September 8, 2020
Click here to view this message in a browser window.
Member Bulletin Header

    

 

September 8, 2020

Your CFA Update on COVID-19

DONATE TO SUPPORT THE CFA'S
ADVOCACY EFFORTS ON COVID-19

DONATE NOW

CFA Win: CECRA Extended for September!

Today the federal government announced that Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses will be extended by one month to help eligible small businesses pay rent for September. All provinces and territories continue to participate in this initiative and collaborate with the federal government to provide rent supports to those small businesses most in need. Current CECRA application deadlines will also be extended to accommodate this extension.

Media Release on the CECRA Extension to September

The CECRA program has provided rent relief to 106,000 small business tenants for a total of over $1.32 billion in rent support. The programs budget which was announced in the federal ‘Fiscal Snapshot’ is $2.97 billion.

July and August Extensions

Anyone who is eligible for CECRA for small businesses is also eligible for the July and August extensions. No additional documentation is required. You must opt in by September 14, 2020. If you or your tenant has already been approved for rental assistance

  1. Login to the CECRA Portal using your existing username and password.
  2. Select “Apply for Extension.”
  3. Select the tenants you wish to include in the request from the prepopulated list of tenants in your initial application. (You can’t add tenants to the list and can only apply for the July extension once.)
  4. Submit your request.
  5. Notify your tenants that you have requested the July Extensions.

September Extensions

Details on the September extension will be available on the CMHC website on Wednesday September 9.

CFA still pushing for more changes to the CECRA program

CFA still pushing for changes to the program to help small businesses across the country

  • Reduce the 70% threshold so more businesses will qualify
  • Improve the transparency in the application and approval process
  • Include of Pre-Opening/Dark Sites in the program

CFA Letter to Minister Freeland – submitted August 26

CFA Op-Ed: Why the feds need to extend the commercial rent program (Published in multiple markets today, all the Sun papers nationally on September 3, 2020)

CFA announces the passing of Stephane Teasdale, a leader in Canadian franchise law

With great sadness the CFA wants to pass on to the community that Stéphane Teasdale, a Partner in the Toronto office of  Cassels, and a long time active CFA member,  passed away this past weekend at the age of 57, after a 2 year battle with colon cancer.

He was born and raised in Montreal and practiced Quebec franchise law for over 30 years to became one of the leaders in franchise law in Canada. Family circumstances brought him to Cassels Toronto office about 4 years ago until illness required that he go on a leave. He always talked about returning to the practice of law and the clients he loved, but it was not meant to be.

He leaves his wife Nicole Gervais, and their daughter Elizabeth. He will be missed by his colleagues at Cassels, and many in the franchise community here in Canada and around the world.

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole announces his Shadow Cabinet

Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole has released the names of his Shadow Cabinet. Opposition Critics usually take the lead on their files, lead questions in the House or at committee. They also are the first to provide their party’s response to the media on topics related to their assignment.

It’s notable that Pierre Poilievre remains as the critic for Finance and O’Toole has named himself the critic for Middle Class Prosperity. Andrew Scheer remains active as critic for Infrastructure and veteran Michael Chong takes on Foreign Affairs.

The critics most relevant to the CFA are

  • James Cumming (Edmonton Centre), Critic for Innovation, Science and Industry
  • Chris D’Entremont (West Nova), Critic for Intergovernmental Affairs & Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
  • Marilyn Gladu (Sarnia-Lambton), Critic for the President of the Queen's Privy Council & Shadow Minister for Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
  • Pat Kelly (Calgary Rocky Ridge), Critic for Small Business & Western Economic Development
  • Mark Strahl (Chilliwack — Hope), Critic for Labour
Full List of the Conservative Shadow Cabinet

Ontario puts 'pause' on further loosening of public health measures as COVID-19 numbers rise

Ontario is putting a "pause" of four weeks on any further loosening of public health measures in the province, Minister of Health Christine Elliott said Tuesday.

The province reported 185 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, and 190 on Monday — the most on any single day since July 24. Data for both days was released early Tuesday because the province did not issue an updated report on Labour Day. 

At the province's daily news conference, Elliott said Ontario's "latest trends and numbers have raised some concern." She said the pause includes things like expanding the size of the province's social circles and the number of people allowed at sporting events.

That pause does not include schools, which started reopening in parts of the province on Tuesday. Elliot acknowledged community spread will likely mean spread in schools, but said the province's approach is to limit the spread at the community level to keep the virus from entering schools.

The pause also doesn't include casinos, several of which will reopen on Sept. 28, with a limit of 50 guests per room.

Quebec unveils colour-coded regional alert system as cases climb

Quebec has announced a new, colour-coded regional alert system aimed at keeping the public informed about the state of COVID-19 in the province. The system is intended to help people understand the current level of risk, but also what actions will be taken in the event of serious outbreaks.

The four levels are:

  • Vigilance (green). Basic measures
    • Activities maintained in compliance with provincial health rules. 
  • Early warning (yellow). Strengthened basic measures
    • Activities maintained in compliance with health rules, but with added enforcement, such as increased fines. Required when there's an increase in transmission.
  • Moderate alert (orange). Intermediate measures
    • New measures that target specific sectors and activities where the risk of transmission is    deemed higher.
  • Maximum alert (red). Maximum measures
    • Includes targeted additional and more restrictive measures that could extend to prohibiting non-essential activities, while avoiding provincewide confinement.

Health Minister Christian Dubé said Tuesday the assessments for each region will be updated weekly. A region's alert level will be based upon three criteria: the epidemiological situation, the rate of transmission and the capacity of the region's health-care system.

Ontario-Québec Summit to Convene on Economic Recovery

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Québec Premier François Legault will convene their first-ever Ontario-Québec Summit to advance shared priorities on economic recovery and health preparedness, issues important to the people of the two provinces.

The summit will take place on September 8 and September 9, 2020 in Mississauga.

According to the media release, “the provinces plan to work together to share lessons learned from the pandemic, accelerate economic recovery and growth by reducing barriers to international trade and promoting Ontario-made and Québec-made products, and advocate on behalf of Ontarians and Quebeckers with the federal government to provide fair, flexible and sustainable funding for important priorities, including health care, infrastructure and broadband.”

Webinar Series On Demand

UPCOMING WEBINAR

September 10, 2020
AT 2:00 PM ET

Impact of COVID-19 on Banks & Lenders: Now how do you approach the bank
 EARN 50 CFE PARTICIPATION  CREDITS  

SPEAKERS: Paul daSilva, RBC; Joseph Pisani, BMO Bank of Montreal; Tom de Larzac, HSBC Bank Canada; and, Mohammed Jehangir, CIBC

In this webinar, learn how COVID-19 has impacted how Canadian banks are looking at business loans and what additional information they need. What programs and services have banks introduced to serve SMEs and how can they be accessed? What is the impact of the pandemic on  a bank's risk tolerances? Have banks changed how they will lend and for what they will lend? Are loan losses as government support programs taper off expected to tighten loan approval requirements? How do I take advantage of changes in the marketplace? How do i grow my franchise?

More Info & Register

MORE WEBINARS AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND

Access Recordings
Access Recordings

PRE-REGISTER FOR THE CFA'S CFE PROGRAM

VIEW PAST WEBINARS
ON DEMAND HERE

MORE BUSINESS & CFA RESOURCES
AVAILABLE HERE

GET UPDATES BY REGION
AVAILABLE HERE

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: 

SUBMIT YOUR TOPIC

Subscribe 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

SUBSCRIBE HERE
Forward To a Peer
CFA National Sponsors
     
  
116-5399 Eglinton Avenue West
Toronto, Ontario M9C 5K6
Tel: 416-695-2896/800-665-4232
Fax: 416-695-1950
You have received this email from the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA). Click here to unsubscribe from all CFA e-mail communications or click here to update your communication preferences.