This is national tourism week in Canada. "The tourism sector is one of the strongest sectors in Peterborough & the Kawarthas and until Covid-19 the sector was thriving," says Tracie Bertrand, Director of Tourism, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism. " We enjoy the benefits of having a mid-sized city, while also being a sought after rural destination in Ontario. While all businesses have been experiencing unprecedented challenges, we know that seasonal businesses rely heavily on the visitor economy from May to October to provide revenue and are uniquely affected during this pandemic due to the timing. Peterborough & the Kawarthas welcomes approximately 3 million visitors each year who spend over $300 million in our communities. The visitor economy is critical to the health of our local economy."

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on tourism activities and Ontario will continue to be under emergency orders until at least June 9, 2020.

We are learning and accepting new guidelines for retail, construction, agriculture, and the tourism sector is also developing guidelines, some of which can be found on our website peterboroughchamber.ca/business-resources-for-recovery.html

Recently, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) held a webinar with the Travel Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO), the Anishnawbe Business Professional Association and Great Wolf Lodge.  Each group talked about the challenges faced including the short Canadian season for summer tourism, labour shortages now and in the future, and concern about how these businesses fit into the current slate of government programs.

But beyond the challenges there is still a great desire to work together with government to ensure the recovery of the sector, just as happened after 9/11 and SARS.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce recently partnered with 11 other tourism and business associations to issue five suggestions to the federal government:

1. Develop clear and uniform standards for the safety of travellers and the prevention of COVID-19 transmission through a partnership of government and members of the travel industry. These could include new processes for screening travellers, taking advantage of rapid advances in relevant technologies, and other clear and uniform measures to ensure safety that are easy for travellers to understand.
2. Work with provincial governments to safely remove inter-provincial travel restrictions currently in place to allow Canadians to visit friends and loved ones and explore our country this summer.
3. Continue to assess the efficacy of restrictions on non-essential travel from the United States for any purpose: the twice extended border restriction runs until June 21 and currently discourages all visitors.
4. Thoughtfully ease international travel restrictions based on what is being done in other jurisdictions around the world, notably the European Union; the current blanket restriction applies to all foreign nationals entering Canada, runs to June 30, and it seems likely that it will be extended.
5. In concert with public health professionals and where appropriate, replace the current universal 14-day quarantine for those arriving in Canada with measures that permit international arrivals without quarantine except in instances where travellers have been in a high-risk jurisdiction in the previous two weeks. This would be consistent with what is being done in other countries. The current provisions have effectively put an end to international tourist and business travel to Canada.

The letter goes on to say:
“The highly restrictive measures in place today are not sustainable. Like the government, we want to avoid a second wave of the virus and are certain reasonable measures can be taken to help mitigate risk. It is possible to achieve these same goals with targeted, carefully considered measures.

Canadians are justifiably contemplating travel this summer but remain uncertain about the end-to-end travel experience, with confusion about border restrictions, travel advisories, quarantine rules as well as rules at airports, hotels, and on airplanes. Some clarity and consistency in this regard will be key to any hope that the summer tourism season can be salvaged.”

The notion of confusion and lack of clarity was echoed in the OCC webinar as there are still a lot of unknowns.

As parks and historic sites such as the Trent Severn Waterway (June1, 2020) continue to open, albeit with limited access and strict guidelines, the need for clarity will only continue to grow.

We encourage the government to consider the suggestions and work with the tourism industry to
ensure its continued viability.

As businesses slowly start to re-open, there is a lot of thought being given to doing so safely.  We are hearing and seeing from many local businesses how they have made adjustments to their physical spaces including signage and asking customers to schedule appointments.

Employees are being trained on procedures and how to help clients in an environment very different from what was just a few months ago.

This focus on health and economy is crucial.  The Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) recently released the results of a public survey with Campaign Research Inc., Market Research Firm.

“The survey results indicate that employers, employees and consumers need the right tools in place to feel safe and supported as we reopen the economy,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO, Ontario Chamber of Commerce. “88% of Ontarians are worried about the economy, with 50% being very worried. Meanwhile, 75% of people in Ontario 18 years of age or older are concerned about contracting COVID-19. This supports what we have been saying all along – the economy and the health of Ontarians are interdependent, and both must be addressed together.”

Meanwhile, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce (CCC) is researching and identifying policy areas that must be considered to ensuring “a sharp and lasting recovery”.  These include:

Getting Canadians Back to Work
Canada’s workforce will not be the same. In the span of one month, we went from one of the tightest job markets in history to over one million job losses. Unemployment may not return to pre-crisis levels at any point soon. Ensuring all Canadians have opportunities to participate in the recovery will be essential for inclusive growth and widespread job creation.

Immediate Needs:

• Childcare

With schools being closed until September, employees with children may not have the ability to return to work as they would if schools were in operation.  As with everything else in this pandemic flexibility is required.  The Premier has said that childcare centres will be re-opening under Stage 2 of the provincial framework, but that may not be an option for everyone and it is not clear when that stage will begin.  Can the employee continue to work from home?  Should businesses consider helping employees with childcare either offering it onsite or in home if the ability exists?   We know that some facilities have been open and offering services to frontline workers.  What are the protocols for these spaces and how are they working?

• Government Programs

There is some concern that there is not as much take-up as hoped for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
program.  How do you balance personal benefit programs with those available to businesses to ensure continuity?  Will eligibility for programs be adjusted in the future to recognize the re-opening efforts?  For example, some sectors such as live performances and tourism-related businesses will be later in returning than others such as retail.

Planning for Small and Medium Business Continuity
Emergencies, like pandemics, natural disasters and cyber attacks, pose unique challenges for small- and medium-sized businesses. Most will not recover at the same pace as larger businesses and many will not survive the crisis. SMEs will need substantial tools and resources to help them maintain operations and adapt to a different economy. They will also require help to prepare to weather the next crisis, including advice on legal/human resource issues, cash management, maintaining operations, cybersecurity
and adopting business models with less physical presence (e.g., remote working and e-commerce).

Immediate Needs:

• Help with Adaptation

Small businesses are struggling with the cost of adapting to the new guidelines on top of other challenges.  Grant programs and/or tax credits to help with these added costs before they even reopen would go a long way to helping in the recovery.   

Manage debt and deficit
Canada will enter recovery with substantial new public and private debt. Federal and provincial governments used ample fiscal stimulus in an unprecedented health crisis, and further support may be necessary to avoid a prolonged economic downturn. Personal and private sector debt is also going to expand as households struggle to make payments and firms borrow to preserve their operations. Canada will have to walk a fiscal tightrope between reducing debt and deficits and maintaining a competitive tax system that encourages business investment and economic growth.

Immediate Needs:
Transparency around repaying debt
Once the economy is in full recovery mode, governments should be encouraged to develop repayment plans as to how they will reduce debt and deficits built up during the crisis.  Transparency around these plans for
residents and businesses will help people prepare for this eventuality.

There is a lot to think about and a lot of change to absorb and apply to everyday situations.

Businesses are opening and we encourage consumers to follow the guidelines set out by the businesses with regard to physical distancing, sanitary procedures and safety measures.  We ask that you are patient and work together to support our local businesses.   

The COVID-19 pandemic curve is starting to flatten and Canada needs a plan to restart the economy.
The shutdowns to protect public health showed the complexity of the supply chains that keep our economy going. The gradual re-starting of our economy is equally complex and will require lead-in time for businesses to prepare. This includes understanding what public health rules will be in place and what
businesses can expect.

Getting the re-opening right will ultimately lay the ground for a sustainable recovery. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has developed five key areas that need to be part of the country’s strategy to re-open the economy quickly and safely:

Providing Advice to Government
The crisis has shown the best policy is made when it widely draws upon the advice of civil society, including businesses both large and small across sectors. The conversations need to start now in a structured manner to ensure that governments at all levels are receiving the best possible advice to minimize
unintended consequences.

International Best Practices
Industrialized economies around the world are beginning the domestic processes to restart their economy. We should use this opportunity to learn from what is working and what is not working in other
comparable jurisdictions.

Interprovincial Alignment
Both in good times, and through the pandemic, we have seen the perils of misalignment between provinces and territories. Companies that operate across provincial and territorial boundaries need to have clarity and
consistency to minimize confusion and ensure as seamless a reboot as possible. Companies also need to have clarity on public health rules as well as access to PPEs to meet those public health guidelines.

Government Financial Assistance
Temporary financial support programs have been crucial to help some companies stay afloat through the pandemic. However, there is also a need to ensure sustainable public finances. What are the conditions that should guide how the already announced financial support programs are successfully concluded?

International Trade
As a country dependent on the movement of goods and services to support the economy, it is crucial for Canada to stay plugged into the global economy. Border closures rolled out in response to COVID-19 have been justified to protect public health, but will be gradually rolled back.

Companies will need certainty and lead-in time to fully re-engage with the global economy as these measures are lifted.

We need to continue hearing from the business community
What issues will impact your company or sector as Canada begins to re-open?

What kind of public health guidance will you require from governments?

The high level of collaboration among governments, businesses and civil society managing this pandemic should give Canadians confidence about our collective ability to deal with the long-lasting changes it will bring.

Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill knew a thing or two about getting through a crisis. His advice certainly rings true when you are in business in the middle of a pandemic.

It’s been hell…

Let’s face it, a lot of small business owners are barely hanging on. Depending on the sector, business has either stopped dead, pivoted to another line of business, or adapted to meet safety standards for their
employees and the public. While there is a significant portion of the economy still operating, no one is
unaffected.

This week the Federal Government and the provinces unveiled pan-Canadian principles to restart the economy. Ontario also released a framework for re-opening the province. The emphasis is on safety, and rightly so. Getting the recovery wrong would likely mean plunging back into lockdown, so let’s be smart about it. While the Provinces are all talking about a phase-in approach, with benchmarks, Ontario’s plan is as follows:

Stage 1

• opening select workplaces that can meet current public health guidelines
• allowing essential gatherings of a limited number of people
• opening some outdoor spaces
• continued protections for vulnerable populations

Stage 2

• opening more workplaces with significant mitigation plans
• opening more public spaces
• allowing some larger public gatherings
• continued protections for vulnerable populations

Stage 3

• opening all workplaces responsibly
• relaxing restrictions on public gatherings
• continued protections for vulnerable populations

Rather than establishing a timeline, the Ontario Government will wisely use a range of criteria, including:

• a consistent two-to-four week decrease in the number of new daily COVID-19 cases 
• sufficient acute and critical care capacity, including access to ventilators and ongoing availability of personal protective equipment 
• approximately 90% of new COVID-19 contacts are being reached by local public health officials within one day, with guidance and direction to contain community spread ongoing testing of suspected COVID-19 cases, especially of vulnerable populations, to detect new outbreaks quickly

Every business should be studying these guidelines, not only for which “Stage” they likely fit into, but for clues as to what they will need to do in order to fit the criteria. Think about how your business will “meet current public health guidelines”, or open with “significant mitigation plans” and “continued protections”.
Every business should be studying how the “essential services” are doing it. How can you mimic the grocery stores, the construction sites, the manufacturing facilities, the alternative methods of product or service delivery – everything from curbside pick-ups to Zoom meetings.

Ask yourself if your current physical space will be safe. How can you train staff in safe practices, and enforce them? Will you have to limit the number of people in your store? Can you deal with lineups? What if
someone tries on a pair of jeans?

Obviously, everyone wants to know “When?”, but until we can answer that question, “How?” is a great way to be spending your time.

The Retail Council of Canada provides lots of tips and tricks here: retailcouncil.org/coronavirus-info-for-retailers/covid-19-health-and-safety-resources/

You may belong to an industry association that has developed specific
guidelines. The Chamber is polling our members looking for guidance, tips and tricks.

We will continue to share information from you, and with you. Meanwhile, we continue to focus on our three key deliverables:

Influence – From the earliest days we have been lobbying all three levels of Government to provide meaningful and effective programs to help the business community through the pandemic. We have also
lobbied successfully for modifications. Here is a look at what we have asked for, and what has been
delivered: peterboroughchamber.ca/government-advocacy.html

Profile – For businesses who have remained open, modified how they provide service, pivoted to a new line of business, or transitioned to an online offering, we have promoted everyone through our social media channels, emails, our newsletter, Zoom interviews and more. If we’ve missed you, please let us know, and be sure to tag us in your own social media posts. Our new Gift Card program, launched last week, has over 80 businesses listed already, and is generating revenue. Be sure to register your business, not-for-profit, farm products etc., and feel free to do some shopping to support your local business community at the same time: www.peterboroughchamber.ca/gift-cards.html

Knowledge – Our dedicated web page is updated daily. It includes a comprehensive list of links to every
Government relief program, information from local experts, FAQ’s, health and safety information and increasingly – information on recovery. Here is the link: peterboroughchamber.ca/covid-19-pandemic-preparedness.html

Peterborough City and County have proven again and again through the COVID-19 crisis that we are a community that cares about the people and the institutions, businesses, and not-for-profits that call this place home.   

We know it hasn’t been an easy five weeks and it’s going to be a while before we return to anything that’s close to what normal was.   But we heard this week from the province that the physical distancing
measures in place are working and we have to keep going.  We know that the province has an
emergency order in place until May 12th and that if that’s going to signal the start of a phasing-back we have to keep going.

There is a lot of planning going on, with businesses finding new ways to interact with their clients and each other.   

Here are a few tips we have picked up through various sources:
Stay in Contact

• Reach out and check in. Call your clients, customers and suppliers if you have their numbers. A personal touch is extremely important. Ask them how they are doing, both personally and professionally.
• Be honest and listen. Be upfront with clients and suppliers about your issues as soon as possible so they can start to deal with the situation. Be ready to hear them out. Your clients will likely have a lot of questions, and it is important to answer them to the best of your ability.
• Get your message out there. How can you help?  How can people help you?  Can you offer gift cards?  Have you signed up for the various gift card programs? Are you reaching your customers through different mediums such as radio, television, paper and social channels?

​Keep Planning

• Go for a virtual coffee. Is there a business that you’ve always wanted to work with?  Reach out and give them a call. Perhaps with another business at your side you can solve a problem that separately seemed insurmountable.   
• Don’t abandon your goals. Give them a relook and see if any projects that were planned for “down the road” can be moved up and worked on now.
  
• Be creative. Think about your product and service in a new light.  Almost a back-to-the-beginning thought process. What would you do differently?  Perhaps by reviewing how you got to your current goal you can find a new path forward. Can programs from Community Futures, BDC, or your financial institution get new projects rolling?
  
• Beef up your online presence. How can e-commerce be right for you?  Is this an opportunity for your business?  Programs like the free Digital Main Street Program offered by DBIA and PKED.

The amount of information on government programs is overwhelming but the Chamber is here to help and pass on your concerns to municipal, provincial, and federal governments.  So keep those ideas flowing.   

Since COVID-19 was deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11th some days have felt like years, and some days have felt like minutes, and left disaster in their wake.

All at once it is a health crisis, a people crisis, and an economic crisis.  In the context of COVID-19 governments have been pushed to speeds unlike those that have been seen in recent times and what was normal, while desired and yearned for, has a
feeling of less significance than the focus on seeing this pandemic run out of steam.
In a matter of days and weeks, Canada’s governments at all levels have enacted measures that would normally take 18-24 months to be designed and actioned.  It has required a massive mindset shift to a laser focus on what needs to be done and how to get it done.

People have been called upon to stay at home, change the way they live, and to rely on the virtual rather than the human for most communications.  It’s brought about changes in how we work, what we work at and how to move forward.  This pandemic has revealed the variations in our economic make-up and how one-size-fits-all plans, while perhaps more simple to administer, don’t often cast the net wide enough to capture all who need to be caught.  There will be questions and discussions
about how this could change once our service to country is complete.

For the business community, this has been a time that has challenged and led to light speed changes both negative and positive.  In this vein, there are businesses who have retooled their operations to help front line and essential workers do their jobs
effectively, but there have also been entrepreneurs whose life’s purpose and business have fallen away from them through no control of their own. There will be questions and discussions after about what it means to prepare for the unimaginable and what measures can help pivot and support more quickly.

Recovery can be viewed in many ways. For Peterborough City and County, I know we will recover. I know we will thrive even. I know this because the entire community continually demonstrates that all aspects of this community are important.

“We are in this together” started here, is lived here and will be the legacy of here.

The following definition of recovery from Merriam & Webster’s Dictionary struck a chord:
Recovery is:

1. the act or process of becoming healthy after an illness or injury: the act or process of recovering.
2. the act or process of returning to a normal state after a period of difficulty.
3. the return of something that has been lost, stolen, etc.

I see us, collectively, in each of those statements.

Over the coming weeks you are going to hear about a recovery plan from Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED).  This plan offers short, medium, and long-term actions that can be undertaken to ensure that the business community is supported.  The Peterborough Chamber of Commerce is playing a role in the development of this plan and will play a role on the recovery team, as will other members of the #TeamPtbo taskforce.  The plan must receive approval from City and County councils and be endorsed by the PKED Board of Directors to move forward.  This is expected to happen in the coming weeks.  It will be important work and it won’t be easy, but rest assured the team pushing the plan forward will be committed to
success.

On April 9th, 2020, the Ontario government launched a new Ontario Jobs and Recovery
Committee which will focus on getting businesses up and running and people back to work after the COVID-19 pandemic is over.

The mandate of the committee is to develop a plan to stimulate economic growth and job creation in the weeks and months ahead.  The Committee will be consulting with a wide variety of people to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the provincial economy and develop an action plan to move forward, including business associations,
chambers of commerce, municipal leaders, corporate leaders, small business
owners, and entrepreneurs.
As such, for both of these plans moving forward it means an understanding of
the needs of our businesses, from solo to small to medium and to large is required.  The plans must apply to those with unique circumstances, those with or without employees, those that have ideas for improving on the foundation of what was once normal.

As was the case with the collapse, recovery will be individual, will require a different mindset, and may even solidify a new path forward that has opened up during this pandemic.  And yes, it may very well be just as traumatic as the slowing of the economy on our businesses as those same businesses try and re-start the engine.
Around the world and around the country we are starting to see different ways to recover.  Quebec has re-opened a few industry sectors, Saskatchewan is looking to
do the same, and in Asia and Europe the roots of recovery are slowly starting to form.  There will be set backs, undoubtedly there often always are, but our community, our business community will persist and support.    

There is no solid time frame for coming out the other side and that’s frustrating and really hard, but we can think, we can plan, and we can be ready.

Grady's Feet Essentials
“Kelli and Tony went completely out of their way to help me out today. I work a mostly desk job at the hospital and Covid19 will have me thrown into a new role my footwear wasn’t prepared for, my dress shoes aren’t going to cut it and my runners are worn out. I have issues with my feet and ordering online has not worked for me in the past. With pretty much everything closed or closing I asked for assistance online and Kelli answered my call with a great suggestion and plan to get me shoes while keeping both of us safe. I have so much gratitude and respect for the Grady’s
helping me out in these difficult and different times!” – Sabrina

Many thanks to Sabrina for the wonderful recommendation. It is our pleasure to help front line workers and anyone else requiring comfortable footwear, insoles or accessories while our Lansdowne Place Mall location is closed due to COVID-19.
We provide Free home delivery to the Peterborough area. Please reach out to us at gradys@cogeco.net for assistance or gradys.ca
- Kelli & Tony Grady

PRHC Foundation
We have been honoured and humbled by the response from local businesses and members of our community who have rallied alongside us to help raise funds to support PRHC's COVID-19 response efforts. We have loved seeing the creativity and
thoughtfulness behind each fundraiser! We could not be more grateful for our community's generosity during these challenging times.
If you are planning a fundraiser or business promotion in support of PRHC Foundation, please let us know – It’s easy:

1. Reach out to Jane Lovett at the PRHC Foundation by emailing jlovett@prhc.on.ca to share your idea
2. We will work with you to help ensure your plan to support our hospital is successful
3. Once your fundraising idea is registered with us we will help promote it through our social media channels

Thank you for standing behind PRHC's frontline healthcare professionals. Together, we will get through this.

Harco Enterprises & Merit Precision
A collaboration between Peterborough companies being led by Harco Enterprises Limited with support from Merit Precision is working to build Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).   Harco Enterprises is using its skills to retool and make plastic and rubber components that can hold and attach face shields, worn by medical professionals and first responders.  Many other local manufacturers such as AVIT Manufacturing are also offering up their expertise to help.

Hannamar's Bridal
We knew we were saving 30 years of scrap material for something important! Time to give back to our amazing community #peterboroughontario

Within the past two days we have made 70+ masks to donate to Peterborough Regional Health Center and Fairhaven LTC.

Fighting #covid19 together!

Chemong Family Dental
Dropped off our PPE donation to @prhc1 ! Between our offices we were able to donate 6000 gloves, 500 masks, 86 gowns, hand sanitizer and face shields.

We encourage you to donate certified PPE if you can, or if you can sew, they’re also looking for mask donations in order to preserve certified PPE for health care providers and support staff.

To our healthcare heroes, we thank you for your courageous work

La Mesita Restaurante
UPDATE: As of April 4, 2020. Thank you to everyone who has stepped up to make the surgical caps. Our friend is overwhelmed by your response! She is only asking for surgical caps, not the masks as they cannot use them. Any items made can be dropped off at our restaurant. We will deliver them to her and she will take care of
making them safe for use and then distribute them at PRHC. We knew we had amazing customers who would jump at the opportunity to help! You have proven it!!

Comfort Keepers Peterborough
Corey, 2 of our team members and I have delivered approx 30+ orders of groceries in 2 weeks! Well done team and here’s hoping we can stay healthy to continue supporting our seniors.

Thank you to each household for staying home and keeping everyone safe.
Thank you to Sobeys for maintaining the cleanliness of your store, your staff smiling and happy, and the other customers for keeping their distance!

Thank you to Fully Promoted Canada (Peterborough) for the donation of reusable bags!

Find all your business resources here:
www.peterboroughchamber.ca/covid-19-pandemic-preparedness.html

This will be a high-level overview of the programs and we encourage you to check out the above website as all programs for the federal, provincial, and municipal governments can be found through the COVID-19 Business Resource Portal.

Deferred Items:

• Federal individual tax filing due date
• Federal tax payments
• Federal tax instalment payments
• GST/HST Instalment payments
• Employer Health Tax (also an expense reduction)
• WSIB premiums
• Municipal property taxes (City of Peterborough & Township of Selwyn)
• Canada Student Loan repayments

Expense Reduction Items:

• Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
• Employer Health Tax (also a deferred item)
• EI Work-Sharing Program

Loans:

• Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) (also a partial grant)

Replacement Income Items:

• Employment Insurance (EI)
• Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)

Tax-Free Benefit Items:

• GST Credit
• Canada Child Benefit (CCB)

A resource created by Chamber member Matthew Savino and his team at Savino Human Resources Partners is also extremely helpful.

The flowchart  is designed to help people navigate Employment Insurance and the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

Our staff at the Chamber, all working from home, are focussed on two things: providing answers and lobbying all levels of government for meaningful support for both employers and employees.

Government Announcements
The biggest announcement this week, so far, was the Ontario Government’s closure of all non-essential businesses. Here is the link to the list of what is essential vs non-essential.  This is a list of 74 categories of business that could remain open at this time.

One sentence from the government website we know is causing some confusion is: “This does not preclude the provision of work and services by entities not on this list either online, by telephone or by mail/delivery.”

Here is what we heard from MPP Dave Smith's office:
"If your business is not listed as an essential business and you have a bricks and mortar location, that location must be closed by 11:59pm on Tuesday, March 24, 2020.  If your business is able to operate online, by telephone, or by mail/delivery you may continue to operate."

Our dedicated website is being updated daily and is considered the go-to source for quality, filtered information. If you need information about any announcement from any level of government; links to the proper government agencies; or available support locally, provincially and federally, you’ll find it here:

www.peterboroughchamber.ca/covid-19-pandemic-preparedness.html

One of the big areas of confusion is around employment.  Also on our website you will find links to:

1. Employment Insurance
2. The Temporary Wage Subsidy
3. The new Canada Emergency Response Benefit  This will provide a taxable benefit of $2,000 a month for up to 4 months in certain cases.  This benefit replaces the previously announced Emergency Care and Emergency Support Benefits.

And here are two existing Employment Insurance programs that may also prove to be useful:

1. Supplementary Unemployment Benefit Program - This program allows employers to submit a plan to top up their employees on EI.
2. Work-Share Program - This program could also be helpful, as it could help certain businesses keep running by offering a job-share program.

Lobbying
We continue to meet by conference call almost daily with all three levels of government.  We are listening to you and learning what works and what doesn’t. For example, the announced 10% wage subsidy compares to as much as 80% in other Countries.  The question from business is: Is it better to lay people off and swamp the employment insurance system, or to provide a wage subsidy that allows employers to keep people employed? This is a key policy position of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, and we anticipate some movement on this issue.

This lobbying/advocacy work is the core work of the Chamber in good times, let alone now. Thus it is important that our membership remain strong.

Not only do we appreciate the support of our existing members, but to the businesses that have reached out and joined our Chamber in the past week, thank you. As the situation evolves we are confident that we can continue to provide “Influence, Profile, Knowledge” to our members.

Information is key
A consortium of local organizations involved in economic development have already provided our elected leaders with an important temperature check about what is really happening in the business community. A second survey has just been released today, and will also provide important information for all three levels of government as they design a strategy to support the business community.