June 3, 2020
Ontario Helps Manufacturers Ramp Up Production of Personal Protective Equipment

The Ontario government continues investing in local manufacturers in order to keep frontline workers and communities safe during the COVID-19 outbreak. More innovative businesses are receiving financial support today through the Ontario Together Fund to re-tool their processes and increase their capacity to make personal protective equipment (PPE).

The three new companies receiving support are:

Southmedic — Southmedic is a Barrie, Ontario based medical device manufacturer that distributes to more than 60 countries around the world. The province is providing $1.8 million to help the company reengineer and retool its current production, and purchase new moulding equipment. With this new equipment, the company will double its output of oxygen masks, triple its output of ETCO2 masks, which are specialty masks used to monitor breathing prior to ventilator use, and quadruple its output of eye and face shields to help meet the province's need for PPE. The funding will also allow the company to reorganize its production facility to allow for physical distancing.

Sterling Industries — Sterling Industries is a Concord, Ontario based contract manufacturer and assembler of medical devices and sub-components. The province is providing $1,023,325, which will allow the company to increase its output of face shields from 200,000 per week to more than a million per week. This increased capacity will help Sterling Industries deliver 10 million face shields to Ontario Health more quickly.

SRB Technologies — SRB Technologies is a Pembroke, Ontario based producer of self-powered emergency lighting and self-powered exit signs. The province is providing $59,889 to help the company convert a portion of its production from emergency lighting solutions for the nuclear, aerospace, construction and defence sectors to manufacturing medical-grade face shields, which will be supplied to regional hospitals and long-term care facilities.

Click here to read the complete media release.

Ontario Extends Declaration of Emergency until June 30

Extension Key to Protecting Ontarians as Province Safely Reopens

In consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ontario is extending the provincial Declaration of Emergency to June 30. The decision supports the government's efforts to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak and protect the health and safety of Ontarians as the province reopens in a measured and responsible way.

As Ontario charts a path to recovery, the Declaration will support the continued enforcement of emergency orders that give hospitals and long-term care homes the necessary flexibility to respond to COVID-19 and protect vulnerable populations and the public as the province reopens.

The Declaration of Emergency may be further extended with the approval of the legislature, as set out in the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act .

A full list of emergency orders can be found on the e-Laws website under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and at Ontario.ca/alert .

Click here to read the complete news release.

CCA Updates Guide to Dealing with Onerous Contract Conditions to help Members Protect Themselves

To help address the issue of onerous contract conditions during the bidding process, the Canadian Construction Association (CCA) has updated its Guide to dealing with onerous contract conditions .

This best practice guide was created with the input of the Ontario General Contractors Association (OGCA); and contains steps that can be taken by both contractors and construction associations to identify and deal with onerous clauses.

If there are any questions regarding this document, please contact Eric Lee at elee@cca-acc.com or 613-236-9455, ext. 416.

Click here to read the complete media release.

Ontario Opens Up COVID-19 Testing Across the Province

Strategy Expands Testing for General Public, Frontline Workers, First Responders and Workplaces

As the province carefully and gradually reopens the economy, the Ontario government is implementing the next phase of its COVID-19 testing strategy to detect and quickly stop the spread of the virus. Testing will now be available to more people in more locations across the province.

To help enable increased access to routine symptomatic testing, people will no longer need a referral to go to any of the more than 130 assessment centres across Ontario. Information about the assessment centres is now easily accessible on Ontario's dedicated COVID-19 website.

  • Assessment Centre Testing: expanding who gets tested to now include asymptomatic individuals concerned about exposure and continued routine symptomatic testing at assessment centres.

  • Targeted Campaigns: detecting and containing cases by expanding asymptomatic surveillance for vulnerable populations, including in long-term care homes and other shared living spaces like shelters and group homes, as well as targeted testing of workplaces in priority sectors which work with priority populations and where it may be difficult to physically distance.

  • Outbreak Management: testing to ensure rapid and agile response capacity for outbreak management, including in specific neighbourhoods and regions or at hospitals, institutions and workplaces.

Click here to read the complete article.

Ontario Provides Consumers with Greater Stability and Predictability with Electricity Bills

On May 30, 2020, Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, issued the following statement on electricity rate relief measures during the COVID-19 outbreak.

"Our government is committed to supporting families and business-owners as we plan for the safe and gradual reopening of the province."

The COVID-19 Recovery Rate of 12.8¢/kWh is based on the average cost of electricity, set by the Ontario Energy Board. This fixed rate will continue to suspend time-of-use prices in a fiscally responsible manner. By introducing this new fixed rate, consumers will have greater flexibility to use electricity when they need it without paying on-peak and mid-peak prices.

Click here to read the complete article.

Trudeau rushes out $2.2B in infrastructure funds to cash-strapped cities

The federal government is rushing out $2.2 billion in anticipated infrastructure funding to Canada’s cities that municipal leaders say might help with a short-term cash crunch, but does little to fill the budget hole COVID-19 has created.

Municipalities have seen steep losses in revenues through the COVID-19 pandemic as fewer people pay for transit or parking, and recreation centres stay closed without programs to fill local coffers.

Toronto alone is facing a $1.5-billion shortfall this fiscal year, while the Federation of Canadian Municipalities has estimated the need nationally at between $10 billion and $15 billion, depending on the severity and duration of the shutdown.

The gas-tax fund is one of the few mechanisms the federal government has to flow money directly to cities instead of having to move it through provinces.

Click here to read the complete article.

TCA Resources on COVID-19

To access TCA dedicated Covid-19 Updates, click here .