 Ontario Stage Two Reopenings
Toronto on hold for now
A regional approach to reopening starting June 12th applies to those businesses in designated regions that can adhere to public health guidelines for their type of business. Toronto and some other regions of the GTHA are excluded for now.
The plan ensures that only communities who haven’t seen new cases of COVID-19 for weeks can start to reintroduce services and re-open businesses. Read the full plan for Stage Two re-opening
Based on data and public health modelling, Toronto will not adopt Stage Two re-opening measures yet, as the GTHA continues to see a steady incident rate.
There are select measures which will take effect in all regions of Ontario, including Toronto, on June 12:
Once businesses and services in Toronto may reopen
With proper health and safety measures in place as part of Stage 2, the business and services on Roncesvalles permitted to reopen will include:
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Outdoor dine-in services at restaurants, bars and other establishments, including patios, curbside, parking lots and adjacent properties;
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Select personal and personal care services with the proper health and safety measures in place, including tattoo parlours, barber shops, hair salons and beauty salons;
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Curbside pickup for libraries
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Weddings and funerals, with limits on social gatherings to 10 people.
Also of note, given the proximity of such amenities to Roncesvalles and their potential for shared visitors, are:
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Water recreational facilities such as outdoor splash pads and wading pools, and all swimming pools;
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Beach access at Ontario Parks;
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Outdoor-only recreational facilities and training for outdoor team sports, with limits to enable physical distancing;
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Drive-in and drive-through venues for theatres, concerts, animal attractions and cultural appreciation, such as art installations;
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Film and television production activities, with limits to enable physical distancing; and
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Tour and guide services, such as bike and walking, bus and boat tours, as well as tasting and tours for wineries, breweries and distilleries;
Guidance
The government, in partnership with health and safety associations, has released more than 100 health and safety guidance documents at Ontario.ca/COVIDsafety to help employers in multiple sectors ― including retail, restaurant and food services and child care ― keep spaces safe for workers and customers. As they prepare to reopen, employers are strongly advised to review these guidance documents and implement appropriate measures to help protect their workers and customers.
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QUICK FACTS
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For questions about what is currently able to open during Stage 1, or what will be open or impacts to your business or employment when we enter Stage 2, call the Stop the Spread Business Information Line at 1-888-444-3659.
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The Ontario Jobs and Recovery Committee wants to hear directly from people and organizations from all regions and sectors to help inform the next steps in Ontario’s Action Plan in response to COVID-19. You can provide your input here.
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Visit Ontario.ca/reopen to learn how you can provide your feedback on the impacts of COVID-19 on personal finances, business supports and government relief measures.
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On April 1, 2020, the government launched the $50 million Ontario Together Fund to support the development of proposals submitted by businesses and individuals through the Ontario Together web portal and help businesses retool their operations.
The government has launched the Workplace PPE Supplier Directory to provide businesses with information on personal protective equipment (PPE) suppliers. Access the PPE directory. |
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Moratorium on Commercial Tenant Eviction
Commercial Tenancies Act changes afoot to protect small businesses
The Ontario government announced yesterday that it intends to take action to protect commercial tenants from being locked out or having their assets seized by their landlords due to the negative impacts of COVID-19.
The proposed changes to the Commercial Tenancies Act would, if passed, temporarily halt evictions of businesses that are eligible for federal/provincial rent assistance. If passed, the legislation would reverse evictions that occurred on or after June 3, 2020. The government intends to bring this legislation forward as soon as possible.
In partnership with the federal government, Ontario is committing $241 million to the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses which is providing more than $900 million in support. CECRA for small businesses provides forgivable loans to eligible commercial landlords to help cover 50 per cent of commercial rent for tenants for the months of April, May and June 2020. The tenant will be responsible for covering up to 25 per cent of rent, so that up to 75 per cent of the rent is covered. Tenants and landlords can learn how much they may be eligible for by visiting Ontario.ca/rentassistance.
If passed, the proposed legislation would make it illegal to evict a commercial tenant until August 31, 2020.
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CaféTO Increasing Dining Capacity for Toronto's Restaurants
 CaféTO, an initiative to create more outdoor space for local restaurants and bars, will make it easier for businesses to open and expand patios and access additional outdoor space for physical distancing during the summer months. The program will allow the City to act quickly to help restaurants and bars when the next phase of reopening begins.
If you are interested, please let send an email by Wednesday, June 17 to events@hypitchmarketing.com with the name of your business, address and direct contact information. We need to submit our list to the City to schedule an appointment with the designated engineers to review our sidewalk and curb potential.
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Patio Extensions for Licensed Establishments
Yesterday, the Attorney General for Ontario announced changes to cut red tape and make it easier and faster for licensed establishments to extend an existing licensed patio or add a new one, once they are permitted to open. This change will allow bars and restaurants to open or extend patios quickly once they are permitted to open.
These opportunities will be available to all licensed establishments, whether or not they currently have a patio, and will be subject to any additional requirements set out by the AGCO and municipality (such as by-laws or other restrictions). When permitted to re-open, licensees will be able to extend an existing licensed patio or add a new one to accommodate social distancing, provided that the patio extension is adjacent to their licensed premises. This will provide an opportunity for the public to safely enjoy service that meets physical distancing requirements and other public health guidelines.
All of this builds on changes the Attorney General made early on in this public health emergency to support the hospitality sector, including allowing licensed restaurants and bars to offer takeout and delivery of alcohol with food orders, extending all liquor licenses for three months at no extra cost to licensees and reducing the minimum price restaurants and bars are required to sell spirits for by 33 per cent.
For more info, please look for an email sent today to our food services members from us.
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Returning to Work
As more people return to work, the services they rely on will need to be available regardless of the stage a region is in. The province will soon release more details on:
- Child care
- Summer camps
- Post-secondary education pilots to help people graduate
- Training centres
- Public transit
Everyone, regardless of where they live in the province, must continue to follow public health advice, including to practise physical distancing, wear a face covering if physical distancing is a challenge, wash hands frequently and thoroughly, and avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
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Sidewalk Decals
Beginning this week, two students will begin installing our Physical Distancing reminder sidewalk decals along Roncesvalles, weather permitting.
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MBA Students in Action Starting This Week
 In case you missed our all-member email this week, let us remind you of the free business support services on offer to Members of the RVBIA over the next few weeks through the MBA Students in Action program from the Rotman School of Management.
They will be providing support in the following areas:
- Digital Transformation, e.g. e-Commerce site development
- Digital Marketing
- Financial Advice
- Grant application assistance
If you did not respond to the survey or the email, but wish to tap into these services, please contact Gauraang Dhal at gauraang.dhar@rotman.u
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Declaration of Emergency Extended Again While Ontario Gradually Reopens the Economy
New legislation will allow for more virtual or remote transactions during COVID-19
The Ontario government is extending the Declaration of Emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. This additional time will ensure the province has the necessary tools and health care capacity to contain COVID-19, while gradually reopening businesses, services, and amenities safely.
The Declaration of Emergency has been extended until June 19. The declaration will allow Ontario to continue to enforce current emergency orders, such as restricting retirement and long-term care home employees from working in more than one facility and prohibiting events and gatherings of more than ten people.
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RVBIA STAFF
Executive Director, Veronica Feihl - manager@roncesvallesvillage.ca
Social Media Manager, Daniele Stoddard - daniele@roncesvallesvillage.ca
Phone: 416-537-2701: Veronica, ext. 1, Daniele, ext. 2
We are here to assist as we can. Let us know how else we can help?
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