Friday, Nov 13, 2020

GET YOUR TICKETS | ONTARIO ECONOMIC SERIES

• $50 Member + HST per day* (use code: MemberOES2020)

• $75 Non-Member + HST per day*

• Click here to get your tickets to the final session in the Ontario Economic Series.

SPECIAL EXPO SESSION: RE-IMAGINING YOUR SMALL BUSINESS WITH E-COMMERCE!

Panel Discussion on Digital Transformation

KEY UPDATES 

• On November 5, the Government of Ontario released its 2020 Budget, “Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover.”

• Read the OCC's Budget 2020 Policy Update which takes a look at the following key policy areas from the perspective of Ontario's business community.
  • Electricity

  • Taxes

  • Infrastructure

  • Workforce Development

  • Trade & Investment

  • Sectoral Support

  • Health Care

  • Support for people

  • Debt Reduction

• The OCC’s pre-budget recommendations were developed together with businesses, chambers of commerce, and boards of trade across the province, with the shared interest of making Ontario a more attractive place to live, work, and invest. Read the OCC's release and  full pre-budget submission here.
   

• The Ontario government is making $300 million available to businesses required to close or significantly restrict services in areas subject to modified Stage 2 public health restrictions (Ottawa, Peel, Toronto, and York Region) or, going forward, in areas categorized as Control or Lockdown.

• Rebates will cover the period of time that businesses are required to temporarily close or significantly restrict services as a result of being located in areas subject to the targeted modified Stage 2 public health restrictions or, going forward, in areas categorized as Control or Lockdown.

• The property tax rebates will be net of any federal support in respect of property taxes provided through the new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS), so that the rebate will cover costs beyond those covered by CERS.

• Beginning November 16, 2020, eligible businesses will be able to apply for temporary property tax and energy cost rebates directly to the province through a single, online application portal. Many businesses should expect to receive their rebate payments within a few weeks of finalizing and submitting their completed application. Eligible businesses include restaurants, bars, gyms and cinemas. Learn more. 
   

• On November 4, the Ontario government announced an additional investment of $680 million (for a total of nearly $1 billion) over six years to improve and expand broadband and cellular access across the province. The $680 million being announced is on top of the $315 million to support Up to Speed: Ontario's Broadband and Cellular Action Plan. This funding will be used for shovel-ready projects starting in 2019-20, will create jobs, and connect unserved and underserved communities during COVID-19 and beyond. Details here. 
   

• On November 9, the federal government announced an additional $750 million investment to the Universal Broadband Fund announced in Budget 2019. This investment brings the Fund to a total of $1.75 billion.

• The program will include a $150 million Rapid Response Stream with an accelerated application process that will allow shovel-ready projects to get started right away. Learn more. 
   

• On November 6, the Ontario government announced a new colour-coded framework categorizing public health regions into five levels: Green-Prevent, Yellow-Protect, Orange-Restrict, Red-Control, and Lockdown being a measure of last and urgent resort. This new framework will phase out the “Stage” system. 

• Full details of the new tiered framework, Public Health Unit (PHU) region classifications, and sector-specific safety measures can be found here.
   

• Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy Extension Details (CEWS)

• Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy Details (CERS)

• Lockdown Support for Businesses Facing Significant Public Health Restrictions (under CERS)

• Brief Summary of Total Support under new CEWS and CERS

ADDITIONAL UPDATES 

• On November 10, the Hon. Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade highlighted the newly revamped CanExport program, which will provide Canadian businesses—including women and Indigenous entrepreneurs—with up to $75,000 in funding to expand their e-commerce presence, attend virtual trade shows, and navigate COVID-19-related trade barriers. Small business owners and entrepreneurs are encouraged to apply for the revamped CanExport program.

• On November 6, the Government of Canada announced an additional $155 million in funding to extend the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program's (NRC IRAP) Innovation Assistance Program (IRAP IAP). This funding will help Canada's high-potential, innovative firms to weather the economic storm of COVID?19. Learn more about the extension of IRAP IAP here.

• The Ontario Medical Association has just released its latest Community InfoBulletin called “All About the Flu and the Flu Shot”. OCC members and local business owners are free to share this and other COVID-19 InfoBulletins with members of the public by printing them for customers, or posting them to their websites. If you have any questions for the OMA on COVID-19, please send an email to Lisa.Murray@oma.org. 

• Transportation opportunities along the northeastern Ontario rail corridor - closing date: November 20
• Help us help your business respond to COVID-19 - ongoing
• Help government work better - ongoing

• Cutting red tape - ongoing