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Ask Ottawa to extend the CEBA repayment deadline to qualify for the forgivable portion
A little over a week ago the CFA asked members “Will you be able to pay off your CEBA loan by December 2022 to qualify for loan forgiveness (of up to $20,000 if you received the maximum amount)?”
We received over a hundred responses and about half who responded said they were Unlikely to be able to pay off the CEBA loan in order to qualify for loan forgiveness. This is not uncommon. Many businesses who are just starting to reopen.
The CFA, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and many other business associations are urging the federal government to extend the repayment deadline to qualify for loan forgiveness. We need your help to write to Ottawa. Please click on the link to send a letter to Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, and Small Business Minister, Mary Ng, asking for the extension.
Send the letter
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Webinar: Understanding Ontario’s New Blue Box Regulation and your requirements as a Blue Box Producer
Date: Wednesday, August 18
Time: 10:00 to 11:30 a.m.
The Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority is hosting a webinar “Understanding Ontario’s New Blue Box Regulation”. During the webinar, RPRA will participants through the regulatory requirements for producers of Blue Box materials to help them understand and meet their obligations under the new regulation. Topics will include:
- Obligated Blue Box materials
- Who is a Blue Box producer?
- Registration and reporting requirements
- Working with producer responsibility organizations (or PROs)
SIGN UP HERE
CFA Strongly Recommends Members Sign Up
The CFA strongly suggests members to sign up for the webinar and learn about the Ontario changes as it moves to Extended Producer Responsibility. These changes will affect a large number of CFA members who produce product packaging, paper products or packaging-like products.
The change also means many more items that do not fall under the current blue box system are now covered and the producers will be responsible for the full cost of recycling/reusing the product.
Any franchised business is deemed a producer if they supply blue box material (packaging, paper producers or packaging-like products) comprised of paper, glass, metal or plastic, or a combination of these materials to consumers in Ontario.
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Quebec to implement COVID-19 vaccine passport on Sept. 1
Quebec's health minister says a vaccination passport system will be implemented on Sept. 1 to combat rising COVID-19 cases and an "inevitable" fourth wave. Minister Dubé unveiled some details about the system, announced last week by Premier François Legault, alongside two public health officials — Dr. Yves Jalbert, a strategic medical adviser, and Caroline Roy, an adviser on matters related to the COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
The vaccine passport will be implemented in places with high capacity and a high rate of contact, such as festivals, bars, restaurants, gyms and training facilities to avoid the widespread closures that marked the first waves of COVID-19 in Quebec.
When asked about religious gatherings and weddings, Dubé said the government is still discussing whether they will be included in events that will require vaccine passports.
For the time being, the vaccination passport will not be used in retail stores or schools.
Dubé emphasized the system is the only way to keep the economy open and still protect the health system from being overwhelmed as it was in previous waves. He says a fourth wave, driven by the delta variant, is "inevitable" in Quebec.
Quebec joins two other provinces, Manitoba and Prince Edward Island, that require two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine to access certain non-essential services or travel.
Quebec also considering making vaccines mandatory for health care workers
Quebec is still considering making vaccinations compulsory for health workers and promised an update within the next few days. As for schools, Dubé had no additional information. A press briefing with Education Minister Jean-François Roberge is slated for tomorrow.
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Majority of Canadians support mandatory vaccinations: Nanos survey
Mandatory vaccinations. More than half of Canadians agree with mandatory vaccinations for those who are eligible to prevent the spread of COVID-19, according to a new survey from Nanos Research. The survey, which was commissioned by CTV News, shows that 53 per cent of respondents supported the idea, 21 per cent somewhat supported it, 16 per cent opposed it, eight per cent somewhat opposed it, and two per cent were unsure. Those in Quebec and Ontario were more likely to be in favour of mandatory vaccinations than respondents in British Columbia and Atlantic Canada, the research found.
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Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister stepping down before next election
Brian Pallister announced Tuesday he is stepping down as Manitoba's premier, but the timing of his departure is still being determined.
Pallister said he won't run for re-election in 2023, saying he's making the announcement now so that Manitobans can get to know a new leader. However, he did not say specifically when he plans to step down from politics.
The Progressive Conservatives were re-elected under Pallister in the fall of 2019, after he led the party to a majority in the 2016 provincial election.
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Manitoba signs on to federal $10-a-day child-care plan
Manitoba has signed on to a federal plan to provide daycare at an average cost of $10 a day in regulated child-care spaces starting next year.
Under the plan, the federal government promises to spend $1.2 billion to fund early learning and child care in Manitoba over the next five years.
Plan aims to create 23,000 full-time spaces by 2025-26, increase pay for early childhood educators
All currently regulated child-care operators — including not-for-profit, for-profit and public — are eligible to receive the federal funding. However, the federal government has expressed a preference not-for-profit operators.
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Manitoba launches new COVID-19 immunization card app
A new mobile app will allow vaccinated Manitobans to request and show their immunization card.
The provincial government launched the new app on Monday. Like the physical immunization card, the app will only show the individual's first and last name, along with a QR code which, when scanned by the province's Immunization Verifier app, will confirm that the person is fully vaccinated.
Previously, people without a physical card were able to log into the province's website to display their proof of vaccination. This app can be accessed when not connected to Wi-Fi or cellular data services.
The app is available for iOS and Android and can be downloaded from the province's website.
People can register for their immunization card two weeks after receiving their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The cards exempt Manitobans who travel to other provinces from the self-isolation requirement requirements upon their return.
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U.S.-Canada land border opened Monday for Americans coming to Canada
Americans can now enter Canada and skip the 14-day quarantine, provided they've been fully vaccinated with a Health Canada-approved COVID-19 vaccine 14 days before crossing the border.
And, just like Canadian travellers, they must submit their travel information — including vaccination documents — using the ArriveCAN app or by registering online within 72 hours before their arrival.
Currently Canadians can enter the United States via air travel, but can't cross a land border for non-essential travel.
The United States won't open its land border to Canadians for non-essential travel until Aug. 21, and there are some concerns that might be delayed because of rising cases of the Delta variant of COVID-19.
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Moderna, federal government announce agreement to build mRNA production facility in Canada
Moderna and the federal government announced on Tuesday that the Massachusetts drug maker will build an mRNA vaccine manufacturing plant in Canada within the next two years.
The agreement will see Canada gain access to Moderna's mRNA "development engine" and get priority access to the doses. The contract also calls for a research and development component for COVID-19 and a host of other conditions, including flu, heart disease, cancer and rare genetic disorders.
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US Update: Senate Committee Deadlocks on David Weil's Nomination as Wage and Hour Chief
Last week, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) voted 11-11 along party lines to advance the nomination of David Weil to be the next Administrator of the Wage and Hour Division (WHD) for the Department of Labor (DOL). In case you missed it, The Hill published an op-ed ahead of the vote titled, “Myth vs. reality in franchising,” by University of Kentucky Professor Aaron Yelowitz. Yelowitz piece explains that Dr. Weil’s nomination is based on his work as a researcher and writer, and yet his views show a misguided bias toward the franchise sector which was Weil’s approach.
While the outcome of the vote was unsurprising, the marginal support for Weil signals the strong advocacy from IFA and its members. We appreciate all IFA members that sent countless emails to their Senators urging them to oppose Dr. Weil's nomination. IFA will keep the grassroots portal open for IFA members to continue to reach out to their Senators.
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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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