May 19th 2020

Dear Members, Partners and NOTL Community,
 
Today some of the businesses on Queen Street are back! As we come out of the outbreak, there is plenty to do. We should understand that as the situation evolves today’s measures to ease the restrictions might be reevaluated. The Chamber and Tourism NOTL Team continues to monitor and provide updates on the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
 
We are publishing again our “ Reopening and Recovery Guide ” that was originally developed by three Chambers of Commerce in New Brunswick and has served to many others across Canada as we all try to better serve our communities. We are also sharing the Niagara-on-the-Lake B&BA’s “ Suggested framework of operational guidelines for Short Term Rentals ”. These guides do not intent to be neither legal documents nor the only source of reference. Live links to Ontario’s guidelines are built in to facilitate their use.

“The collective challenges COVID-19 has presented Canadian businesses are enormous and complex”. Throughout this crisis, Deloitte, a fellow member of The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has been supporting the business community by offering tools and insights that promote organizational resiliency and prepare our economy to recover and thrive. Tonight we bring you their “ Economic Recovery Dashboard ”, a tool that aggregates key data and analysis in one place, and will signal the beginning of an economic rebound. 
 
Please take five minutes of your time to fill in the Niagara Region Survey; it is the best mean the Region has to know where it can help.
 
We are going to get out of this and our destination will prevail but a “New Normal” is awaiting us and we all need to collaborate.
Be well and stay healthy
 
Eduardo R. Lafforgue and The Team at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce and Tourism NOTL

Reopening and Recovery Plan Guide
The Niagara Economic Rapid Response Team have launched the next COVID-19 Business Impact Survey
This survey will help us assess the economic impact of COVID-19 on Niagara businesses, as well as help us understand what measures are necessary for economic recovery planning and activities going forward.
 
We would greatly appreciate it if you could circulate it to your members. I am also happy to share the results with you once completed. We know that tourism has been disproportionately hard hit by COVID-19 and the results from this survey will help advocate for resource and support for tourism businesses. 
Deloitte Economic Recovery Dashboard
Deloitte’s COVID-19: Economic recovery dashboard monitors the health, social, financial and economic activity that will signal when a recovery is coming. It’s available to anyone seeking a real-time, full picture view of the country’s situation as businesses, governments and others continue to respond to this global health crisis. 

The dashboard also contains supporting commentary from Deloitte Canada’s chief economist, Craig Alexander, since the dashboard forecasts are updated with quarterly GDP numbers, the timing of the rebound and the timing of full recovery. 

We know how challenging the COVID-19 pandemic has been for you and your members. Please know that we will continue doing everything we can to support Canada’s businesses in these exceptionally trying times.
Find  PPE  suppliers

Before your business reopens, review  sector-specific guidelines  to identify personal protective equipment (PPE) and supplies to keep your employees and customers safe. Supplies are in high demand and the needs of frontline health care workers and first responders will continue to be prioritized.
Friends of Fort George provide 'critical insight into...

From as young as elementary schoolchildren all the way to post-secondary, and even to the seniors in the community, Friends of Fort George provides education and history lessons to people of all ages...

Read more
www.stcatharinesstandard.ca
Suggested framework of operational guidelines for Short Term Rentals: ​Post Covid19 closures


To all BBA members and NOTL short term rental owners,

We have all been looking for guidance in these uncertain times as we face the prospect of what is being widely called ''the new normal''. What does this mean for short term rental owners and how will it affect our day to day operations? General operational guidelines have been available for those who search for them but are for the most part not well adapted for our particular industry.

Although we are not yet allowed to re-open, this day will come and we will need to be prepared when it happens. We all have to start thinking, planning and reorganizing.

The attached document is our best attempt at summarizing what this ''new normal'' implies for STR owners and what the new expected safety, cleanliness and physical distancing guidelines really means for our industry.

We hope you will consider this suggested framework of operational guidelines as a valuable and helpful resource.


Stay Safe

Your NOTL BBA Board of Directors
Orders can be made by email to:  info@ctgmedical.ca  or on the website  www.ctgmedical.ca  
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Business Community Chat
Next week please join us at 10 am Tuesday for a conference call style chat with fellow members of our Niagara-on-the-lake business community.
This will give you an opportunity to speak with others and share your stories and experiences during this challenging time.

Click below to register for the chat.
Please do so by 9 am on Tuesday morning .

We look forward to chatting with you!
Prime Minister announces expansion of support for workers and small businesses

The changes to the CEBA will allow more Canadian small businesses to access interest free loans that will help cover operating costs during a period when revenues have been reduced, due to the pandemic.  
The program will now be available to a greater number of businesses that are sole proprietors receiving income directly from their businesses, businesses that rely on contractors, and family-owned corporations that pay employees through dividends rather than payroll.
To qualify under the expanded eligibility criteria, applicants with payroll lower than $20,000 would need:
  • a business operating account at a participating financial institution
  • a Canada Revenue Agency business number, and to have filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return.
  • eligible non-deferrable expenses between $40,000 and $1.5 million. Eligible non-deferrable expenses could include costs such as rent, property taxes, utilities, and insurance.
Photo by Tony Chisholm