Supports for Business
Helping Overnight Camps Prepare for 2021
These camps have been affected in a unique way due to the COVID-19 pandemic, losing revenue while incurring ongoing overhead costs such as insurance, security systems and utilities to maintain facilities and prevent damage. Under the Overnight Camps (for Children and Youth) Facility Overhead Funding Program, non-profit organizations that own or operate overnight camps and meet criteria will be able to apply for a one-time grant to help with ongoing facility costs so they can open next year. Program details are being confirmed, and the online application is expected to be available soon. Applications will be accepted until Aug. 31. More information
Supports for Individuals
Continuing Support For Albertans During COVID-19
Bill 24, the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Statutes Amendment Act, proposes measures to support Albertans as the province continues to reopen. The bill proposes amendments to 15 acts across seven ministries. The amendments are being proposed now that the state of public health emergency has ended. Highlights include:
- Extending to August 2021 the unpaid job-protected leave specific to COVID-19, which allows employees to take leave to care for a child due to school or daycare closures or to care for an ill or self-isolating family member.
- Providing updated guidance for operating child care programs, including increasing the maximum cohort group size from 10 to 30 staff and children, helping operators reopen safely and ensuring parents have access to child care as they return to work.
- Allowing for remote signing and witnessing of estate and care documents through two-way video conferencing, ensuring Albertans continue to have access to justice during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Extending the maximum time for temporary layoffs related to COVID-19 from 120 days to 180 days (this change would come into force upon first reading).
- Extending the deadline for the public release of Alberta's annual report and financial statements to Aug. 31.
The proposed amendments will allow some pandemic response efforts to continue and introduce new measures to support the safe and successful reopening of Alberta's economy. Full details of Bill 24 are available online.
Community Supports and Resources
COVID-19 relaunch status map
The COVID-19 status map shows the level of risk in regions and information about local health measures. It also shows the rate of COVID-19 cases and the number of active cases. Regions are designated as open, watch or enhanced relaunch status. All regions must continue to follow Alberta's public health measures and guidelines, regardless of relaunch status.
More provincial historic sites Reopening for Summer
The successful reopening of the Royal Alberta Museum and Royal Tyrrell Museum has paved the way towards the reopening of many more provincial sites. Visitor guidelines vary by site
The following facilities will reopen on June 20:
- Frank Slide Interpretive Centre
- Oil Sands Discovery Centre
- Remington Carriage Museum
- Reynolds-Alberta Museum
- Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village
Because each site is unique, patrons are encouraged to visit the facility's website to review visitor guidelines before arrival. New procedures may include pre-booking tickets and some closures of hands-on exhibits and smaller buildings at facilities. All sites have new, reduced capacity limits and distancing measures in place, as well as more access to hand sanitizer. More information
New mobile app to help notify Canadians of COVID-19 exposure
The government today announced the upcoming launch of a new nation-wide mobile app to provide notifications of exposure to COVID-19 across Canada, with beta testing to begin in Ontario.
Use of the app will be voluntary. If someone tests positive for COVID-19, a health care provider will give them a unique temporary code, so they can upload their status anonymously to a national network. Other users who have downloaded the app and come in contact with that person will be notified, through the app, that they may have been exposed to the virus. The app will also provide users with information on steps they can take to keep themselves and others safe, and we are working with the provinces and territories so they can customize public health information based on their own jurisdiction.
The app will be available to Canadians for free download in the coming weeks, with health authorities in Ontario being the first to distribute the unique, temporary codes to people who test positive for COVID-19. They are working with the other provinces and territories to make it available in their jurisdictions as well. More information
Advocacy
CEOs Write To First Ministers Calling For Resumption Of Safe Air Travel
Business leaders from across Canada, representing hundreds of thousands of Canadians, have written an open letter to the Prime Minister and Premiers calling on them to reopen the country to air travel in a safe, smart and measured way. Air travel is not only important for tourism; it is a key economic driver for the entire economy. Read the letter
ACC Speaks about Travel and Tourism
The Alberta Chambers of Commerce, along with travel and tourism leaders across the country, have sent a letter to Premier Jason Kenney in the hopes of establishing a coordinated 'restart' for the sector. Read and listen to the full Country 106.5 interview.
New Resources
Supply Chain Canada's Workforce Marketplace
Whether you represent a business looking for supply chain talent or you are a supply chain worker willing and able to work, the Supply Chain Workforce Marketplace is a tool to help you with your needs. It is a free and open resource to help ensure visibility to the available supply chain talent across the country and to help match available talent with opportunities. More information
RCC Resources
CBRN partner, Retail Council of Canada (RCC), has created useful resources for those in the retail sector. Most recently, the RCC has made available the guide 6 Essentials to Achieve Lasting Recovery in Retail. More information
#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 #YXHhero
"We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided."- J.K. Rowling
For more resources visit our COVID-19 page
On Demand Webinars
Alberta Bits & Pieces Webinar. Watch Now.
Alberta Phase 2 Relaunch Town Hall Recordings. Listen Now.
Canadian Business Resilience Network Video Content
13 Ways COVID-19 and Your Business Part 1: Watch Now.
Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program explained. Watch now.
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) Explained: Watch Now.
Conflict Escalation & What to Do About It. Watch Now.
Crowdfunding through COVID-19. Watch Now.
Cybersecurity And The Ever-Evolving Work Environment, With Field Effect. Watch Now.
Destination Canada: The Visitor Economy: Watch Now.
BDC Economic Pulse (April 20): Watch Now.
Facebook: Build Your Online Presence. Watch now
Facebook: Getting Creative with your Mobile Phone, With Facebook. Watch now.
How to cope with the impacts of COVID-19 on your business. Watch Now.
How to Navigate Government Programs with KPMG. Watch Now.
The Importance of Human Resources & Being Strategic When Your Business is Being Temporarily Impacted. Watch Now.
Keeping Your Company and Employees Secure When Working Remotely. Watch Now.
Leading During a Crisis and Switching to Remote Work. Watch Now.
Maintaining Sales in the face of COVID-19. Watch Now.
Relaunching Your Business. Watch now.
Rent Relief in a World of the Coronavirus: Watch Now.
Shopify E-Commerce Tools. Watch Now.
Social Media in Crisis. Watch Now.
Strategies for How Businesses Can Persevere And Recover From COVID-19. Watch Now.
Understanding, Accessing and Optimizing the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. Watch Now.
Understanding Travel Insurance In The World Of COVID-19. Watch now.
What To Feel When Stressors Collide, With Canada Life. Watch Now.
Working From Home During COVID-19. Watch Now.
Webinar Series
AMHSA, CSSE, Howatt HR, AUMA Mental Health Webinar Series. Click here.
APEX Alberta Webinars: Watch the recorded series
BDC Webinar Series. Click here.
BusinessLink: View upcoming events.
Buyandsell.gc.ca: Learn how to find bid opportunities. Register now.
CPA Small Business Webinar Series. Click here.
CPHR Alberta: HR Pandemic Essentials. Click here.
Conference Board of Canada Webinar Series: Mental Health and COVID-19. Click here.
Constant Contact Webinar Series: View the line up of sessions and register.
D2L Webinar Series: Digital Transformation for Associations. Watch Now.
Economic Developers Alberta (EDA) Wednesday weekly: Business & Economic Recovery During the COVID-19 Crisis
Free Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)® IDS™ sessions. Register here.
International Economic Development Council Webinar series. Watch now.
Retail Council of Canada. Register here.
School of Public Policy. Register here.
StartUp Canada Women Entrepreneur Webinar Series: Click here.
Travel Alberta Webinar Series. Watch Now.
Upcoming Webinars
June 19: COVID testing and stage 2 relaunch with GOA. Register here.
June 22: Mental Health for HR Professionals. Register Now.
June 22: Take Control of Your Business: 3 Simple Tools to Help Your Business Survive and Thrive with Bradshaw & Associates. Register Now
June 22: Employee Mental Health During COVID-19. Register here
June 23: Building a resilient workforce to thrive in the next normal. Register here.
June 24: How to Build an Effective Advertising Strategy. Register now.
June 26: Grant Writing 101 webinar for business. Registration TBA.
June 29: Cyber-security Best Practices Workshop. Register now
Don't forget Joe Social Media - Free Social Media training from May 1 - June 30 (times vary). Register here. Use promocode: Resilience
Check out more events on our Pandemic Training Calendar