The Yarmouth & Area Chamber of Commerce continues to participating in the Nova Scotia Business & Labour Economic Coalition which advocates on your behalf at all levels of government. It is made up of over 100 organizations from government, industry associations, and more. Its role is to share concerns and uncover solutions.
On Monday, Bernie Miller, Deputy Minister of the Office of Business, shared with this group that he expects the province of Nova Scotia to release its five-phase plan next week for reopening the economy. The plan will be launched after prolonged periods of low to no new cases of COVID-19 in the province.
Today, your Chamber will be on a call with the province’s medical office Dr. Strang as he discusses plans to reopen the economy.
We know that this will be difficult and be different for every business. Shortly we will host an online meeting with anyone interested in discussing the challenges of reopening and looking for support.
Member Survey
Documents to Help You Plan for Reopening
Agriculture and Food Processing Support
Today Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an initial investment of $252-million in aid to ease multiple pressures in Canada’s agriculture industry created by the coronavirus pandemic. This announcement includes:
- Creating a $77.5 million Emergency Processing Fund to help food producers access more personal protective equipment (PPE), adapt to health protocols, automate or modernize their facilities, processes, and operations, and respond to emerging pressures from COVID-19 so they can better supply Canadians with food during this period.
- Launching a national AgriRecovery initiative of up to $125 million in funding to help producers faced with additional costs incurred by COVID-19. This includes set-asides for cattle and hog management programs to manage livestock backed-up on farms, due to the temporary closure of food processing plants. This new federal funding will help beef and pork producers and processors adapt to a changing market, and help farmers and ranchers keep their animals longer before marketing.
- Announcing the intention to increase the Canadian Dairy Commission’s borrowing limit by $200 million to support costs associated with the temporary storage of cheese and butter to avoid food waste. The government will work with opposition parties to achieve the required legislative change.
- Launching a first-ever Surplus Food Purchase Program with an initial $50 million fund designed to help redistribute existing and unsold inventories, which could include products such as potatoes and poultry, to local food organizations who are serving vulnerable Canadians.
- Working with provinces and territories to increase interim payments from 50 per cent to 75 per cent through AgriStability, a federal, provincial and territorial program that supports producers who face significant revenue declines. This change has already been enacted in some provinces.
- Working with provinces and territories to explore possibilities for expanding the AgriInsurance program to include labour shortages as an eligible risk for the horticulture sector. This work with provincial and territorial partners would insure against lost production due to an insufficient workforce, should producers be unable to find enough labour to harvest.
Read the full news release
here
.
Ignite/ NSBI Call for Protective Equipment for Essential Businesses
There is a need to increase the production and distribution of protective equipment to keep essential supply chain workers safe. Many industries in Nova Scotia are vital for food production, transportation, infrastructure and more. It is important that the many workers in these companies that are still operating are safe on the job.
IGNITE, along with many groups including Emera IDEAhub, Enginuity Inc., and Nova Scotia Business Inc. have created an initiative to work with community members and businesses who have the ability and equipment to create protective masks and face shields as well as to identify businesses that will need additional protective equipment.
- can make protective equipment including sewn face masks, face shields and other protective equipment
- need protective equipment to keep operations going (or can supply others)
By signing up today, you help ensure the right protective equipment gets in the hands of the people in your community who need it most.
CANADIAN CENTRE FOR OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
As we continue to think about reopening our economy and what that may look like for each individual sector, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety have developed pandemic tip sheets to help employers protect their workers and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The tip sheets are available at
https://www.ccohs.ca/products/publications/covid19/