If you have stopped working because of COVID-19, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) may provide you with temporary income support.

• The CERB provides $500 a week for up to 24 weeks or until October 3, 2020, whichever comes first. 
• If your situation continues past 4 weeks, you will need to apply for the CERB again.
• You may re-apply for up to a total of 24 weeks.

More information is available on the Government of Canada’s webpage.

The one-week waiting period will be waived for new claimants. Those who are eligible can apply online.

• If your employees are directly affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) and they are no longer working, you must issue a Record of Employment (ROE).
• When the employee is sick or quarantined, use code D (Illness or Injury) as the reason for separation (block 16). Do not add comments.
• When the employee is no longer working due to a shortage of work because the business has closed or decreased operations due to coronavirus (COVID-19), use code A (Shortage of Work). Do not add comments.
• When the employee refuses to come to work but is not sick or quarantined, use code E (Quit) or code N (Leave of Absence), as appropriate. Avoid adding comments unless absolutely necessary.

More information is available on the Government of Canada’s webpage.

Ontario has made additional resources available to enable Ontario Works administrators and Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) staff to provide additional assistance for those currently receiving social assistance, who are facing additional costs related to the COVID-19 outbreak. This funding can be used to meet a broad range of needs, for example: cleaning supplies, non-medical transportation, food or clothing that individuals and families may require due to COVID‑19. To qualify you must:

• Live in Ontario
• Be in financial need (your household doesn’t have sufficient financial resources to meet basic living expenses)
• Be willing to make reasonable efforts to find, prepare for and keep a job (unless you have specific circumstances that temporarily prevent you from doing so, such as an illness or caregiving responsibilities)

You can start the application process online, using the Online Application for Social Assistance. By phone or in person, call or visit your local Ontario Works office

The OESP is an Ontario Energy Board (OEB) program that lowers electricity bills for lower-income households. The OESP provides a monthly credit to eligible customers based on household income and household size. The OESP credits are applied directly to eligible customers’ bills.

• Available to lower-income customers
• Must have accounts with electricity distributors or unit sub-meter providers.

Apply online or visit their F.A.Q for more information.

The province is setting electricity rates to the “off-peak” price for 24 hours a day for 45 days to support ratepayers in their increased daytime electricity usage. This program was extended on May 6 for an additional 24 days. 

Click here for more information.

Low-income customers can get up to $500 in emergency assistance for their electricity bills ($600 if your home is heated electrically) and $500 for their natural gas bills. In order to qualify, your household income has to fall below a certain limit. The amount of income it takes to qualify depends on two factors:

• How many people live in the house
• Your combined household income

The assistance is only available if you are behind on your bill – or in arrears – and may face having your service disconnected.  Visit oeb.ca for more information

Allows businesses, including self-employed individuals, to defer all Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) payments until June, as well as customs duties owed for imports. This measure is the equivalent of providing up to $30 billion in interest-free loans to Canadian businesses. It will help businesses so they can continue to pay their employees and their bills, and help ease cash-flow challenges across the country.

Visit the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan website for more information.

Took a series of actions to enhance the resilience of the Canadian financial system and help ensure that financial institutions can continue to extend credit to households and businesses, including cutting the interest rate to 0.75%.

Visit the Bank of Canada’s website for more information

You can find good information on COVID-19 in many languages:

• Government of Ontario COVID-Information in Many Languages
• Government of Canada Resources on COVID-19 in Multiple Languages
• Guidance for Employers of Temporary Foreign Workers on COVID-19 

The Ontario government is partnering with the federal government to provide urgent relief for small businesses and landlords affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The province is committing $241 million through the new Ontario-Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program (OCECRA)

Details to follow soon

Increasing government funding of EHT to $1 million in order to tax relief to businesses around the province so that they can focus on supporting the well-being of their employees and their continued operations. 

Click here for more information

Allows businesses, including self-employed individuals, to defer all Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) payments until June, as well as customs duties owed for imports. This measure is the equivalent of providing up to $30 billion in interest-free loans to Canadian businesses. It will help businesses so they can continue to pay their employees and their bills, and help ease cash-flow challenges across the country.

Visit the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan website for more information.

Introduced to support businesses that are facing revenue losses and to help prevent lay-offs. A subsidy of up to 75% for qualifying businesses, retroactive to March 15, 2020. Program extended until at least the end of August 2020. For information on how to apply, visit the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy webpage.

Providing more than $10 billion of additional financial support largely targeted to small and medium-sized businesses through the Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP).

• The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) is offering new and existing clients’ working capital loans of up to $2 million, with 12 months principal postponement, provided they qualify. Loans are presently offered at a 3.03% interest rates. Visit bdc.ca for more information.

Businesses have until August 31, 2020 to pay any income tax payments that become owing between March 18, 2020 – September 2020.

Visit the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan website for more information.

Download to find tailored supports to address your specific needs and questions about COVID-19.

Visit the Canada Business App website here

Took a series of actions to enhance the resilience of the Canadian financial system and help ensure that financial institutions can continue to extend credit to households and businesses, including cutting the interest rate to 0.75%.

Visit the Bank of Canada’s website for more information

Is offering principle deferments of 2 months to their existing clients and are currently still hearing survival loan applications from the small business community.

Visit Community Futures Huron for more information

The new Canada Emergency Business Account will provide interest-free loans of up to $40,000 to small businesses and not-for-profits, to help cover their operating costs during a period where their revenues have been temporarily reduced.

To qualify, these organizations will need to demonstrate they paid between $50,000 to $1 million in total payroll in 2019.

This program will roll out in mid-April, and interested businesses should work with their current financial institutions.

The financial relief package allows businesses to defer premium reporting and payments until August 31, 2020.

• All businesses are automatically eligible – there is no need to apply.

Visit wsib.ca for more information

You can find good information on COVID-19 in many languages:

• Government of Ontario COVID-Information in Many Languages
• Government of Canada Resources on COVID-19 in Multiple Languages
• Guidance for Employers of Temporary Foreign Workers on COVID-19 

• The Province is setting electricity prices for residential, farm and small business time-of-use customers at the lowest rate, known as the off-peak price, 24 hours a day for 45 days.
• For this period, the Province will not apply any penalty or interest on any late-filed returns or incomplete or late tax payments under select provincially administered taxes, such as the Employer Health Tax, Tobacco Tax and Gas Tax.

Visit Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19 website for more information.

Ontario has unveiled a sector-specific list of guidelines that businesses should follow in order to be ready when they are given the green light to re-open. These guidelines are in place to protect workers, customers and the general public from the spread of COVID-19. The full list of guidelines can be found here.

Ontario is moving quickly to support the frontlines and businesses during the COVID-19. To help remove obstacles and streamline Ontario’s ability to respond to the outbreak and navigate through it, several temporary rules and regulations have been put in place. To support your ongoing work during COVID-19, you can request a temporary regulation or policy to change here.

The Prime Minster acknowledged the hardships food producers and farmers are dealing with during COVID-19. The government is investing $252 million to help the agri-food industry.

Read more here.

Huron County Economic Development has created resources to help conduct your business remotely. 

• How to sell on Facebook
• How to set up Shopify
• Online Payment & Shipping
• Continuing to do business

Various groups have collected information and resources that can help businesses prepare to reopen as safely as possible.

• Huron Perth Public Heath
• Technical Sector Guidance Documents
• Retail Council of Canada
• Go2HR: Sector-Specific Lists of Resources
• Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety Guidelines

• $675 million to support regional economies, businesses, organizations, and communities in regions all across Canada;
• $287 million to support the national network of Community Futures Development Corporations, which will specifically target small businesses and rural communities across the country.