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TSACC Newsletter - Thursday, September 24, 2020
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Temiskaming Shores & Area Chamber of Commerce
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Dear Passenger,

As of September 22nd, 2020 Ontario Northland will require all customers to wear a face covering or non-medical mask at all times when on a bus. Drivers will be required to wear a face covering or non-medical mask at all times when they are not driving the bus (e.g. passenger loading, walking through the bus, etc.).

The health and safety of passengers and employees is our number one priority. Passengers can expect increased safety and hygiene practices while travelling on our service.
 
These include:

All passengers will be required to wear a non-medical mask or face covering at all times. Children under the age of two (2) and people with difficulty breathing unrelated to COVID-19 should not use face coverings or non-medical masks.
  • The buses have enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols, including intense cleaning and disinfecting after use.
  • An anti-microbial spray has been applied to all buses.
  • Limiting the number of seats available per bus to ensure physical distancing.
 
For more information, visit ontarionorthland.ca or call 1-800-461-8558.

Members Helping Members Shop Local

PPE, Safety Products & Cleaning Supplies
As the economy reopens in stages, we asked to hear from our members that can assist other members in planning for their re-openings.  We requested that members send in their PPE products and services, other safety products, and cleaning supplies.

Check out below to see the list we have so far.  If we are missing anyone, please send in your information to Helene at membership@tsacc.ca and she will add you to the list
Click here to Add Your Business to the List
SUBMIT A NOMINATION
VIRTUAL JOB FAIR - October 14 & October 15

CANADIAN CHAMBER ASKS GOVERNMENT TO FREEZE UNFAIR ALCOHOL TAX DURING PANDEMIC AND ECONOMIC DOWNTURN
 
Canadians, and their local restaurants and pubs, already pay some of the highest alcohol taxes anywhere in the world. Next April 1, the government is going to want even more money from cash-strapped Canadians and desperate small business owners.
 
The timing could not be any worse as the global pandemic continues to crater the Canadian economy. Just as households are struggling to make ends meet and local restaurants are disappearing, the federal government continues to apply an automatic tax increase on beer, wine and spirits.
 
 “Surely, amid a global pandemic and a once-a-century economic downturn, there is cause to stop an automatic tax increase to ensure we help everyday Canadians to cope with the impacts of COVID-19. That’s why asking the government to freeze this unfair tax increase to give consumers a break and to support the economic recovery of Canadian bars, restaurants and domestic producers,” said Perrin Beatty, President and CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Few Canadians are aware that the alcohol escalator tax automatically increases the excise duty rate on beer, wine and spirits every year on April 1. This automatic yearly increase was introduced by the federal government in Budget 2017 without any consultation or economic analysis of its impact on consumers, the food service industry, producers and their agricultural suppliers.
 
Canadians and business owners believe this automatic increase is unfair under normal circumstances, and inexcusable amid COVID-19. That is why the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with Beer Canada, Spirits Canada and various Canadian hospitality industry businesses launched the Freeze the Alcohol Tax campaign, which calls on the federal government to put an end to the unfair alcohol escalator tax in the next federal budget and give Canadians a much-deserved break.
“Hotels, restaurants and bars having been hit the hardest by the pandemic, with over a million jobs lost and thousands of restaurants closed permanently. Keeping the escalator tax in place does nothing but cause harm to businesses and the thousands of Canadians they employ,” says Luke Chapman, Interim President of Beer Canada
 
“Canadians wouldn’t stand for automatic tax increases on their take home pay, and they shouldn’t stand for it on their favourite Canadian whisky or cocktail that they enjoy as they socialize or celebrate key life moments with family and friends. Canadians elect parliamentarians to scrutinize how money is collected as well as spent, and taxes going up without such scrutiny is completely undemocratic”, said Jan Westcott President of Spirits Canada.
 
 
 
The Freeze the Alcohol Tax is a campaign led by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and is supported by:
Arterra Wines Canada
Barley Council of Canada
Beer Canada
Big Rig
Boston Pizza
CWB Franchise Finance
Firkin Group of Pubs
Foodtastic
Grain Growers of Canada
Northland Restaurant Group
Ontario Federation of Agriculture
Restaurants Canada
Service Inspired Restaurants (SIR Corp)
Spirits Canada
St. Louis Bar and Grill Restaurants
The Beer Store
 
For more information on the Freeze the Alcohol Tax campaign, who is already involved and what you can do to help, visit: https://www.freezethealcoholtax.ca/
 
About the Canadian Chamber of Commerce – Because Business Matters
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce helps build the businesses that support our families, our communities and our country. We do this by influencing government policy, by providing essential business services and by connecting businesses to information they can use, to opportunities for growth and to a network of local chambers, businesses, decision-makers and peers from across the country, in every sector of the economy and at all levels of government, as well as internationally. We are unapologetic in our support for business and the vital role it plays in building and sustaining our great nation.
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For more information, please contact:
Phil Taylor
ptaylor@chamber.ca (preferred and fastest response time)
Tax Reform: Canadians To Have Their Say Through
Canadian Chamber Review
 
Everybody agrees that Canada’s tax system is outdated and uncompetitive, but few agree on where to start. That’s where our tax review project comes in, and we want to hear from you. As COVID-19 continues to affect the ability of Canadians to come together in person, we have launched a new website, ThinkGrowth.ca, to collect your ideas on potential tax reforms that will help businesses and individuals recover from the economic impact of COVID-19.
Read the News Release
Contribute Your Ideas
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ontario government made a regulation that changed certain Employment Standards Act (ESA) rules during the “COVID-19 period.” This regulation has been amended, extending the COVID-19 period to January 2, 2021.

During the COVID-19 period (March 1, 2020 to January 2, 2021):
  • A non-unionized employee whose employer has temporarily reduced or eliminated their hours of work for reasons related to COVID-19 is deemed to be on a job-protected Infectious Disease Emergency Leave,
  • A non-unionized employee is not considered to be laid off under the ESA if their employer temporarily reduces or eliminates their hours of work or wages for reasons related to COVID-19, and
  • A non-unionized employee is not considered to be constructively dismissed under the ESA if their employer temporarily reduces or eliminates their hours of work or wages for reasons related to COVID-19.
Beginning on January 3, 2021:
  • Employees will no longer be deemed to be on Infectious Disease Emergency Leave. 
  • The ESA’s regular rules around constructive dismissal resume. This means a significant reduction or elimination of an employee’s hours of work or wages may constitute a constructive dismissal, even if it was done for reasons related to COVID-19.
  • The ESA’s regular rules around temporary layoff resume. For practical purposes, an employee’s temporary layoff clock resets on January 3, 2021.
If you need help understanding your employment standards rights and responsibilities, you can:
  • Visit Your guide to the Employment Standards Act at Ontario.ca/ESAguide.
  • Call the Employment Standards Information Centre at 1-800-531-5551 or TTY (for hearing impaired) at 1-866-567-8893. Information is available in many languages.
  • Get advice from a lawyer.
To learn more about COVID-19, employers’ responsibilities and job protections available to employees, visit Ontario.ca/COVID.

Thank you, 

Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development
Employment Standards Program
400 University Avenue, 9th Floor
Toronto, ON M7A 1T7
Canada
 

News Release

Ontario Supporting Jobs and Economic Growth in Rural Communities

September 18, 2020

New targeted intake opens under the Rural Economic Development Program

LEAMINGTON - The Ontario government is committing nearly $1 million in cost-share funding to help rural communities diversify their economies, retain skilled workers and create jobs.
Today, details about the funding were released by Ernie Hardeman, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, which is being provided through a new targeted intake of the Rural Economic Development program (RED).
"This funding will focus on diversifying regional economies and improving the competitiveness of rural businesses across the province," said Minister Hardeman. "Due to the COVID-19 crisis many people are struggling, and this funding will support job creation and investment to help lift up individuals, families and businesses."
The intake is directed at not-for-profit organizations with a mandate towards regional economic development and eligible projects would be eligible for up to 70 per cent of total costs to a maximum of $75,000 in provincial funding. Minister Hardeman also announced more than $3 million in funding cost-shared with applicants to be invested in 65 projects through a previous RED intake.
This funding will support economic development efforts such as:
  • Capital improvements to enhance an uptown arts and cultural hub to increase tourism;
  • Implementing new and accessible streetscaping to develop a more inviting downtown;
  • Waterfront development to expand and revitalize local trails.
"I am very pleased to see our government stepping up to the plate, now more than ever, to help rural Ontario," said Rick Nicholls, MPP for Chatham-Kent-Leamington. "Assisting in the revitalization of downtown Leamington and supporting not-for-profit organizations are key to helping the region on its road to economic recovery."
"The John Street Centennial Park and Shotton Parkette upgrades are just two projects in a series of initiatives we are undertaking to reinvent public spaces and attract renewed interest and investment into Leamington's uptown core," said Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald. "We are very thankful to the Province of Ontario for support through the Rural Economic Development program to help complete these key infrastructure projects."
 
 
 
 

QUICK FACTS

  • Applications will be accepted from September 21 – October 9, 2020.
  • All costs must be incurred on or before March 31, 2021. Projects will not be extended beyond that date.
  • Projects need to meet the following criteria:
    • benefit rural Ontario
    • have tangible outcomes
    • reach beyond one county, region, or district
  • The next regular intake of the RED program is scheduled to open in December 2020.
 

 

NORCAT Collaborates with Digital Main Street to Future Proof Northern Ontario Businesses
Regional Innovation Centre chosen to deliver new digital transformation program

Sudbury, ON. NORCAT, the global leader in skilled labour training and innovation services, is excited to announce it has been selected by Digital Main Street to deliver its new Future Proof program across Northern Ontario. Launched today, the Future Proof program will help entrepreneurs leverage digital solutions and adapt their businesses to regain lost revenue and become more resilient and competitive as the economy recovers in a post COVID-19 world.

The nine-month project, led by Digital Main Street, is delivered in partnership with the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Invest Ottawa, Communitech and NORCAT.

"As Sudbury’s regional innovation centre, NORCAT’s goal is to accelerate the growth of innovative companies that will drive future economic and social prosperity for Canada," says Don Duval, NORCAT CEO. "We are proud to collaborate with Digital Main Street and our regional and provincial partners to deliver the Future Proof program across Northern Ontario. By empowering small businesses with digital solutions, data insights and the tools to evolve and adapt to today’s economic climate, we can help entrepreneurs across Northern Ontario not only recover, but grow and thrive."

The Future Proof program targets small and medium-sized businesses in the retail, hospitality, service and trades sectors looking for an advanced level of support to take their established online presence and ambitious market growth plans to the next level. Through the program, business owners will have access to teams of qualified students, experienced digital marketing professionals and business advisors to develop sophisticated digital marketing plans to identify and pursue new domestic and global market opportunities through online sales.

"Ontario's small businesses are at the heart of our economy and will play a key role in its recovery. That is why we have invested in Digital Main Street. To help entrepreneurs take advantage of the increase in online commerce by supporting them to execute digital transformations, and ultimately succeed at doing business in a digital world. The Future Proof Program will help protect Ontario's main streets, support local jobs and help our economy come back stronger than ever," says The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages.

Through Future Proof, NORCAT will work with over 120 small businesses across Northern Ontario before the project’s completion in March 2021. The program is available to small business owners across Northern Ontario, including Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, North Bay, Timmins and Kenora districts.
 

"Providing businesses with the tools they need to adapt, recover and grow is a key part of our economic recovery plan throughout reopening and into the future. The Future Proof Program powered offered through Digital Main Street is just one example of how Ontario's recovery will be driven by innovation," says The Honourable Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

Future Proof is the latest initiative developed by Digital Main Street, complimenting the successful ShopHERE and Ontario Grants programs. Created through a partnership between the City of Toronto and the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas to help businesses utilize technology such as websites, social media and e-commerce platforms to grow and pursue new opportunities, Digital Main Street has engaged with over 6,000 main street businesses since 2016.

For more information please contact Lindsay Lane | NORCAT | llane@norcat.org | 705.521.8324 x337

ABOUT NORCAT

NORCAT is a leader in skilled labour training and innovation services focused on developing and delivering programs, services, and resources that enhance productivity and safety in the global skilled labour industries.


COVID-19 Technology Adoption Fund unveiled

With the goal of helping small- and medium-sized businesses get through the challenges of the pandemic, NEOnet has announced a new COVID-19 Technology Adoption Fund.

The program, supported by FedNor, will help businesses acquire digital technology, marketing, and e-business solutions to ensure survivability and retain local jobs. It will last for nine months.

“What is happening now is that the whole interaction between business owner, or service provider, and their clients, or potential clients, is no longer face-to-face as easily as it was six months ago,” said Paul Ouimette, NEOnet’s director of operations.

“The COVID-19 Technology Adoption Fund will help businesses maybe enhance what they’ve had, that they really never thought of before.

“For example, many businesses might have a simple webpage, but they never really turned on the online shopping capabilities.

“With the COVID-19 Technology Adoption Fund, there’s an opportunity to help not just businesses, but also startups, as well as Indigenous communities, and municipalities, to try to help them leverage digital technology and online e-business and online marketing, to help them survive and hopefully continue a cash flow, or engage with their constituents and their residents during these trying times.”

The program will provide funding up to $10,000, with a minimum contribution of 25 per cent from the applicant, towards the project.

The COVID-19 Technology Adoption Fund will also provide guidance and assistance.

“This opportunity is short lived,” Ouimette said.

“It’s not forever. The window of opportunity is that we must have it completed by the end of March 2021.

“We allow up to three months to complete a project, which means that by the end of December, if someone is interested in applying for these funds, their application should be in and approved, so they get a full three months to make the investments, and make the implementations they planned.”

NEOnet has outlined six main categories for projects or initiatives that could be funded — productivity, financial management, marketing, collaboration and learning, customer service and mobile working and telecommuting.

“We’re trying to be as broad as possible to help a business,” Ouimette said.

For some examples, marketing could be as straightforward as a social media campaign.

Productivity could be getting an online payment system up and running.

Financial management could be the transition to an online cloud-based accounting, financial, inventory, or logistics software program, to combat physical distancing challenges in workplaces.

Throughout the pandemic, video conferencing has become essential for many sectors and businesses to hold meetings, and the COVID-19 Technology Adoption Fund can also assist in getting team subscriptions for apps such as Zoom

“You have some people working from home, or all of your people working from home, and right now you might be doing it through email, and that’s not the most effective way to engage and stay connected,” Ouimette said.

“You may want to consider doing a Webex, or a Microsoft Teams, or a Zoom session.

“All of a sudden, you can be real-time with your people, with both voice and video.”

Ouimette noted the COVID-19 Technology Adoption Fund application process is very straightforward.

“We’re trying to make it easy enough, but we are trying to get a little bit of opportunity to know how this is going to help you,” he said.

“Because it’s not about just buying technology because there is funding available to make it less expensive for the business, the goal is to try to make sure that you can survive the pandemic and hopefully NEOnet will have a chance to help you along that path with what we’re offering now.”

NEOnet is a non-profit support agency for Northeastern Ontario.

It covers a vast territory from the north on Highway 11 near Hearst and Constance Lake First Nation, south to Temagami.

It includes the James Bay Coast, Peawanuck and Moosonee, and Moose Factory.

It provides assistance in the major areas, including outreach and education, grant and subsidy applications, and the enhancement of digital communications, both cellular and broadband.

Ouimette is proud of this partnership between NEOnet and FedNor.

“It’s the federal government that has stepped up, realizing how, although we may have challenges with communications, and access to the Internet, that’s just a fact, at least we can do other things to try to help people along that path,” he said.
LEARN MORE
Canadian Chamber Launches National ‘Our Restaurants’ Campaign
 
 
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has launched OurRestaurants.ca, a campaign dedicated to sharing stories and updates of one of the hardest hit industries by the pandemic. With the support of 14 food service businesses, representing more than 60 brands, we are putting a spotlight on the current situation faced by Canada’s restaurants amidst COVID-19 — high costs, fewer customers and government programs that are ill-equipped for the unique, long-term challenges confronting the industry — and are urging governments to take measures to ensure their survival. For more information, visit OurRestaurants.ca.
 










 


COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program for Small Business: Applications Begin August 31
 
The Government of Ontario is making $8 million available to support small business and registered charities who are struggling to pay their energy bills as a result of COVID-19. The COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program for Small Business (CEAP-SB) provides a one time, on-bill credit to eligible small business and registered charity customers to help them catch up on their energy bills and resume regular payments.
 
To apply for CEAP funding, customers should contact their energy provider. Electricity and natural gas utilities and unit sub-meter providers (USMPs) will begin accepting applications for CEAP-SB on August 31, 2020, delivering the program in accordance with rules laid out by the OEB. CEAP-SB funding is limited, with utilities and USMPs expected to process applications in the order in which they are received. Please note, submitting an application does not guarantee funding.
 
For more information, including eligibility requirements and on-bill credit amounts, visit oeb.ca/ceap.
Timiskaming Health Unit - Mandatory Masking Policy
effective Friday, July 24, 2020

Provincial Resources to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace
 
Find sector-specific guidelines and posters to help protect workers, customers and the general public from coronavirus (COVID-19) in Ontario.
 
Ontario is releasing safety guidelines to protect workers, customers and the general public from COVID-19 as it prepares for a gradual reopening of the provincial economy. These resources are available for different sectors. They will help employers and workers better understand how to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Sector guidelines contain recommendations and tips for employers on how to keep workers safe on the job. Posters for both employers and workers also offer advice on preventative actions, including physical distancing and workplace sanitation. Employers are encouraged to download the posters to print and post in the workplace.
 
As new sectors of the economy begin to reopen, additional COVID-19 workplace safety resources will be added. Ontario also has general information on COVID-19 and workplace health and safety. Learn about employers’ responsibilities and how to protect workers at work. Workers can get information about health and safety protections at the workplace.
Click here to Access Sector Guidance Notes
FULL LIST OF RESOURCES
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has compiled the public and private sector programs and initiatives available to #CdnBiz and their employees to help support them through #COVID19. Find the resources your business needs here:https://bit.ly/2JyS7Pdi
MEMBER BENEFITS

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MEMBER TO MEMBER FLYERS
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Paul Crombeen, President
Melanie Denis, 1st Vice President
Terri Culhane, 2nd Vice President
Bea Demarce, Secretary
Paul-Andre Lajeunesse, Treasurer
Jessica Caldwell, Past President 
Chuck Durrant
Tammy Mackey
Dan Dawson
Rollie Allaire
Ben Fairfoull
Jenny Adshead
Business Manager
Lois Weston-Bernstein
 
Membership & Events
Helene Culhane

ONTC Students
Isabelle Bowen
Gabrielle Gibson

 
Copyright © 2016 Temiskaming Shores & Area Chamber of Commerce.  All rights reserved.
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Temiskaming Shores & Area Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 811, 883365 Hwy 65
New Liskeard, ON   P0J 1P0

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Temiskaming Shores & Area Chamber of Commerce · 883356 Hwy 65 · P.O. Box 811 · New Liskeard, ON P0J 1P0 · Canada

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