Daily COVID-19 Update: April 29, 2020

Supports for Business

Additional Municipal Supports Expected to be Released Soon

The City of Medicine Hat announced that the municipal relief package is expected to be outlined at the Council meeting on May 4th. Options being considered are both tax deferrals and economic stimulus.

Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) Portal

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), who is administering the CECRA program on behalf of the Government of Canada and the provinces and territories now has a portal online for the program along with eligibility criteria. Applications are still unavailable, but you can access the portal online here and sign up to be notified when more details are available and when the application process opens.

To qualify for CECRA for small businesses, the property owner must meet the following requirements:

You own property that generates rental revenue from commercial real property located in Canada.
You are the property owner of the commercial real property where the impacted small business tenants are located.
You have a mortgage loan secured by the commercial real property, occupied by one or more small business tenants.*
You have entered or will enter into a rent reduction agreement for the period of April, May, and June 2020, that will reduce impacted small business tenant’s rent by at least 75%.
Your rent reduction agreement with impacted tenants includes a moratorium on eviction for the period of April, May and June 2020.
You have declared rental income on your tax return (personal or corporate) for tax years 2018 and/or 2019.

* For those property owners who do not have a mortgage, an alternative mechanism will be implemented with further information outlined in the near future.

Impacted small business tenants are businesses, including non-profit and charitable organizations who:

Pay no more than $50,000 in monthly gross rent per location (as defined by a valid and enforceable lease agreement),
Generate no more than $20 million in gross annual revenues, calculated on a consolidated basis (at the ultimate parent level), and
Have temporarily ceased operations (i.e. generating no revenues), or has experienced at least a 70% decline in pre-COVID-19 revenues.**

** To measure revenue loss, small businesses can compare revenues in April, May and June of 2020 to that of the same month of 2019. They can also use an average of their revenues earned in January and February of 2020.

The deadline to apply is August 31, 2020.

Southern Alberta Newspaper Group Community Marketing Fund

The Southern Alberta Newspaper Group has established a $1.9 Million Grant Fund to assist locally owned businesses with marketing during these challenging times. The Medicine Hat News is committed to supporting local partners and helping them reach customers and relaunch their business. Apply Now.

London Drugs Offering Shelf Space to Local Small Business Owners

London Drugs is offering up shelf space in select stores to local small businesses who have had to close their doors due to COVID-19. Beginning today, small businesses in Western Canada are welcome to submit products for consideration. Small business owners can visit here to learn if their products qualify and apply to be part of London Drugs Local Central. Some rules and restrictions apply.

Advocacy

Canadian Chamber Comments on the Results of the Canadian Survey on Business Conditions

The business conditions survey results were released today providing Canada’s first comprehensive view into how our businesses are adapting, managing or, sadly, failing as the COVID-19 shutdown continues. Insights from more than 13,000 businesses bring into focus the time pressures businesses face in order to avoid closing their doors permanently. At the same time, the survey also shows how quickly businesses are adapting to social distancing and preparing for the re-opening of the economy. The survey will provide critical information for governments as they develop and deliver their programs. Read and watch Canadian Chamber of Commerce, President & CEO, Perrin Beatty comment here. For the survey results click here.

Please Help The World Health Organization Fight COVID-19 By Responding To Its Three-Minute Survey

Our chambers and business communities are connected to a worldwide business network through the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Please take a few moments to complete this survey before May 7th to help inform the decisions on a global scale.

New Resources

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) template

Past Chair of the Alberta Chambers of Commerce, Brad Severin has provided a template and tutorial for qualifying organizations to calculate their subsidy.

The Business of Business: Health and Safety During COVID-19

In this edition of The Business of Business, Canadian Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Perrin Beatty has a conversation with James Scongack, Executive Vice-President, Corporate Affairs and Operational Services of Bruce Power. They discuss the importance of physical and mental health during COVID-19 as well as share the details of Bruce Power’s COVID-19 Retooling and Economic Recovery Council. Watch now.

#YXH2Gether

Share your stories and resources with us and on the YXH Business Support Group. and connect with us for any questions you have.

Recognize your heroes by using the hashtag #YXHheroes.

Don't forget to use the #SupportLocal directories: Things that are open from the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group; “Operation Support Local” from CJCY and Rock 105.3 and Bounce Back Medicine Hat from Minuteman Press and our Chamber of Commerce Support Local page.

“It’s not enough that we do our best; sometimes we have to do what’s required.” - Winston Churchill

For more resources visit our COVID-19 page