May 22, 2020
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May 22, 2020

Your CFA Daily Update on COVID-19

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Commercial Rent Assistance Portal Opens Monday

The CECRA for small businesses application portal opens at 8:00 am on Monday, May 25.

APPLICATION DOCUMENTS

Government launches benefit-finder tool for emergency aid 

The government launched an online tool today to help Canadians navigate the various financial benefits available during the pandemic, as the political parties continue to spar over the resumption of Parliament.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the benefit-finder tool during a daily briefing. The government site is now live to help students, seniors and out-of-work Canadians find out which benefits they can access.

Update on the PM’s call with the Premiers

Last night the Prime Minister spoke with the provincial and territorial Premiers for the tenth time since the start of the pandemic. The call has been happening every week since the crisis began. On the call they spoke at length about the safe re-opening of the economy and mutually outlined a set of principles for moving forward. These principles include:

  • Canada needs to continue scaling up its testing capacity to quickly identify new cases and isolate them. The federal government is working with the provinces and territories to expand testing by procuring more reagents and swabs. Some provinces have the capacity to meet current needs, but both levels of government are collaborating to ramp up these efforts.
  • Canada needs to accelerate its ability to conduct contact tracing. The feds have trained federal employees to make 3,600 contact tracing calls every day of the week. Statistics Canada also has an additional 1,700 interviewers available to make 20,000 calls a day. Ontario is already utilizing these federal services and Trudeau noted these resources are available to assist other provinces and territories with their tracing backlogs.  
  • Canada needs to ensure that data that is collected across jurisdictions is shared between the provinces and territories to help manage spread. 

While each of the Premiers plans will be different, Trudeau confirmed that they are all working towards one common goal: protecting Canadians. He emphasized the next phase of collaborative efforts will focus on testing, contact tracing and data collection and Trudeau has told the Premiers the feds are here to “support, facilitate and fund” this work. 

Calgary, Brooks can join rest of Alberta Monday in Phase 1 easing 

Calgary and Brooks will join the rest of Alberta by allowing bars, restaurants, hair salons and barbershops to open on Monday, while more COVID-19 restrictions will be lifted across the province on June 1.

The rest of Alberta got the go-ahead more than a week ago to move to stage 1 of the provincial relaunch plan on May 14, but the two southern Alberta cities were told to hold off on opening some businesses due to high COVID-19 infection rates — a last-minute announcement that caught many businesses off guard. 

Starting Monday, hairstyling and barber shops will be permitted to reopen in Calgary and Brooks, and cafes, restaurants, pubs and bars can reopen for table service at 50 per cent capacity.

The premier also announced Friday that as of June 1:

  • Day camps would be allowed to open with restrictions.
  • Post-secondary institutions would be able to offer summer classes with caps on participants.
  • Funeral services and places of worship could expand capacity.

Ontario announces support for apprenticeship, tourism and hospitality sector

Premier Ford announced the launch of a new Ontario Tools Grant program this summer, to help apprentices purchase equipment. An estimated 11,600 Ontario apprentices are eligible to receive: $1,000 each in motive power sectors; $600 each in construction and industrial trades; and $400 for those in-service sector trades. The grant program is slated to invest $2.5 million in 2020-21 and $7.5 million in 2021-22 and ongoing.

To support tourism and hospitality workers displaced by the economic shut down, the Premier announced a partnership with UNITED HERE Local 75 to launch a Virtual Action Centre. The centre is expected to help up to 7,000 workers in the sector with supports from counselling for mental wellness to employment preparation through video conferencing.

FULL ANNOUNCEMENT

COVID-19 pushed Canadian retail sales to their biggest ever plunge in March

Widespread lockdowns due to COVID-19 across the country pushed Canadian retail sales down by 10 per cent in March, the biggest plunge on record. Statistics Canada reported Friday that about 40 per cent of Canadian retailers closed their doors in March, as government lockdowns and physical distancing requirements set in. March's plunge was more than twice as bad as the previous record of 4.5 per cent, set in February 1998.

The data agency says April's preliminary numbers suggest that month's data are likely to be even worse, down 15 per cent from March's already low level, but the numbers released Friday show just how bad things got in just the first two weeks of lockdown.

Overall, Canadians spent just $47 billion at retailers in March. That's the worst month since 2016.

Just about every type of retailer saw sales plummet during the month, but those deemed non-essential bore the brunt, including:

  • Clothing stores, down 51 per cent.
  • Motor vehicle and parts dealers, down 35 per cent.
  • Furniture and home furnishings, down 24 per cent.
  • Hobby, book and music stores, down 23 per cent.
  • Gas stations, down 19 per cent.

There were a few bright spots, namely grocery stores that saw booming business as Canadians stocked up to shelter in place. Food and beverage sales were up 22 per cent, while general merchandise stores had their best month ever, with sales up 6.4 per cent.

Sales at health and personal care stores rose 4.6 per cent, also to their highest level on record. Cannabis sales rose 19 per cent.

Another bright spot was the growth in online retailers, as Canadians spent $2.2 billion online in March. That's 40 per cent higher than it was in the same month last year.

Have you been denied for the $40K CEBA loan? We want to hear from you!

If you have applied for the Canada Emergency Business Account ($40k loan) and been denied--let us know. Tell us if you have not received a reason for the rejection or what the reason was and why you disagree. We may be able to help get you some answers. Make sure your email includes:

  • Your business legal name (according to your financial institution)
  • Your financial institution
  • A summary of your situation
  • Your contact information

These stories will help the CFA advocate for changes in the program criteria to help make more CFA members eligible for support. Send us an email at covid@cfa.ca

Webinar Series On Demand

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Adapting to the New Normal After COVID-19
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SPEAKER: Bill Dietz, Paul Davis Restoration, Greg Tabak, Paul Davis Restoration and Michael Sherrard, Sherrard Kuzz LLP

In this session, gain insight into how to adapt your operating practices to the ‘new normal’ and how to manage your preparedness from a liability perspective as you prepare your return to work plans and procedures

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Feedback from our Members

“My husband, Jim and I would like to thank everyone at the CFA who has worked so hard and tirelessly to provide us with updated information on the Covid-19 crisis, for the webinars, lobbying for change and for all of the support you provide to members on a regular basis. We are sincerely grateful. To everyone at the CFA, take care and stay healthy.”

 - Nadine Cartman, CEO, Chicken Delight of Canada Ltd.

COVID-19's impact on the world is creating waves across all sectors and industries.

Every member of the CFA community is dealing with an issue that is affecting the world, our industries, our communities, our businesses, and our people.

We would like to hear from you if you have any topics, issues or questions to navigate turbulent times in order to support you further: 

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FRANCHISING GIVES BACK

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FranchisingGivesBack: Baskin Robbins

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