COVID-19 Business Update: September 17th, 2020

September 17, 2020 | Daily Update

The Ontario government has introduced the Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act, including changes to the Commercial Tenancies Act to extend the temporary ban on evictions for commercial tenants.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, and how to apply for them, is available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • The Ontario government has introduced the Helping Tenants and Small Businesses Act, including changes to the Commercial Tenancies Act to extend the temporary ban on evictions for commercial tenants. The ban was initially in place from May 1, 2020 to August 31, 2020, to align with the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program for small businesses. This temporary ban would continue to apply to businesses that are eligible for federal-provincial rent assistance through the CECRA for small businesses, but whose landlord chose not to apply for the program. The ban will protect small businesses from being locked out or having their assets seized during COVID-19. More information is available here.
  • The GNCC had begun lobbying for the commercial eviction ban to be extended in early August, when it became apparent that the economy would not have recovered enough to prevent potential mass commercial evictions when CECRA and the ban both expired at the end of the month. On September 8th, the Government of Canada announced that CECRA would also be extended. More information on CECRA and how to apply can be found here.
  • The bill, if passed, would also freeze rent in 2021 for most rent-controlled and non-rent-controlled residential units. The Residential Tenancies Act sets out the formula for calculating the maximum allowable rent increase for the next year in rent-controlled units. The proposed legislation would revise the guideline for 2021, which is set at 1.5 per cent.
  • In response to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, the Government of Ontario is revising limits on the number of people who can gather in the Ottawa, Peel, and Toronto public health units. People in those units will be forbidden from gathering indoors with more than 10 people in attendance (down from 50), or more than 25 at an outdoor gathering (down from 100). This policy comes into effect at midnight tonight. These restrictions do not apply to Niagara at this time, but anyone traveling to or attending events in these regions should bear this in mind.
  • The Government of Ontario is also proposing amendments to the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act which would, if passed, create a new offence regarding hosting or organizing a gathering in residential premises or other prescribed premises that exceeds limits under an order, with a minimum fine of $10,000 for organizers of these gatherings. The Lieutenant Governor in Council would be given authority to prescribe additional types of premises for the purpose of the new offence, and a police officer, special constable or First Nations constable would be allowed to order the temporary closure of premises where there are reasonable grounds to believe that any gathering exceeding the number of people allowed is taking place and require individuals to leave the premises.
  • Niagara Region will vote tonight on an extension of the region-wide mask bylaw. The current bylaw expires at the end of this month. Regional Councillor Laura Ip publicly noted that residents expressing support for the bylaw outnumbered those who had concerns by more than three to one, and Niagara Health President Lynn Guerriero has called for an extension of the bylaw on behalf of the organization. Although the outcome of the vote will not be known until later tonight, the GNCC advises businesses to prepare for an extension of the current bylaw into October or later, and to plan accordingly.
  • Niagara Health President Lynn Guerriero is calling upon (PDF link) all Niagara residents to do their part in keeping the transmission of the virus down in the community. This means adhering at all times to the important public health measures that helped to combat the first wave in Niagara. President Guerriero notes that an increase in cases could mean ramping down hospital services and/or limiting access to visitors, but the GNCC also notes that such an increase could mean a rollback of re-opening measures, as has just occurred in Ottawa, Peel, and Toronto, or even more restrictive measures, since the Government of Ontario has been adamant that it will act first and foremost to protect the health of the public. For the sake of both public health and our economic recovery, the GNCC urges all Niagara businesses and residents to follow all public health directives and advice.

Reading recommendations:

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.

Remember that a COVID-19 test is only a snapshot of your health on the specific date and time the swab was taken. No testing is perfect and a negative result doesn’t mean you haven’t been exposed to COVID-19. You can still develop symptoms days after your test was taken.

It is important that everyone practice physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Maintain a 2-metre distance from other people. When maintaining distance is impossible, wear a mask or face covering. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly. Avoid touching the face. If you have recently traveled outside the country, you are legally required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

Stay safe and be vigilant. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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COVID-19 Business Update: September 16th, 2020

September 16, 2020 | Daily Update

Today, the Canada Games Council and the 2021 Canada Games Host Society made the decision to postpone the games until summer of 2022.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, and how to apply for them, is available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • Today, the Canada Games Council and the 2021 Canada Games Host Society have made the difficult decision to postpone the Niagara 2021 Canada Summer Games until the summer of 2022. Given the uncertainty created by the ongoing pandemic, the decision to postpone the Games was made, first and foremost, to ensure the health and safety of all the athletes, coaches, staff, volunteers and spectators expected to attend this event. Additionally, the Council and the Host Society felt that the COVID-19 pandemic would likely prevent them from delivering the Games experience that they wanted, both in terms of sport competitions and cultural events. No decision has been made yet on the new dates for the Canada Summer Games in Niagara.
  • The GNCC and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce are looking for your insight on what matters to business amidst the pandemic. How confident are you in Ontario’s economy and recovery? What is your organization’s outlook for 2021? How happy are you with the pandemic recovery programs offered by government? We need your help to express the voice of business loud and clear at Queen’s Park.  Share your views by taking a short three-minute survey .
  • The Ontario government has launched a new voluntary interactive screening tool that aims to assist parents, students and staff with the daily assessment of COVID-19 symptoms and risk factors that is required before attending school. The results will let parents, students, and education staff know whether they should attend school each day or guide at-risk individuals to proper resources. Use of the tool is voluntary, and is available to all parents, students and staff to use to help screen for symptoms of illness every day. Access the tool here.
  • The U.S. Federal Reserve today announced their decision to keep the target range for the federal funds rate at 0% to 0.25% and expects it will be appropriate to maintain this target range until labor market conditions have reached levels consistent with their assessments of maximum employment, and inflation has risen to 2 percent and is on track to moderately exceed 2 percent. This is expected to last until 2023.
  • Statistics Canada has reported that the August inflation rate in Canada was 0.1%. If gasoline were excluded, the rate would have been 0.6%. Gas prices were down 11.1% in August on a year-over-year basis, following a 14.9% decrease in July. Gas prices were relatively weak in August 2019, caused by strong production combined with weak international demand. Air transportation prices fell 16.0% year over year in August, following an 8.6% decline in July, owing to a reduction in air travel caused by the pandemic.
  • The Chamber network across Canada, led by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, is calling upon the Government of Canada to freeze the escalator excise tax on alcohol. This tax increases the excise duty rate on alcohol every April 1, which increases the cost of alcohol for Canadians while making domestic producers less competitive. With restaurants, bars, and hotels having suffered the most from the economic downturn resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, this tax will only add to the business closures and job losses that have already been suffered. The GNCC encourages you to contact your Member of Parliament and urge them to freeze the escalator tax, and to share this message on social media with the hashtags #FreezeTheAlcoholTax, #repealescalatortax and #bussinessrecovery.

Reading recommendations:

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.

Remember that a COVID-19 test is only a snapshot of your health on the specific date and time the swab was taken. No testing is perfect and a negative result doesn’t mean you haven’t been exposed to COVID-19. You can still develop symptoms days after your test was taken.

It is important that everyone practice physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Maintain a 2-metre distance from other people. When maintaining distance is impossible, wear a mask or face covering. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly. Avoid touching the face. If you have recently traveled outside the country, you are legally required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

Stay safe and be vigilant. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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COVID-19 Business Update: September 15th, 2020

September 15, 2020 | Daily Update

The U.S. Trade Representative’s office announced that it has decided to drop proposed tariffs on Canadian aluminum imports. The GNCC, along with the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, had strongly advocated for these tariffs to be canceled.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, and how to apply for them, is available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • The U.S. Trade Representative’s office announced that it has decided to drop proposed tariffs on Canadian aluminum imports. The GNCC, along with the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, had strongly advocated for these tariffs to be canceled, and is pleased at the decision. The Government of Canada also expressed satisfaction with the move, but reiterated that it stood ready to respond to any future tariff threats with dollar-for-dollar retaliatory measures.
  • The Canada Employment Insurance Commission (CEIC) has set the 2021 Employment Insurance (EI) premium rate at $1.58 per $100 of insurable earnings for employees and $2.21 for employers (who pay 1.4 times the employee rate), which is unchanged from the 2020 premium rate. The CEIC is responsible for setting the annual premium rate, based on the seven-year break-even rate forecasted by the EI Senior Actuary, every year on or before September 14th. The Senior Actuary forecasted the seven-year break-even premium rate to be $1.93 per $100 of insurable earnings, an increase of 35 cents, mainly due to rising unemployment caused by the pandemic. However, the Government of Canada used its authority under the Employment Insurance Act to freeze the rate increases for 2021 and 2022 at the 2020 level. Furthermore, the Premium Reduction Program (PRP) will provide roughly $1.055 billion in premium reductions in 2021 to registered employers and their employees, shared 7/12 and 5/12 respectively, in recognition of savings generated to the EI program by employer registered short-term wage-loss plans. For self-employed Canadians who have opted-in to the EI program, the annual earnings required in 2020 will increase to $7,555 for claims filed in 2021. The level of earnings required for self-employed Canadians to be eligible for EI special benefits is indexed annually to Maximum Insurable Earnings (MIE).
  • Niagara’s South Coast Tourism Association (NSCTA), the designated Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for southern Niagara, has announced (PDF link) its success in obtaining funding in the amount of $473,963 to lead a number of projects and initiatives that will support local economic recovery efforts. The funding is part of a $30-million Regional Relief and Recovery Fund provided by FedDev Ontario to support DMOs.
  • The Hamilton, Niagara, Haldimand, Norfolk, Brant and Burlington (HNHNBB region) hospital CEOs have jointly announced (PDF link) that a regional COVID-19 model of care strategy has been developed to provide a coordinated, evidence-based, and equitable approach to caring for COVID- 19-positive patients requiring hospital care in the HNHNBB region. All hospital emergency departments in the region will support and provide care for persons under investigation for COVID-19. Patients who do not require hospitalization will be discharged and receive follow-up care as determined by their care team. Patients who test positive and require hospitalization will be cared for at Niagara Health (St. Catharines Site), Hamilton Health Sciences (Hamilton General Hospital), Joseph Brant Hospital, or St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton. As part of the strategy, Joseph Brant Hospital’s Pandemic Response Unit will be a regional resource to provide care for COVID-19 patients, should the need arise. The Pandemic Response Unit is an external all-season structure at Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington. It is designed specifically to care for stable COVID-19 positive patients who have mild to moderate symptoms and require care and support that cannot be provided at home.

Reading recommendations:

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.

Remember that a COVID-19 test is only a snapshot of your health on the specific date and time the swab was taken. No testing is perfect and a negative result doesn’t mean you haven’t been exposed to COVID-19. You can still develop symptoms days after your test was taken.

It is important that everyone practice physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Maintain a 2-metre distance from other people. When maintaining distance is impossible, wear a mask or face covering. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly. Avoid touching the face. If you have recently traveled outside the country, you are legally required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

Stay safe and be vigilant. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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COVID-19 Business Update: September 14th, 2020

September 14, 2020 | Daily Update

The Ontario government is returning to the legislature today, and has announced its priorities for the upcoming session.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, and how to apply for them, is available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • The Ontario government is returning to the legislature today, and has announced that its priorities for the upcoming session will include:
    • Investing in Ontario’s health care system to ensure the province is prepared for a potential second wave of COVID-19 and for any future public health challenges;
    • Building Ontario’s production capacity for personal protective equipment, ventilators and other medical gear so the province never has to rely on any other jurisdiction again for these critical supplies;
    • Protecting families and those most vulnerable and helping them get back on their feet as the province reopens;
    • Helping young people and workers receive the skills training they need to join the modern workforce and contribute to the recovery of the province;
    • Accelerating the construction of critical highway, transit and broadband infrastructure projects to create jobs and boost the local economies of communities across Ontario;
    • Providing relief to Mainstreet Ontario and small business owners so they can recover from the impact of COVID-19 faster and get back to the work of building their business; and
    • Expanding manufacturing by creating the conditions to bring investment and jobs to the province and world-class, Ontario-made products to consumers around the world.
  • A resolution on a guaranteed basic income will be top priority at the Liberal Party policy convention in November. No policy specifics have been announced, and this does not guarantee that a basic income will become law or even a Liberal Party policy.
  • The head of the Ontario Hospital Association is warning that increasing COVID-19 case rates could lead to another provincial lockdown. Premier Ford has previously stated that the “uptick” in cases, as he put it, was not enough to trigger a rollback of the re-opening, but he also did not rule it out. With the number of COVID-19 cases on a steady increase again, businesses and organizations would be well-advised to consider contingency plans for a rollback of previous re-opening legislation, or even a province-wide lockdown, this fall or winter.

Reading recommendations:

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.

Remember that a COVID-19 test is only a snapshot of your health on the specific date and time the swab was taken. No testing is perfect and a negative result doesn’t mean you haven’t been exposed to COVID-19. You can still develop symptoms days after your test was taken.

It is important that everyone practice physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Maintain a 2-metre distance from other people. When maintaining distance is impossible, wear a mask or face covering. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly. Avoid touching the face. If you have recently traveled outside the country, you are legally required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

Stay safe and be vigilant. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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COVID-19 Business Update: September 11th, 2020

September 11, 2020 | Daily Update

The Government of Ontario today launched a webpage to report COVID-19 cases in schools and child care centres. This page will be updated every weekday with the most up-to-date COVID-19 information available.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, and how to apply for them, is available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • The Government of Ontario today launched a webpage to report COVID-19 cases in schools and child care centres. This page will be updated every weekday with the most up-to-date COVID-19 information available, including a summary of cases in schools and licensed child care centres and agencies, if a COVID-19 case is confirmed at a particular school, and where the numbers come from. This information will be useful not only to working parents but also to employers, as outbreaks and shutdowns in local schools and daycares may affect the availability of their workforce.
  • The Ontario government is launching an online survey that will help inform long-term transportation planning for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, and guide highway and transit investment from today to the year 2051. This regional transportation plan will aim renew and expand modern infrastructure, foster a healthy environment, and allow the region to stay competitive in a global economy. By 2051, population and employment are forecasted to grow from 9 million to 14.9 million people, and 4.5 million to 7 million jobs, respectively.
  • The federal Minister of Transport, the Honourable Marc Garneau, announced today that Transport Canada, provincial and territorial governments, public health authorities, and Canada’s largest air carriers have established a consistent approach for air carriers to collect and share passenger information necessary to alert Canadians of possible COVID-19 exposure while travelling by air, in compliance with applicable privacy legislation. This would facilitate timely contact tracing and exposure notification for passengers on domestic flights.
  • Ontario reported 213 new cases of coronavirus today, marking the first time the province’s numbers have crossed the 200 mark in months. Premier Ford had previously declined to rule out a return to Stage 2 of the provincial re-opening framework or even a lockdown. The GNCC believes that a rollback of the reopening must be avoided, and the only way to accomplish this without compromising public health is through keeping the number of cases low through rigorous observation of public health guidelines.
  • A group of border city mayors is calling on the federal government to keep the Canada-U.S. border closed to non-essential travel until at least next year. The current border closure has been extended until September 21.

Reading recommendations:

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.

Remember that a COVID-19 test is only a snapshot of your health on the specific date and time the swab was taken. No testing is perfect and a negative result doesn’t mean you haven’t been exposed to COVID-19. You can still develop symptoms days after your test was taken.

It is important that everyone practice physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Maintain a 2-metre distance from other people. When maintaining distance is impossible, wear a mask or face covering. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly. Avoid touching the face. If you have recently traveled outside the country, you are legally required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

Stay safe and be vigilant. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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COVID-19 Business Update: September 10th, 2020

September 10, 2020 | Daily Update

The Ontario government is providing $14.75 million to increase access to mental health and addictions services across the province. The funding is being distributed as follows:
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, and how to apply for them, is available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • The Ontario government is providing $14.75 million to increase access to mental health and addictions services across the province. The funding is being distributed as follows:
    • $7 million to safely expand in-person mental health and addictions services to bridge current gaps brought on by COVID-19, including community-based services, congregate living and supportive housing;
    • $4.75 million to support culturally safe services for Indigenous communities, with a focus on children and youth; and
    • $3 million to expand virtual and online services including addictions supports, Internet-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (iCBT) and an online peer support community for mental health.
  • The Canadian Minister of Health also announced an investment of $11.5 million in mental health funding for organizations across the country to promote mental health and wellbeing in our communities, and to tackle systemic challenges and barriers, including those faced by Black Canadians. Funding ahas been distributed through the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Mental Health Promotion Innovation Fund ($6.6 million) and the Promoting Health Equity: Mental Health of Black Canadians Fund ($4.9 million). COVID-19 has produced an uptick in the number of Canadians seeking mental health assistance. Canada’s mental health and substance use support Wellness Together has helped 428,000 Canadians since its launch, and in July 2020, the Canada’s Suicide Prevention Service responded to double the requests from March.
  • The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing more than $7.9 million through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to help farmers improve their business operations and bring more safe, high-quality foods to markets. This funding will support more than 670 projects across Ontario for eligible farmers and agri-food businesses.Examples of projects supported through this programming include:
    • Improving food safety systems on farms to meet or exceed international certification standards;
    • Planting over-wintering cover crops to improve soil health and reduce soil erosion losses;
    • Actions to help prevent pest damage at greenhouse operations;
    • Developing a product that will open new sales markets for a farm business; and
    • Upgrades to animal-handling equipment and improved biosecurity measures.

    The funding is in addition to programming launched this year to assist the sector in meeting challenges related to the COVID-19 outbreak. Such programming includes the launch of a portal to connect farms and other agri-food sector business with labour needs to job seekers; the creation of the Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection Program; and the recent investment of an additional $50 million into the Risk Management Program for this year, one year earlier than originally promised.

  • Ontario is investing over $2.9 million to fund eight research projects that aim to support Ontario’s response to COVID-19. These projects will focus on a wide variety of areas such as supporting the mental health and well-being of families and children, assessing the long-term health effects of COVID-19, the development of an app to better manage the care of patients, and an evaluation of the effectiveness of wearing masks to block the virus.More information on these projects can be found here.
  • A new report from the Canada Mortgage And Housing Corporation (CMHC) found that 760,000 Canadians had taken advantage of mortgage deferral programs offered by Canadian banks in response to the COVID-19 crisis, deferring, on average, over $1 billion in mortgage debt each month since the pandemic began. The Bank of Canada said earlier this year it expects the mortgage arrears rate could spike to twice as high as it hit in the depths of the financial crisis in 2009.

Reading recommendations:

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.

Remember that a COVID-19 test is only a snapshot of your health on the specific date and time the swab was taken. No testing is perfect and a negative result doesn’t mean you haven’t been exposed to COVID-19. You can still develop symptoms days after your test was taken.

It is important that everyone practice physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Maintain a 2-metre distance from other people. When maintaining distance is impossible, wear a mask or face covering. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly. Avoid touching the face. If you have recently traveled outside the country, you are legally required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

Stay safe and be vigilant. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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COVID-19 Business Update: September 9th, 2020

September 9, 2020 | Daily Update

The Bank of Canada reiterated its pledge to keep interest rates at historic lows for years to come, but dialed back its willingness to take even more aggressive action and said it could adjust its bond purchase program.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, and how to apply for them, is available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • The Bank of Canada reiterated its pledge to keep interest rates at historic lows for years to come, but dialed back its willingness to take even more aggressive action and said it could adjust its bond purchase program. In a decision Wednesday from Ottawa, policy makers led by Governor Tiff Macklem held the bank’s benchmark rate at 0.25 per cent and said they’ll leave it unchanged until economic slack is absorbed so that the 2 per cent inflation target is “sustainably achieved.”
  • Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, and Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, invite you to join them on a virtual Niagara tour with the Honourable Deb Schulte, Minister of Seniors. First is a virtual tour of Small Scale Farms at noon, September 10, to highlight Welland Downtown BIA’s New Horizons for Seniors Program grant, while also learning more about Small Scale Farms and how it is serving seniors in the Niagara Region during this pandemic. Attendees include Alexis Higginbotham, Executive Director, Welland Downtown BIA; His Worship Frank Campion, Mayor of Welland, Niagara Region; and Renee Delaney, Founder, Small Scale Farms. At 2pm a virtual town hall with local residents on seniors’ issues during COVID-19 will follow.
  • The Ontario government has gradually reopened all 24 provincial centres for apprenticeship and trade-related certifications, based on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer and provincial health authorities. Apprentices and skilled tradespeople can now book their final exams at their local apprenticeship office. Exam centres were closed for regular in-person exams in March due to COVID-19. Apprentices and journeyperson applicants normally have a 12-month deadline to pass the trade exam in order to maintain their status. A six-month extension was provided on March 18, 2020 due to COVID-19.
  • Today, the Minister of Seniors Deb Schulte, announced the launch of the 2020–21 New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) Call for Proposals for community-based projects. This year, organizations will be able to apply for funding to support seniors dealing with the pandemic by submitting project proposals that offer specific COVID-19 relief and recovery activities for seniors. Organizations are still welcome to submit proposals for more traditional NHSP projects that they plan to deliver in 2021–22. The 2020–21 NHSP community-based Call for Proposals is open until October 20, 2020. For details on how to apply, click here. Organizations are invited to apply for funding that supports the NHSP national priorities for this cycle:
    • Supporting healthy ageing
    • Preventing elder abuse and fraud
    • Combatting ageism, celebrating diversity and promoting inclusion
    • Improving seniors’ access to government services and benefits
    • Adapting community-based organizations to a more virtual environment
  • Amazon.com plans to open two new distribution centres in Ontario that will create more than 2,500 new full-time jobs, including a new 79,400 square-metre warehouse adjacent to Hamilton’s airport that will have more than 1,500 employees who will pack and ship small items such as books, electronics and toys. The centres are expected to open next year.

Reading recommendations:

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.

Remember that a COVID-19 test is only a snapshot of your health on the specific date and time the swab was taken. No testing is perfect and a negative result doesn’t mean you haven’t been exposed to COVID-19. You can still develop symptoms days after your test was taken.

It is important that everyone practice physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Maintain a 2-metre distance from other people. When maintaining distance is impossible, wear a mask or face covering. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly. Avoid touching the face. If you have recently traveled outside the country, you are legally required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

Stay safe and be vigilant. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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COVID-19 Business Update: September 8th, 2020

September 8, 2020 | Daily Update

Ministers Chrystia Freeland and Mary Ng have announced that Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses will be extended by one month.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, and how to apply for them, is available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • Ministers Chrystia Freeland and Mary Ng have announced that Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses will be extended by one month. Current CECRA application deadlines will also be extended to accommodate this extension. CECRA provides forgivable loans to qualifying commercial property owners, whether they have a mortgage on their property or not. The loans cover 50 per cent of three to six monthly rent payments for eligible small business tenants during April, May, June, July, August and September. The loans will be forgiven if the qualifying property owner agrees to reduce their small business tenants’ rent by at least 75 per cent, which will include a term not to evict the tenant while the agreement is in place. The small business tenant would cover the remainder, up to 25 per cent of the rent.
  • Those who qualified for CECRA based on existing program parameters will be able to apply soon for the additional one month based on having at least a 70 per cent revenue decline for April, May and June, without reassessing whether they continue to have at least a 70 per cent revenue decline in July, August or September. Participation in the one-month extension is voluntary. Both existing applicants to the CECRA and new applicants are able to opt for the September rent reduction. Existing applicants will need to reapply for the month of September. New applicants will have the choice of applying for the three-month initial period, four months, five months or six months. Eligible small business tenants are businesses that are paying less than $50,000 per month in gross rent in a given location, with annual revenues of less than $20 million (at the ultimate parent level), and who experienced at least a 70 per cent drop in pre-COVID-19 revenues on average for the period of April, May and June.
  • At a press conference held today, Ontario Minister of Health Christine Elliott stated that the provincial government is putting a “pause” of four weeks on any further loosening of public health measures in Ontario. That pause does not include schools, which started reopening in parts of the province today. Elliot acknowledged community spread will likely mean spread in schools, but said the province’s approach is to limit the spread at the community level to keep the virus from entering schools. Premier Ford pleaded with Ontarians to practice COVID-19 precautions and avoid large gatherings. The Premier did not rule out a return to Stage 2 of the re-opening framework, only remarking that “we aren’t there yet.” Canadian Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam said an average of 545 new cases had been reported daily over the last week, up from around 300 in July.
  • The CRTC has released a new report which finds that the vast majority of participating Canadian Internet service providers (ISPs) have met or exceeded the maximum download and upload speeds they advertise. The Government of Canada encourages Canadians who are interested in participating in the next phase of the project to submit a request at Measuring Broadband Canada.

Reading recommendations:

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.

Remember that a COVID-19 test is only a snapshot of your health on the specific date and time the swab was taken. No testing is perfect and a negative result doesn’t mean you haven’t been exposed to COVID-19. You can still develop symptoms days after your test was taken.

It is important that everyone practice physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Maintain a 2-metre distance from other people. When maintaining distance is impossible, wear a mask or face covering. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly. Avoid touching the face. If you have recently traveled outside the country, you are legally required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

Stay safe and be vigilant. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

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COVID-19 Business Update: September 4th, 2020

September 4, 2020 | Uncategorised

Statistics Canada today released the data from the August 2020 Labour Force Survey. With public health restrictions easing across the country, August saw continued economic recovery.
Information on government grants, resources, and programs, and how to apply for them, is available here.
The Government of Canada has a support page with summaries of current programs and application portals.

Vital updates:

  • Statistics Canada today released the data from the August 2020 Labour Force Survey. With public health restrictions easing across the country, August saw continued economic recovery, although it should be stressed that virtually all metrics for economic performance are still below those of February. Highlights include:
    • National employment rose by 246,000 (+1.4%) in August, compared with 419,000 (+2.4%) in July. Combined with gains of 1.2 million in May and June, this brought employment to within 1.1 million (-5.7%) of its pre-COVID February level.
    • The number of Canadians who were employed but worked less than half their usual hours for reasons likely related to COVID-19 fell by 259,000 (-14.6%) in August. Combined with declines in May, June and July, this left COVID-related absences from work at 713,000 (+88.3%) above February levels.
    • Among Canadians who worked their usual hours in August, the total number working from home fell by nearly 300,000 compared with July, while the number working at locations other than home increased by almost 400,000.
    • Employment rose at a faster pace among women (+150,000; +1.8%) than men (+96,000; +1.0%) for the third consecutive month in August. Core-age men (aged 25 to 54) have been the least affected by the shutdown and their employment level in August reached 96.6% of its February level. Youth (aged 15 to 24) were most affected and remained the furthest from their February employment level, with employment for both young men and young women being at 84.7% of February levels.
    • In August, self-employment declined for the first time since April, falling by 58,000 (-2.1%). This was mostly the result of declines in the number of solo self-employed.
    • The unemployment rate fell 0.7 percentage points to 10.2% in August. As a result of the COVID-19 economic shutdown, the unemployment rate had more than doubled from 5.6% in February to a record high of 13.7% in May. By way of comparison, during the 2008/2009 recession, the unemployment rate rose from 6.2% in October 2008 and reached a peak of 8.7% in June 2009.
    • The number of Canadians on temporary layoff rose from 99,000 in February to a record 1.2 million in April, before falling to 460,000 by July. In August, the number of Canadians on temporary layoff continued to decline sharply, falling by half (-49.9%) to 230,000.
    • Employment continued to increase at a faster pace in the services-producing sector (+218,000; +1.5%) in August than in the goods-producing sector (+28,000; +0.7%). Employment reached 94.4% of its pre-COVID February level in the services sector, compared with 93.8% for the goods-producing sector.
    • Employment in Ontario rose by 142,000 in August (+2.0%), nearly all in full-time work, while the unemployment rate fell by 0.7 percentage points to 10.6%. Combined with the employment increases in June and July (+529,000), the gains in August brought employment in Ontario to within 93.6% of its pre-pandemic level.
    • Among parents who have adapted to the COVID-19 economic shutdown by beginning to work from home, just under one-third (32.9%) were concerned in August that a return to their normal work location would bring challenges in terms of childcare or caregiving. This was down slightly from July (-2.7 percentage points). The share citing this concern remained highest among teleworking mothers whose youngest child was less than 6 years old (51.1%).
    • In the St. Catharines-Niagara CMA (i.e. the Niagara region with the exclusion of Grimsby and West Lincoln), unemployment fell from 12.5% in July to 11.3% in August. The unemployment rate in February was 5.5%. An additional 8,200 people were employed in August when compared to July, although this is 15,100 fewer than were employed in August, 2019.
  • The Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, today announced a number of initial projects funded under the $77.5 million Emergency Processing Fund (EPF). The EPF is focused on projects to help companies respond to the urgent health and safety needs of workers in agri-food sectors impacted by COVID-19, with an emphasis on supporting meat processing facilities. Nationally, a total of 32 projects have been approved so far, for up to $10.54 million in funding. Businesses interested in the EPF can find more information here.
  • Niagara Health’s three COVID-19 Assessment Centres, located in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, and Welland, will be closed on Labour Day, Monday, September 7. Although the Assessment Centres will be closed, care is still available to the community through Niagara Health’s Emergency Departments or Urgent Care Centres. For more information about Emergency and Urgent Care at Niagara Health, please visit www.NiagaraHealth.on.ca/options. Please note that Emergency Departments and Urgent Care Centres will not complete routine COVID swabbing and those seeking to be tested for the virus are asked to make an appointment at an Assessment Centre upon reopening. The St. Catharines and Niagara Falls Assessment Centres will reopen at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, September 8, with the Welland centre reopening at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, September 9.
  • Premier Ford has cautioned against throwing parties this long weekend, commenting that “anyone who’s thinking of having a big shindig this weekend, forget about it, cancel it, or we won’t hesitate… to shut it down.” The GNCC urges everyone to follow public health guidelines, to avoid needlessly risking their own health and the health of others, and to stay safe this weekend. The number of people in a space, even an outdoor space, should not exceed the number of people who can gather and maintain a 2-metre distance. Wear masks. Do not share drinks or food. Self-isolate if you feel unwell.

Reading recommendations:

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.

Remember that a COVID-19 test is only a snapshot of your health on the specific date and time the swab was taken. No testing is perfect and a negative result doesn’t mean you haven’t been exposed to COVID-19. You can still develop symptoms days after your test was taken.

It is important that everyone practice physical distancing to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Maintain a 2-metre distance from other people. When maintaining distance is impossible, wear a mask or face covering. Wash hands frequently and thoroughly. Avoid touching the face. If you have recently traveled outside the country, you are legally required to self-isolate for 14 days.

Previous updates can be accessed here.

Stay safe and be vigilant. The GNCC is here to support you. Contact us with any questions you have.

Share this: