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CFA Leadership and Business Development Summit – October 12-14
Join us from October 12-14 for the Leadership & Business Development Summit - a three-day virtual event that will provide everyone from organizations of all sizes and from all sectors with practical tools, insights, and knowledge to develop leadership within your organization to be more adaptive and gain a framework and set of tools for leading change during times of uncertainty.
It will focus on critical areas including diversity, which drives innovation; engagement, which powers high-performance teams; technology, which create efficiencies and accelerates growth; and adaptability, which equips organizations with the agility to quickly run with new innovations to market.
Register Now
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| Thank You to Our Advocacy Champions |
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BOC's Macklem: Inflation will need 'some time' to cool off
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem wants Canadians to know that this period of high prices for goods ranging from furniture to cars will normalize over "some time" as inflation cools down, likely sometime in 2022.
"We are working through these, but it's going to take some time," Macklem said during a question-and-answer session ahead of a virtual speech given to the Council on Foreign Relations in Washington.
"I do want Canadians to be confident that we certainly understand that our job is to make sure that one-off price increases don't become ongoing inflation."
Macklem added that he expects inflation to remain above the top end of the Bank of Canada's three per cent target range "at least" until the end of the year.
Canada's inflation rate climbed to 4.1 per cent in August, the highest one-month move since 2003, amid surging housing costs and prices for passenger vehicles and household appliances.
Macklem has previously warned against reading too much into the "temporary" move in inflation as the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a global supply-chain crunch for many goods as well as pent-up demand for services as the economy opens back up.
In his Q&A session Thursday, Macklem reiterated that price increases and the implications for inflation will be "temporary". He did note the Canadian central bank has observed that medium-to-long term inflation indicators have not moved higher and that wage growth remains moderate.
"Prices have come back up. Part of that is base year effects; prices were very low a year ago. They've normalized. Part of that is related to these very unique circumstances of the pandemic," he said.
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Ottawa faces pressure to extend COVID-19 benefits set to expire October 23
Many of the federal government's key pandemic supports are set to expire in a few weeks, prompting some business leaders to advocate for an extension.
Programs like the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) are scheduled to terminate on Oct. 23, after being extended several times since their launch in 2020.
When asked on Wednesday whether the government is planning to prolong them once again, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland was noncommittal, saying that the pandemic continues to pose a challenge to businesses.
Help CFA advocate for Ottawa to extend the CEWS and CERS
Many CFA members are still operating under public health restrictions and need the federal government to extend the CEWS and CERS to help them get back on their feet. To help CFA’s advocacy efforts and to help members we have drafted a form letter that members can send to the federal Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, and Small Business Minister, Mary Ng, asking that the program be extended until Spring 2022 using subsidy rates from Period 16 (May 9-June 5).
Over 80 CFA members have sent a letter to Ministers Freeland and Ng asking for the extension of the CEWS and CERS.
Click here to read the letter and add your voice.
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Ontario introduces red tape reduction bill
Today, Nina Tangri, Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, announced Ontario’s Fall Red Tape Reduction Package and introduced the Supporting People and Businesses Act. The bill makes 50+ changes to a host of legislation.
Some of the proposed changes in the act, include:
- Making it easier for people to become volunteers by providing free police record checks. It will also reduce administrative burden for police services.
- Proposing changes to set the groundwork for the government to allow licensed restaurants, bars and other hospitality businesses create or extend their outdoor patio spaces.
- Creating greater access to veterinarians by developing a “one-health” approach to veterinary facilities that will benefit farmers, the agri-food sector and the general public.
- Increasing financial supports and simplifying the application process for the Second Career program to help those looking for employment, train for occupations in high demand.
- Modernizing regulations under the Healing Arts Radiation Protection Act to align with the current Health Canada Safety Codes to ensure they reflect the latest evidence and technology. It will also help to relieve the backlog of appointments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Developing a pilot program for non-electric and electric-assist large cycles that will give municipalities another option to attract and boost tourism while maintaining road safety.
Click here to read the 50+ changes that Ontario is proposing
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PEI Vax Pass starts today
The PEI Vax Pass program will allow fully vaccinated Islanders and visitors to safely take part in organized community, cultural, sporting and other social events.
The PEI Vax Pass is a time-limited measure that begins October 5 until the risk of COVID-19 to Prince Edward Island is reduced. This program is another layer of protection for PEI residents and will allow people to gather more safely and prevents the risk of widespread outbreaks. The Delta-driven fourth wave of the global COVID-19 pandemic is the most infectious wave of the pandemic thus far, resulting in high rates of hospitalization, mainly in unvaccinated people.
PEI residents and visitors to the province who are 19 years of age and older will be asked to present both their vaccination record, in either paper or digital format, along with their government-issued identification to access certain businesses, events, and other areas requiring proof of immunization. Youth aged 12 to 18 will only need to provide their proof of vaccination. Individuals will need to be fully vaccinated to access these locations and activities. Cohorting, gathering limits and masks will be required at events available to fully vaccinated attendees; however physical distancing will not be required. A digital QR code-based system is expected to launch later this month which will be a more efficient method to confirm vaccination status.
Businesses, organizations and event organizers requiring proof of vaccination can access dedicated online resources.
Anyone needing additional supports to implement the proof of immunization requirement at their establishment can phone 1-833-533-9333 or email vaxpass@gov.pe.ca
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Ontario’s WSIB cutting premium rates in 2022
Ontario’s Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) is cutting premium rates in 2022 by $168 million, bringing the total reduction in premiums since 2018 to $2.4 billion. In addition, the government is intending to introduce legislation that, if passed, would allow for a significant portion of the WSIB’s current reserve, currently valued at $6.1 billion, to be distributed to safe employers.
The Ontario government is also proposing to enable the WSIB to work with the Canada Revenue Agency to streamline remittances for businesses. This change would reduce administrative costs and burdens by giving businesses an efficient one-stop-shop for submitting payroll deductions.
closures in low-wage sectors due to the pandemic have resulted in a spike in Ontario’s Average Industrial Wage. As a result, the ceiling for worker benefits will be increasing by 9.45 per cent. To prevent some businesses from having to pay thousands of dollars a year in additional premiums, Ontario is capping the growth of premiums to an increase of 3.2 per cent (close to the normal range) through a regulation under the Workplace Safety and Amendment Act. Similar action was taken for 2021.
Click here to read the news release
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Manitoba Extends Healthy Hire Program to November 15
The Manitoba government is extending the Healthy Hire Manitoba Program to Nov. 15, and the application deadline to Oct. 30, Economic Development and Jobs Minister Jon Reyes announced today.
Under the Healthy Hire Manitoba Program, local employers can apply for up to $50,000 in provincial support to help cover the wages of new employees who can attest they have been vaccinated, intend to be vaccinated or are unable to be vaccinated. Eligible employers will receive a grant equivalent to 50 per cent of wages for a maximum of 10 employees, with a maximum of $5,000 per employee. The wage support covers full pay periods for employees hired on or after June 10, with the last pay period ending Nov. 15.
Key dates, full eligibility criteria and more information on the Healthy Hire Manitoba Program can be found online at www.gov.mb.ca/covid19/programs/healthy-hire-mb.html. Questions about the Healthy Hire Manitoba Program can be directed to HealthyHire@gov.mb.ca.
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Federal public servants, RCMP and air and rail travellers must be vaccinated by month's end
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the federal government's mandatory vaccine policy which will require public servants to either get their shots by month's end or be forced into an unpaid leave of absence.
All would-be travellers must also be fully vaccinated by Oct. 30 before boarding planes, trains or marine vessels.
The federal government will also require all of its employees in the "core public administration" and the RCMP to be fully vaccinated or to apply for a medical or religious exemption by the end of October.
Federal contractors, like cleaning staff, must also be fully vaccinated to gain access to government buildings. The estimated 267,000 employees covered by this policy must report their vaccination status by Oct. 29.
If employees haven't been vaccinated or received some sort of accommodation under the Canadian Human Rights Act two weeks after October 29 then they will be barred from going to work, either in person or remotely, and they will be put on administrative leave and denied pay.
According to senior officials these employees will not qualify for employment insurance (EI) benefits.
Click here to read the Prime Minister’s News Release
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Relaunch, Reset & Recover On-Demand Videos are Available for Purchase!
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CFA's Relaunch, Reset & Recover examined changes in consumer trends and the ways business are conducted to help franchisees, franchisors, and suppliers of all sizes and sectors be better equipped with the knowledge and strategies to be best positioned to successfully relaunch their business in a post-COVID world. View On-Demand Video Library
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OUR WEBINARS ARE AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND
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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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Subscribe to the COVID Update
If you would like to subscribe all your franchisees to receive our COVID Update, please contact Alex Mann at amann@cfa.ca.
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