BREAKING NEWS: $12 million more in the Canada United Small Business Relief Fund!
We're excited to share some great news about RBC's Canada United campaign, of which the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce is a proud founding partner.

Last week, the federal government announced a $12 million contribution to the Canada United Small Business Relief Fund, enabling many more businesses across the country to receive a grant of up to $5,000 to cover expenses related to personal protective equipment (PPE), renovations to accommodate re-opening guidelines, and developing or improving e-commerce capabilities.

If you haven't yet applied for this grant, get your application in! The Ontario Chamber of Commerce, on behalf of the national chamber network, has started accepting new applications from small businesses as of today. NOTE: If you've already submitted an application, you don't need to re-submit.
As workers return to the workplace, employers are encouraged to provide information and training to mitigate the risks associated with our newest workplace hazard, COVID-19. Under workplace safety and health legislation, employers are required to ensure that all workers are acquainted with the safety and health hazards they may face in the course of their service.

That's why SAFE Work Manitoba is offering a free training course called COVID-19: Best Practices for a Safe Workplace.

This interactive, online course provides simple instruction to help prepare workers on how to reduce the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19 in the workplace, keeping themselves, their co-workers and their customers safe. The 40-minute course complies with provincial health guidelines and teaches workers how to apply the 4 Ps of COVID-19 workplace safety:
  • Physical distancing - Limit close contact with others
  • Personal hygiene - Ensure hands and objects are clean
  • Physical environment - Steps you take to reduce the risk
  • PPE - Personal Protective Equipment use

The course will be delivered through the SkillsPass learning platform, which allows employers to assign it to workers and track their completions. Upon completion of the training, each worker is issued a COVID-19: Best Practices for a Safe Workplace e-certificate that can be shared/scanned or printed and posted for customers and co-workers to see.

For more information, to take the course, or to assign the course to your workers, please visit safemanitoba.com/COVID19training.
Join us on Nov. 10 for our next #MBPoli Power Hour featuring Honourable Cameron Friesen, Minister of Health, Seniors and Active Living. From health care system restructuring and spending to eHealth, retaining nurses and doctors, and strategies to combat COVID-19, health topics matter to all Manitobans. You don't want to miss this event!
Email us a question in advance or ask it live during the moderated Q&A via the Zoom panel.
MANITOBA COVID-19 STATISTICS

The current five-day COVID-19 test positivity rate is 7.1 per cent and 100 new cases of the virus have been identified as of 9:30 a.m. This brings the number of lab-confirmed cases in Manitoba to 4,349.
NEW! With the growing number of cases in the Northern health region and Churchill, the province has introduced targeted measures under the Restricted (orange) level of the #RestartMB Pandemic Response System to reduce close-prolonged contact between people. These measures came into effect at midnight this morning, for a minimum of two weeks. The restrictions are the same as those in place in the Winnipeg Metro Region. For complete information, view our pandemic guide.
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NEW! Additional measures have been put in place for schools in the Winnipeg Metropolitan Region and the Northern health region under the Restricted Level, effective today. For more information, visit:
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NEW! The Province of Manitoba announced today that it plans to introduce amendments to the Employment Standards Code so more workers can take protected leave due to the COVID-19 pandemic and apply for federal benefits. The federal program came in to effect Sept. 27 and Manitoba’s legislation would be retroactive to that date. Amendments to the provincial code are necessary to close gaps between Manitoba’s existing protected leave provisions and the new federal program, and ensure all Manitoba workers eligible for the new Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) are protected if they take a leave of absence from their job to access the benefits.
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The Province of Manitoba's new scheduling system for COVID-19 test appointments is up and running, and has been expanded to several sites in rural and northern MB, effective today. If you have symptoms, simply call 1-855-268-4318 (toll-free) or go online to book a COVID-19 test at www.manitoba.ca/covid19/updates/testing.html#appointment.
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The Province of Manitoba, in conjunction with Doctors Manitoba, has also enabled community family doctors to provide after-hours COVID-19 testing to bring testing closer to home for Manitoba families. The first clinic, which can be booked directly online through their website, is located at the Dakota Medical Clinic in Winnipeg.
  • As of Oct. 26, 2020, eligible CDN businesses currently operating through a personal bank account will be able to apply for CEBA.
  • All applicants now have until Dec. 31, 2020, to apply for CEBA.
  • CEBA support is being expanded from $40K to $60K. This expansion will be available to all eligible previous and new CEBA applicants. Stay tuned to the CEBA website for more details, including launch details in the coming weeks.

The Prime Minister alluded to improvements coming to the Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP), and confirmed that CERS (Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy) will be retroactive to October 1, 2020 and may be able to cover up to 90% of rent covered for the hardest hit businesses.
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The second period of the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) application process is now open. This benefit is designed to provide income support to employed and self-employed individuals who are directly affected by COVID-19 and are not entitled to Employment Insurance (EI) benefits. For info and to apply, click here.
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If you've experienced a decline in revenues, you may wish to re-examine the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), which consists of a base subsidy for all employers whose revenues have been impacted by the pandemic, as well as a top-up subsidy for employers that are hardest hit. The government has proposed that the base subsidy rate for Sept. 27 to Oct. 24, 2020 continue to apply from Oct. 25 to Dec. 19, 2020. As such, the maximum base subsidy rate would be set at 40 per cent for this period, and the max top-up subsidy rate would remain at 25 per cent.
Chuck Davidson, President & CEO
Manitoba Chambers of Commerce
t: 204-948-0107
e: cdavidson@mbchamber.mb.ca
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