Supports for Business Government Of Canada Rolls Out Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Improvement Details  The federal government released details of the proposed CEWS program extension and improvements. Legislative approval is still required, however the draft would:  Allow the extension of the CEWS until December 19, 2020, including redesigned program details until November 21, 2020. Make…

Supports for Business Federal Government To Provide $19 Billion To Provinces And Territories The federal, provincial and territorial governments have reached an agreement in which the federal government will provide over $19 billion in funding to help the country’s economic recovery. The funding will target seven key areas:  Testing, contact tracing and data management Health…

Supports for Business Emergency Funding for COVID-19 Safety Measures in Forest Operations The government announced intent to provide up to $30 million to offset additional costs associated with COVID-19 safety measures for small and medium enterprises in the forest sector, including tree-planting operations. More specifically, today’s investment will help cover extra costs for things like…

Supports for Business New 10 Year Grant to the Petrochemical sector The Alberta Petrochemicals Incentive Program, part of Alberta’s Recovery Plan, will bring multi-billion dollar investments to petrochemical projects throughout Alberta, helping to strengthen and diversify the province’s economy and create new jobs for Albertans. Key features include: A 10-year program period during which eligible…

Supports for Business COVID-19 Economic Response Plan: Impact on Business Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) As of July 3, 688,000 applicants have been approved for CEBA for a total of $27.41 billion in funds disbursed, including $7 billion of which is forgivable if the loan is paid back before December 31, 2022. Over 65 per…

Supports for Business Restoring Balance in Alberta’s Workplaces Act Bill 32 will provide employees and employers with clearer and more transparent rules promoting fairness and productivity, including more clarity about rest periods and temporary layoff notices.To help inform these proposed changes, 5,421 responses were received during an online public survey conducted in November 2019. Key…

Supports for Business Bank Of Canada Releases Business Outlook Survey—Summer 2020 This morning the Bank of Canada released its quarterly summary. Results from the summer Business Outlook Survey suggest that business sentiment is strongly negative in all regions and sectors due to impacts from the COVID 19 pandemic and the drop in oil prices. Firms…

Supports for Business Additional temporary service reductions at select Canadian ports of entry Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is temporarily reducing service hours at additional land, air, and marine ports of entry (POE) in addition to deferring seasonal opening hours at select POEs. These COVID-19 related measures are temporary and in effect as of July…

Supports for Business Government Announces Extension of Rent Relief Program for Small Businesses Today, Finance Minister Bill Morneau announced that the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) will be extended by one month to cover eligible small business rents for July. In addition, to simplify the application process for all applicants, the government is removing…