations Individuals to book own Individuals Pay Own – Full Folio Request same property as Future Host Societies
Future Host Socities Individuals to book own Individuals Pay Own – Full Folio Request same property as Multi-Sport Organizations
Niagara Host Society Internal Rooming List As identified per individual reservation
Friends & Family, via Sport Travel Individuals to book own Individuals Pay Own – Full Folio

Each successful property should have the ability to provide a reservations link, allowing to confirm their reservations online as well as through other traditional reservations methods.

Guest Room Rates:
Identified by group block name – ie, “Future Host Society” – corresponding guest room rates are to be quoted not by individual property guestroom type, but instead by classification of either (1) standard room accommodations and/or (2) suite accommodations.

Rates to be quoted as a flat rate, single or double occupancy, and not by weekday/weekend or based on a minimum number of nights confirmed. It is the assumption by 2022 CSG that rates quoted will be avail able pre & post the quoted room block. Please advise in your proposal the number of pre & post dates available.

Rates to be quoted per room, per night and in Canadian Funds. All applicable taxes and/or additional fees are to be clearly identified. Preference will be given to nightly rates below $225.00, net of applicable taxes and fees.

Please also identify any additional fees on property, such as parking. A discounted daily parking rate is preferred.

Commission:
As part of the financial budget included in Niagara’s winning bid for the Niagara 2022 Summer Summer Games was the opportunity to offset operating expenses by generating a revenue stream associated with guest room accommodations. A minimum of 5% commission is being requested for the room blocks identified above. The only exception is theNiagara Host Society Internal room block, which is the financial responsibility of the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games Host Society.

Guest Room Policies & Procedures:

Please clearly identify your organization’s policies and procedures pertaining to the following:

  • Attrition
  • Room Review | Cut-Off Dates
  • Complimentary Room Allowance
  • Individual Room Guarantee / Cancellation
  • Check-in & Check-out Time(s)

Please note that the general standards identified by Canada Games Council for the above items are as follows:

  • 30% Attrition Allowance
  • 21 day (preferably 14) cut-off/release date
  • 1:25 complimentary room allowance
  • 48 hour guarantee / cancellation
  • 4pm Check-in & 12pm Check-out

Proposal Requirements

  • Provide a company profile indicating properties attributes and amenities.
  • Proof of property CAA and/or Canada Select rating.
  • Property must be AODA compliant.
  • Properly identified the desired room blocks / events that your property is quoting for. You do not have to quote on all blocks for proposal submission.

Anticipated Schedule

  • RFP issued November 23, 2020
  • Notice of Intent to Submit due to 2022 CSG November 30, 2020
  • Proposals due to 2022 GSG December 18, 2020
  • Review of submissions in early January 2021
  • Site Inspections, if required, to follow in January | February 2021
  • Contract Negotiations January | February 2021

Proposal Evaluation

Proposals are due to 2022 CSG by 12pm, Friday, December 18, 2020. Selection criteria are outlined below and will be used to evaluate proposals.

Please note it is the desire of the 2022 CSG to utilize multiple properties throughout the Niagara Region to fulfill the needs of the games however, 2022 CSG will intend to negotiate contract terms with the most qualified accommodation & hospitality partners.

This RFP does not commit 2022 CSG to award a contract or pay any costs incurred in the preparations or submission of proposals. 2022 CSG reserves the right to reject any or all proposals received in response to this RFP and to negotiate with any of the accommodation & hospitality partners in any manner deemed to be in the best interest of the 2022 CSG.

Selection of the successful proposal will be made by 2022 CSG based upon the bidder’s:

  • Availability and Responsiveness to work scope and program needs (35%)
  • Identified percentage of guestroom rebate (25%)
  • Cost effectiveness (20%)
  • AODA compliance (10%)
  • Sustainability Initiatives (10%)

Contract Terms

The awarded property(ies) will engage into individual contract agreement(s) with the 2022 CSG.

This RFP does not commit to pay any costs incurred in the preparation of a proposal or to procure or contract for services. 2022 CSG reserves the right to accept or reject any or all proposals received as a result of this RFP, to negotiate with all qualified bidders and to cancel the RFP, in part or in its entirety at its sole discretion.

 

Thank you.

Paula Racher
Manager, Events & Community Relations

 

Appendix A – Guest Room Block Allocations

[download as PDF] [download as JPG]

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COVID-19 Business Update: November 23rd, 2020

November 23, 2020 | Daily Update

The new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) is now open to applications from qualifying organizations. These organizations can apply directly for the subsidy for the period from September 27 to October 24.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, as well as policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • The new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) is now open to applications from qualifying organizations. These organizations can apply directly for the subsidy for the period from September 27 to October 24, 2020 through the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) My Business Account or Represent a Client portals. Applications for the second CERS period (October 25 to November 21, 2020) will open on November 30. The Government is also proposing to amend the CERS in order to allow applicants to include eligible expenses in their CERS application before the expense has been paid. The CRA has launched a CERS online calculator and application form that are designed almost identically to those of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS). The calculator guides applicants through a step-by-step process that allows them to determine the subsidy amount they can claim, based on the information they enter. The CRA will collect applications over the coming days and, on November 30, process applications received to date. Qualifying organizations whose claims successfully clear the CRA’s automated verification system and that are registered for direct deposit should expect to begin receiving payments starting on December 4.
  • Today, the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, announced the launch of the new call for proposals for the Community Support, Multiculturalism, and Anti-Racism Initiatives (CSMARI) Program. The call for proposals is open until January 12, 2021. Events component proposals are accepted on a continuous basis. For details on how to apply, visit https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/funding/community-multiculturalism-anti-racism.html. The program will provide funding for projects that:
    • support communities in confronting racism and discrimination, promoting intercultural and interfaith understanding, and fostering equitable opportunities to participate fully in Canadian society;
    • promote and engage in discussions on multiculturalism, diversity, racism, and religious discrimination at the domestic and international levels; and
    • strengthen research and evidence to build understanding of the disparities and challenges faced by racialized and religious minority communities, and Indigenous Peoples.
  • The Ontario government has announced the creation of the Ministers’ COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force. The task force will advise the province’s development and implementation of an immunization program, including the ethical, timely and effective distribution of COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario. Rick Hillier, former Chief of Defence Staff for the Canadian Forces and Commander of the NATO-led forces during the War in Afghanistan, has been named Chair. The Task Force members will include cross-government and external representation with diverse expertise in operations and logistics, federal-provincial relations, health and clinical domains, public health and immunization, ethics, and information technology and data.
  • The City of Port Colborne has listed six vacant building lots for sale. One is commercial, and five are residential infill development opportunities. This is part of a strategic focus on “City Real Estate” and identifying municipally owned property that could be marketed for residential, commercial, or industrial development. The goal is to attract investment and new residents to Port Colborne; have vacant properties redeveloped and revitalized; facilitate public-private partnerships to create more affordable housing units; expand the municipal tax base to maintain core programs and services; and maximize value of City properties while achieving social, economic, and environmental benefits. City property for sale is listed on the City’s website and on realtor.ca.
  • Today, Rocco Rossi, President & CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, released the following statement as new COVID-19 measures and restrictions loom for certain regions in the province:

    “With numbers spiking, the greatest immediate threat to business and workers is the virus. However, if businesses are asked to shut down through no fault of their own or if public health units implore citizens not to leave their homes, our economic stability remains at stake, regardless of regional restrictions. To make this work, Ontario’s business community needs fair, consistent, clear guidelines and support.

    “We are grateful for the response from all levels of government to help protect public health while safeguarding Ontario businesses and their employees. However, we have heard clearly from our members with respect to confusing and inconsistent public health guidelines; a lack of testing and tracing capacity; insufficient data on the sources of community spread; and a lack of timely and accessible supports for business.

    “We call for a swift, fair and evidence-based response to COVID-19 for Ontario business, along with clear guidelines and adequate supports to all those impacted during this crisis.”

  • The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Senior Director of International Policy, Mark Agnew, has welcomed the conclusion of the Canada-UK trade agreement and called on the Canadian and British government to publish the details so that businesses can understand all the practical details. The Chamber also called on the government and parliamentarians to work together in ensuring a prompt passage of the necessary implementing legislation to provide certainty for Canadian businesses at the earliest possible opportunity.
  • Niagara Health has issued new guidelines for donations to patients and teams during the holidays. To ensure safety during the pandemic, groups will be unable to present donations directly. Those wishing to donate toys, food, or other items, or to deliver flowers for patients or teams, should review these new guidelines.

Reading recommendations:

Many Canadians wish to continue working remotely once the pandemic ends, which raises the question: Is remote work here to stay? For millions of employees, the answer will depend on what their senior management decides. In my recent research, I analyzed the language used by chief executive officers (CEOs) in quarterly earnings calls with investors and analysts. While the discussion of remote work was limited in the years prior to 2020, it was central in the public companies’ earnings calls this year.

Fewer words in corporate vernacular induce a tighter wince than “accountability,” and for good reason. Companies and leaders have grappled with what it is and how to achieve it effectively for decades. Ask anyone if they look forward to their performance evaluation or periodic check-in with their boss, and most will give an emphatic “no.”

Niagara Economic Summit Series 2020

Where are we now, how did we get here, and where do we go? This year’s summit, taking place between November 10 and November 24, brings experts and leaders together from across the country to identify where we are economically, what our future opportunities are, and how we can seize them. Find out more and get a calendar save-the-date here.

 If you are showing symptoms, contact your health care provider, call the Public Health Info-Line at 905-688-8248, or chat to Public Health online. For testing, call 905-378-4647 ext. 42819 (4-CV19) for information on test centres in Niagara and to book an appointment.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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COVID-19 Business Update: November 20th, 2020

November 20, 2020 | Daily Update

Premier Ford announced this afternoon that, after extensive consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Toronto and Peel will be moved into lockdown on Monday, November 23rd at 12:01 a.m.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, as well as policies, forms, and posters for download and use, are available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • Premier Ford announced this afternoon that, after extensive consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Toronto and Peel will be moved into lockdown on Monday, November 23rd at 12:01 a.m. The Premier also announced that he would be doubling supports for impacted businesses, including help for hydro bills and property taxes, and asked all Ontarians to support their local businesses and to shop at local stores, to order takeout from local restaurants, and to avoid doing their holiday shopping with online multinationals such as Amazon. Niagara’s level remains unchanged at Orange-Restrict. The Hon. Christine Elliott announced that tickets and fines would be issued for violations, including breaches of emergency orders put in place by local medical officers of health.
  • Bill C-9, An Act to Amend the Income Tax Act (Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy and Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy), received Royal Assent yesterday evening, implementing new, targeted support to help Canadian businesses. The government has also reaffirmed its intention to introduce legislation to formalize rent payable as an eligible expense, for purposes of the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, as of September 27, 2020. Qualifying organizations will be able to take advantage of the rent subsidy on this basis as soon as the application portal is launched. The measures adopted as part of Bill C-9 are:
    • The new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, which will provide direct rent and mortgage interest support to tenants and property owners until June 2021 for qualifying organizations affected by COVID-19. The new rent subsidy will support businesses, charities, and non-profits that have suffered a revenue drop by providing support up to a maximum of 65 per cent of eligible expenses until December 19, 2020. Claims can be made retroactively to September 27, 2020.
    • The new Lockdown Support, which will provide an additional 25 per cent through the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy for qualifying organizations that are subject to a lockdown and must shut their doors or significantly restrict their activities under a public health order issued under the laws of Canada, a province or territory (including orders made by a municipality or regional health authority under one of those laws). Combined, this will mean that hard-hit businesses subject to a lockdown could receive rent support of up to 90 per cent.
    • The extension of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy until June 2021, which will continue to protect jobs by helping employers keep employees on the payroll and re-hire workers. The wage subsidy will remain at the current rate of up to 65 per cent of eligible wages until December 19, 2020.
  • The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has extended all orders currently in force under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 (ROA) until December 21, 2020. The ROA came into force on July 24, 2020 to ensure important measures remained in place after the provincial declared emergency came to an end. Under the ROA, orders can be extended for up to 30 days at a time and the government must report on all order extensions to the Select Committee on Emergency Management Oversight. The list of orders under the ROA that have been extended can be found online on the Government of Ontario’s website.
  • The Ontario government is making an investment in critical maintenance, repairs, upgrades and renewals of $466 million in capital grants over three years starting in 2020-21 for Ontario’s universities and colleges. This investment is intended to allow institutions to address their deferred maintenance backlog, undertake critical repairs, modernize classrooms, upgrade technology and improve their environmental sustainability.
  • The Town of Pelham, the Town of Fort Erie, and the Township of Wainfleet are pleased to announce the joint hiring of Jennifer Stirton as the municipalities’ shared in-house Solicitor. The innovative initiative is expected to reduce legal costs and is, to the municipalities’ understanding, the first such shared in-house position in Ontario. The agreement positions all three municipalities to reduce their legal expenditures, supporting financial sustainability.
  • At its Nov. 19 meeting, Regional Council decided to pursue a full recruitment process to fill the role of Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) on a permanent basis. Acting CAO Ron Tripp will continue to serve in his current role until the recruitment process has been completed.​ Council had previously opted to temporarily delay the CAO recruitment process in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Statistics Canada has reported that retail sales rose 1.1 per cent to $53.9 billion in September, the fifth consecutive monthly increase since COVID-19 precipitated a record drop in April. The average forecast of economists was an increase of 0.2 per cent.

Reading recommendations:

Within weeks of the coronavirus pandemic being declared, one premier after another made tough promises to stop price gouging on essential products. Yet, CBC’s Marketplace has learned that despite tens of thousands of reported complaints, little legal action has been taken across the country. Marketplace reached out to all provinces and territories and was told consumer complaints to government only led to one business being charged. It’s unclear how many, if any, charges were laid by local bylaw officers.

Lots of attention has been paid to the financial risk-takers in the pandemic – the people bidding to buy houses, buying expensive stocks and dipping into speculative things like gold and bitcoin. But the ones who may end up doing the most good for our economy are the people who added a stunning $127-billion to savings and chequing accounts and term deposits in the first half of the year.

Niagara Economic Summit Series 2020

Where are we now, how did we get here, and where do we go? This year’s summit, taking place between November 10 and November 24, brings experts and leaders together from across the country to identify where we are economically, what our future opportunities are, and how we can seize them. Find out more and get a calendar save-the-date here.

 If you are showing symptoms, contact your health care provider, call the Public Health Info-Line at 905-688-8248, or chat to Public Health online. For testing, call 905-378-4647 ext. 42819 (4-CV19) for information on test centres in Niagara and to book an appointment.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

Share this: