|
| |
DONATE TO SUPPORT THE CFA'S
ADVOCACY EFFORTS ON COVID-19
|
|
|
|
CEBA Expansion announced today
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an expansion to the eligibility criteria for the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) to include many owner-operated small businesses.
The program will now be available to a greater number of businesses that are sole proprietors receiving income directly from their businesses, businesses that rely on contractors, and family-owned corporations that pay employees through dividends rather than payroll.
To qualify under the expanded eligibility criteria, applicants with payroll lower than $20,000 would need:
- a business operating account at a participating financial institution
- a Canada Revenue Agency business number, and to have filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return.
- eligible non-deferrable expenses between $40,000 and $1.5 million. Eligible non-deferrable expenses could include costs such as rent, property taxes, utilities, and insurance.
More details, including the launch date for applications under the new criteria, will follow in the days to come.
The government is still working to address some of the CFA’s other recommendations such as how the program will work with businesses that have a third party process their payroll outside of the recognized providers like (ADP, Ceridien, etc). They are also working to determine the future of the TWES (10% subsidy) which many businesses who don’t qualify for the CEWS are using.
|
|
|
| |
Ontario extends state of emergency until May 29
The Ontario government has extended the state of emergency until May 29 amid the coronavirus pandemic. The extension means that bars and restaurants will remain closed, with the exception of takeout and delivery options, restrictions on gatherings of more than five people stays in place and “staff redeployment rules for long-term care homes and congregate setting like retirement homes and women’s shelters” also remain in effect, according to a press release Tuesday.
|
|
|
| |
Canada, U.S. extend border closure to June 21
Canada and the United States have extended the closure of the border to all non-essential travel for another month. All non-essential cross border travel will be prohibited until June 21, but essential trade, primarily consisting of tractor trailers, will continue. The border has been closed since March 20, the closure was scheduled to expire on May 21.
|
|
|
| |
WorkSafeBC guidelines support safe reopening of businesses
As British Columbia prepares to enter Phase 2 of its economic restart plan, the Province welcomes the release of the initial set of WorkSafeBC guidelines that will help businesses and organizations develop their plans to reopen safely in the coming days and weeks. WorkSafeBC has released industry-specific guidelines and resources for the following sectors:
- restaurants, cafes and pubs;
- salons and personal services;
- museums, art galleries and libraries, real estate;
- education;
- health services;
- retail;
- in-person counselling;
- parks and outdoor spaces; and
- office space.
Businesses in all sectors are required to use these guidelines and resources to develop their COVID-19 safety plans and post those plans for employees and customers as they resume operations. Additionally, businesses in sectors under health orders limiting service (such as restaurants, pubs, salons and personal services) will not be able to open until those orders are lifted or modified.
Outreach with all sectors continues in order to support the production of sector standards, which will provide additional guidance for businesses and help the sharing of best practices.
WorkSafeBC indicated additional sector-specific guidelines will be available in the coming days for child care, health services, and recreation and sports.
|
|
|
| |
Ontario orders independent commission into long-term care
Ontario is launching an independent commission into the province's long-term care system. Long-Term Care Minister Merrilee Fullerton said in a statement released Tuesday that the commission will start in September, and in the meantime the government will be finalizing terms of reference, leadership and timelines.
The Ontario Long-Term Care Association, opposition parties and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have all called for a full public inquiry into the sector.
Nearly 1,400 long-term care residents have died amid COVID-19 outbreaks in the facilities, as well as five staff members. The number of long-term care homes experiencing an outbreak has grown over the past few weeks, even as the government has imposed more restrictions and implemented widespread testing for the virus. Ontario has logged outbreaks at 276 long-term care facilities since the beginning of the crisis.
|
|
|
| |
Montreal retail stores to open May 25
In Quebec, Premier François Legault said Monday that the situation in the Greater Montreal area has stabilized enough to allow retail stores to open on May 25 as planned. Daycares will open on June 1, with a limited number of spaces in order to meet distancing requirements
|
|
|
| |
B.C. front-line workers to receive pandemic pay raise
British Columbia announced a cost-share program with the federal government that will provide a pandemic pay raise to the province's front-line workers in the health-care system, social services and corrections. The 250,000 eligible front-line workers will receive temporary pandemic pay, a lump-sum payment of about $4 per hour for a 16-week period, starting on March 15, 2020. Eligible workers will receive the payment directly through their employer and do not need to apply.
|
|
|
| |
Deloitte Economic Recovery Dashboard
Deloitte’s COVID-19: Economic recovery dashboard monitors the health, social, financial and economic activity that will signal when a recovery is coming. It’s available to anyone seeking a real-time, full picture view of the country’s situation as businesses, governments and others continue to respond to this global health crisis.
The dashboard also contains supporting commentary from Deloitte Canada’s chief economist, Craig Alexander, since the dashboard forecasts are updated with quarterly GDP numbers, the timing of the rebound and the timing of full recovery.
|
|
|
| |
Ontario students will not return to school until September
Ontario schools will not reopen in June and will remain closed until September due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The provincial government made the announcement at Queen's Park on Tuesday, saying that online learning will continue for the rest of the 2019-2020 school year and in-person classes will not resume until after the summer break.
Schools across the province have not been open since March 13. At first, schools were supposed to reopen two weeks following March Break, but in an effort to help slow the spread of the novel coronavirus, the closure has been extended multiple times.
The government also announced that private schools, licensed child care centres and EarlyON programs will also stay closed.
Education Minister Stephen Lecce says he will unveil a plan for reopening schools in September before the end of June. He warned "schools will not look the same" when students return to the classroom for the 2020-2021 year. All students who were on track to graduate from secondary school before the initial school closure will be able to graduate. All students will receive a report card.
|
|
|
| | |
|
MISSED TODAY'S WEBINAR?
Planting Leadership Seeds
50 CFE PARTICIPATION CREDITS
SPEAKER: Erik Therwanger, Think GREAT
In this session, discover your greater purpose as a leader and how to take the steps necessary to foster an environment of success with leadership strategies and techniques necessary to allow leadership to flourish in the workplace.
|
|
|
| |
|
MAY 20, 2020
AT 1:00 PM ET
Working With Your Lender – COVID-19 Support Initiatives
50 CFE PARTICIPATION CREDITS
SPEAKERS: Paul daSilva, VP, Franchise/Retail Brands, RBC; and Joseph Pisani, Director, Franchise Finance, BMO
Join this webinar for a review of some of the initiatives available to you to help you manage the current economic challenges, learn how to understand your cash flow and prepare to work with your financial services partner in a post COVID-19 market.
|
|
|
|
MAY 22, 2020
AT 2:00 PM ET
Adapting to the New Normal After COVID-19
50 CFE PARTICIPATION CREDITS
SPEAKERS: Bill Dietz, Paul Davis Restoration, Greg Tabak, Paul Davis Restoration and Michael Sherrard, Sherrard Kuzz LLP
Join this webinar to 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.
|
|
|
| | |
Feedback from our Members
|
|
"The work the CFA team does in many ways goes unnoticed and is simply taken as expected. I don’t see it that way. The work you do impacts so many and does great work in being the voice of the franchise community. It does not go unnoticed and unappreciated! Thank you for all you do!”
- Paul C. Pascal, Vice President, Operations, Second Cup Coffee Co.
|
|
|
|
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:
|
|
|
|
Are your colleagues and franchisees subscribed to the Daily Update?
If you would like to subscribe all your franchisees to receive our Daily Update, please contact Alex Mann at amann@cfa.ca.
|
|
|
| | |
|
|
|
