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The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has been hard at work throughout the COVID-19 crisis, operating in lockstep with our federal government regarding policy development, and advocating on behalf of the Canadian business community.

Next week, we'll host CEO Perrin Beatty and Chief Economist Dr. Trevin Stratton for a conversation on the state of Canadian business in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We'll look ahead to how we can restart the national economy, what needs to happen for us to reopen businesses, and which sectors will be critical to the country's recovery.

Perrin and Trevin will also share details on the Canadian Business Resilience Network , and offer insight into how the Chamber network has led the conversation about financial supports with the federal government.

MCC POSTS RECORDING OF APRIL 22 ASKED & ANSWERED WEBINAR

Very special thanks to Willy Fogang , Senior Account Manager at Export Development Canada (EDC), and bdc's Michael Selci , Senior Vice-President, Prairies, for sharing their valuable time as guests of our first Asked & Answered webinar. If you were unable to attend, and would like to better understand the EDC and bdc funding streams which are part of Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, we have recorded the event and posted it online for your review.

CEWS - HELPFUL INFO TO KNOW BEFORE YOU APPLY

The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) application process launches on Monday, April 27, via the CRA's My Business Account. Here's some info you should know:


  • NEW! The CRA has launched a dedicated toll-free line for business (1-833-966-2099) with 2,000 agents available. Hours of operation as follows:
  • April 22 to 24: 9 am to 6 pm (local time)
  • Monday to Friday (starting April 27): 9 am to 9 pm (local time)
  • Saturday & Sunday: Closed

  • To view the CEWS subsidy calculator, click here.

Click here to view MCCs guide of federal & provincial funding programs.

UPDATES - FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

1) NEW! Students and recent graduates who have seen their education and job prospects hampered by the COVID-19 pandemic will soon be able to claim a new Canada Emergency Student Benefit . The benefit will see eligible post-secondary students receive $1,250 a month from May to August, and if you are taking care of someone else or have a disability, that amount increases to $1,750 monthly. College and university students currently in school, planning to start in September, or who graduated in December 2019 will be eligible. As well, working students earning less than $1,000 per month can apply.

2) NEW! Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced today that the federal government is spending an additional $1.1 billion for a national medical and research strategy to address COVID-19, including:

  • $115 million more for research into developing and producing vaccines and treatments in Canada, in an effort to offset what the government expects will be a supply and demand struggle similar to that seen for personal protective equipment;
  • $662 million for research projects on how brain and airway cells are affected, as well as for clinical trials, including one trial that will “evaluate safety of a potential cell therapy to reduce the impacts and severity of acute respiratory distress associated with COVID-19”
  • $350 million for national testing, modelling, data-monitoring and tracking of COVID-19 in Canada. 

The federal government is also creating a “COVID-19 immunity task force,” which will include a series of Canada’s top doctors and will focus on blood testing to track and understand immunity.

3) NEW! Canada’s charities are getting a $350-million injection of federal funding . Much of the money will flow through three national groups — the United Way, the Red Cross and Community Foundations Canada — with a portion of funds going to small, independent organizations. The money will be used for, among other things, training volunteers, transportation for vulnerable people, home delivery of groceries and medications, and other services like tax-filing clinics for low-income earners so they can access benefits.

4) The Government of Canada is providing nearly $1B in support to affected businesses and communities through the Regional Relief and Recovery Fund . This initiative will be implemented by the six regional development agencies which are familiar with their regions' economic realities and are often the first point of contact for people at the local level. (Details are yet to come, but prairie provinces work with Western Economic Diversification Canada ).

5) Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA): This program offers interest-free loans up to $40,000 to small businesses and not-for-profits to help cover their operating costs. To qualify, organizations need to demonstrate they paid between $20,000 and $1.5 million in total payroll in 2019 (through CRA filings).

6) T he Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses will seek to provide loans, including forgivable loans, to commercial property owners who in turn will lower or forgo the rent of small businesses for the months of April (retroactive), May, and June. Implementation of the program requires a partnership between the federal government and provincial/territorial governments, which are responsible for property owner-tenant relationships. More details will be available soon.

7) Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB): Eligibility criteria have been expanded to include part-time workers, frontline health care workers who earn less than $2,500 per month working in long-term care facilities, volunteer firefighters, etc. To access a detailed FAQ about CERB, click here.

UPDATES - PROVINCE OF MANITOBA

As of Thursday, April 23, public health officials advised the number of lab-confirmed positive and probable cases in Manitoba is at 262, and there have been six COVID-19 related deaths.

1) NEW! The Manitoba government announced yesterday they will be is providing up to $120 million to support Manitoba’s small and medium-sized businesses. The Manitoba Gap Protection Program (MGPP) is available to any of the approximately 120,000 businesses in Manitoba who have fallen into a gap in failing to qualify for the various federal government assistance programs and wage subsidies. The province will advance each eligible business the non-interest bearing forgivable MGPP loan of $6,000 -- a loan that will be forgiven on Dec. 31, 2020 -- if the recipient attests at that time the business has not received any major non-repayable COVID-19 federal supports such as CEWS and CEBA or sector-specific grant federal programs developed in response to the pandemic. If the applicant has received benefits under a federal COVID program, then the loan will be added to the recipient’s 2020 tax bill. To be eligible for the MGPP funding, your business must:

  • have been operational on March 20, 2020, the date the Manitoba government declared a province-wide state of emergency because of COVID-19;
  • have temporarily ceased or curtailed operations as a result of a COVID-19 public health order and have been harmed by the health order;
  • be registered and in good standing with the Manitoba Business and Corporate Registry;
  • have not qualified for federal government COVID-19 grant support; and
  • have an email address and a bank account.

2) NEW! Manitoba public health officials have expanded testing criteria to include those who meet the criteria and are showing even mild symptoms of COVID-19 (a cough, a runny nose, a sore throat and a fever). Manitobans are reminded that if they are showing symptoms of COVID-19 and meet testing criteria, they can call Health Links–Info Santé at 204-788-8200 or (toll-free) at 1-888-315-9257 for more information.
3) NEW! Manitoba Public Insurance announced today it will issue a rebate cheque to all policyholders . Rebates will be based on what policyholders paid last year and expected to be around 11 per cent, or between $140 to $160, per average policyholder. Policyholders can expect a rebate cheque at the end of May to early June.

4) NEW! The Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba (WCB) announced it will return a $37-million surplus to provide financial relief to eligible employers in the province . In May, eligible employers will receive a credit to their account based on 20 per cent of their 2019 premium. To be eligible to receive the surplus, employers must have fulfilled their payroll reporting responsibilities for 2019 and paid a WCB premium in 2019. Employers can still report their 2019 payroll to receive the surplus distribution. Of the $37 million, WCB expects $29 million will be returned to the private sector, with approximately $7 million going to small businesses in Manitoba.

5) The Province of Manitoba encourages all MB business leaders to re gister their business online to request guidance with accessing emergency federal funding. 24/7 InTouch has been engaged to help Manitoba business assess and apply for COVID-19 funding streams . Sign up now, and a contact centre representative will follow-up with you directly as soon as the team is operationally ready. https://manitoba.ca/covid19/business/index.html#supports
6) The non-essential business closures order under the Public Health Act is in effect until April 28, 2020.
For information about the Manitoba Protection Plan (provincial supports for business such as relaxed interest measures, tax deferrals, manufacturing and supplier opportunities), as well as links to federal funding programs, partner sites, pandemic planning, and more, click here .
Chuck Davidson, President & CEO
Manitoba Chambers of Commerce
t: 204-948-0107
e: cdavidson@mbchamber.mb.ca