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Helping Ontario's arts organizations build, manage and finance sustainable facilities.
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Province announces temporary closure
for Ontario cultural facilities
As the Omicron variant continues to increase COVID-19 case counts across Ontario, the Province announced earlier today that it will be temporarily moving into Step Two of its Roadmap to Reopen with modifications.

New restrictions impacting cultural facilities and organizations include the public closure of museums, galleries, landmarks, historic sites and festivals.

This will take effect starting on Wednesday, January 5, 2022 at 12:01 a.m. for at least 21 days (until January 26, 2022), subject to trends in public health and health system indicators.

These measures include:
  • Reducing social gathering limits to five people indoors and 10 people outdoors.
  • Limiting capacity at organized public events to five people indoors.
  • Requiring businesses and organizations to ensure employees work remotely unless the nature of their work requires them to be on-site.
  • Closing indoor meeting and event spaces with limited exceptions but permitting outdoor spaces to remain open with restrictions.
  • Public libraries limited to 50 per cent capacity.
  • Closing indoor concert venues, theatres, cinemas, rehearsals and recorded performances permitted with restrictions.
  • Closing museums, galleries, zoos, science centres, landmarks, historic sites, botanical gardens and similar attractions, amusement parks and waterparks, tour and guide services and fairs, rural exhibitions, and festivals. Outdoor establishments permitted to open with restrictions and with spectator occupancy, where applicable, limited to 50 per cent capacity.
Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program
In recognition of the impact the Omicron variant and additional public health measures have on small businesses, the government is expanding the new Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program. Eligible businesses that are required to close or reduce capacity will receive rebate payments for a portion of the property tax and energy costs they incur while subject to these measures. Eligible businesses required to reduce capacity to 50 per cent, such as smaller retail stores, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 50 per cent of their costs, while businesses required to close for indoor activities, such as restaurants and gyms, will receive a rebate payment equivalent to 100 per cent of their costs. A full list of eligible business types will be made available when applications for the program open later this month.

Provincial tax payment deferrals for businesses
To improve cash flows for Ontario businesses, effective January 1, 2022, the government is also providing up to $7.5 billion for a six-month interest- and penalty-free period for Ontario businesses to make payments for most provincially administered taxes, supporting businesses now and providing the flexibility they will need for long-term planning.

The Province of Ontario is also exploring options for providing further targeted and necessary supports for businesses and workers impacted by the province’s move into a modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen, including grants.

ArtsBuild Ontario will keep you updated on any further announcements regarding new support initiatives.

Read the full press release from today's announcment here.
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ArtsBuild Ontario acknowledges that our office is located in the 44 Gaukel Creative Workspace, which is in a settler facility built on the traditional territory of the Attawonderonk, Anishinaabek, and Haudenosaunee peoples. 44 Gaukel is located in what is now Kitchener, Ontario, which is situated on the Haldimand Tract, land promised to Six Nations, and includes six miles on each side of the Grand River from the source of its mouth.

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