Since the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the Yarmouth & Area Chamber of Commerce has been working to keep our members and the business community informed and up to date on available resources and funding programs. We continue to support local business as we approach reopening the economy.
We have worked to put together resources that will help you plan to reopen your business and/or operate your business safely.
Re-opening Webinar (recording) - COVID Reopening Presentation
Chamber COVID Re-opening & Recovery Guide
COVID-19 Business Risk Assessment V2.1
Sector Specific Advice
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- NEW: Emergency Community Support Fund
- Expanding & new programs for businesses
- Boost for essential wage workers
- Re-Opening the Economy: First statement
- Coronavirus Global Response
- Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance:
- CMHC: CECRA for Small Business
- Canada Emergency Response Benefit
- Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
- Women's Entrepreneurship Strategy
- Small and medium-sized businesses unable to access other support measures
- BDC Support for Canadian businesses
- Rural Businesses and Communities
- Assisting Innovative and Early-Stage Businesses
- Non-profit and Charitable
- Work Sharing program
- Support for Sectors
- Industry Strategy Council
- Wellness Together Canada
- Canada Emergency Business Account. Apply through:
- Creating New Jobs and Opportunities for Youth
Canada Revenue Agency - Helping Canadians with the economic impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic / l’Agence du revenu du Canada - Aider les Canadiens avec l'impact économique de la pandémie de COVID-19 English | French
What Canada’s Regional Development Agencies are doing to help business during the COVID-19 pandemic / Ce que font les agences de développement régional (ADR) du Canada pour aider les entreprises pendant la pandémie de COVID-19:
English: HTML - PDF version
French: HTML - Version PDF
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) – Employment and Social Development Canada/Emploi et développement social Canada – COVID-19 English | French
Department of Finance - Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan: Support for Canadians and Businesses / Ministère des Finances : Plan d'intervention économique du Canada pour répondre à la COVID-19 English | French
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Resources for Canadian businesses / Maladie à coronavirus (COVID-19) : Ressources pour les entreprises canadiennes English | French
Work-Sharing Program - Temporary special measures / Programme de travail partagé - Mesures spéciales temporaires: English | French
- NEW: Regional Relief and Recovery Fund
- NEW: Reactivation of the Nova Scotia economy
- Bonus for healthcare workers
- Covid-19 Restriction Update
- Business Navigators
- Work Safe for Life
- Small Business Impact Grant: The deadline to apply for the Small Business Impact Grant was Saturday, April 25.
- Worker Emergency Bridge Fund
- Employer Assessment Tool
- Procurement Opportunity
- Small Business Rent Deferral Program
- Red Cross Fundraiser
- Occupational Health & Safety Tips
- Update to the Tenancy Act: Landlords are not permitted to change locks or seize property of businesses who cannot pay rent, if the business closed directly because of COVID-19 public health orders.
- Measures to Help Vulnerable Nova Scotians
- CUA Financial Assistance Program
- Support for Municipalities
- NSCC: Business Support during COVID-19
- Mental Health Well-Being Support
- Volunteer Nova Scotia
- Nova Scotia Consultant Directory
- Construction Safety Nova Scotia: Covid-19 Safe Work Practices Toolkit
NOVA SCOTIA SECURITIES COMMISSION LAUNCHES COVID-19 INVESTING INFORMATION WEBPAGE
The Nova Scotia Securities Commission has launched a new webpage and online video to provide COVID-19 investing information to the public.
The new webpage compiles all news, releases, notices and blanket orders issued to provide relief for a number of individuals or applicants from a regulatory requirement about COVID-19 by the commission, the Canadian Securities Administrators and the North American Securities Administrators Association.
The website can be found here
START UPS OFFERING SUPPORT TO SMALL BUSINESSES
Innovacorp has provided two of its investment portfolio companies, Securicy and LeadSift, $50,000 each to help them and their clients navigate the COVID-19 situation.
Securicy in Sydney will use the funds to deliver a free IT security offering to Nova Scotia small businesses, particularly those that can benefit from the company’s new offering for remote employees. Halifax-based LeadSift will use the funds to offer a free sales lead data analytics solution to local small businesses in the B2B market, who will be increasingly reliant on such a tool given reduced sales-related travel.
LOCAL MANUFACTURERS RESPONDING TO MEET PPE NEEDS
Stanfield’s Nova Scotia businesses are responding to the needs of our frontline workers in incredible ways. Local clothing manufacturing company, Stanfield’s, has retooled its production line to create medical gowns for health-care workers. The company has signed a new contract with government that will see it provide 480,000 gowns over the next few weeks.
My Home Apparel
After the Premier told people to “Stay the Blazes Home” at last Friday’s news conference, Miriah Kearney, founder and CEO of My Home Apparel of Truro, saw an opportunity to help raise money to support relief efforts. The company, who works with Stanfield’s, designed a collection of clothing with the slogan and is donating 100% of the proceeds to Shelter Nova Scotia, Feed Nova Scotia and the QEII Covid Response Unit.
The collection went online at 1 p.m. on Saturday and within 8 hours the company raised $45,000.
The sold-out collection was restocked on Monday evening. You can view the collection, and other items My Home Apparel has at www.myhomeapparel.com
DEFERRED FEES
Government has deferred fees from 10 departments to offer some help around payment pressure. Fees include business renewal fees, permits, and licenses and will be deferred until June 30. A searchable database will be posted at www.novascotia.ca/coronavirus/fees on Friday, April 10. Additionally, Workers Compensation premiums have been deferred, representing an additional $60m that can stay in the hands of businesses as we navigate the next several months.
NOVA SCOTIA ACCESS CENTRES
To reduce the spread of COVID-19, government temporarily closed Access Centres across the province. On March 23, locations in Amherst, Bridgewater, Dartmouth, Kentville, Stellarton, Sydney, and Yarmouth reopened. The locations are by appointment only and for urgent RMV transactions only.
Some of the services offered through Access Nova Scotia and Registry of Motor Vehicle Offices are available online at https://www.novascotia.ca/sns/access/online-services.asp
TELUS Virtual Express Sessions - Every Tuesday
A quick and concise review of 4 key areas of technology to support work continuity in the context of COVID-19. Register here
CHAMBER WEBINARS
OTHER RESOURCES Register here for Grant Thornton Meeting
Check out these recorded webinars from the Moncton Chamber
Grant Thornton - Incentives and Cash Flow: How to Manage Your Business Through COVID-19
Destination Canada recorded webinars
Nova Scotia Business Inc - Webinars and other resources
- Read and download the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Pandemic Preparedness document.
- Canadian Business Resilience Network
- Policy Tracker
FAQ FOR BUSINESS
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has prepared an FAQ, which is updated daily, with answers to the questions members are asking about the government supports for business. Access it here.
RESERVISTS READY CAMPAIGN
Now more than ever, reservists are an important segment of our workforce. We are pleased to collaborate with Canada Company to make you aware of its Reservists Ready Campaign.
As announced by the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Jonathan Vance, there is a good chance that our Reserve Force members will have to play a key role in Canada’s national response to the COVID-19 emergency. Canada Company, therefore, invites you to pledge to immediately make all your reservist employees available should they be required for full-time service. Organizations that pledge are encouraged to contact Canada Company at info@canadacompany.ca so it can make sure to include your commitment when it shares the results of this campaign with the Minister of National Defence and the Chief of the Defence Staff.
Canada’s Big Six to Provide Financial Relief Plans
- MNP COVID-19 Business Advice Centre
- Virtual Strategy Sessions with SMU Entrepreneurship
- NSBI Workshops
DELOITTE
EY
- To help you navigate through the COVID-19 crisis, here you’ll find the most relevant EY insights on structured crisis management, enterprise resilience and planning for recovery: Responding to COVID-19
- Explore the latest EY webcasts from around the globe:
GRANT THORNTON
Finding the way forward: Guiding businesses through coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Worker Emergency Bridge Fund
- Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
- Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy: Case 2 - Eligible for only Period 3
- Canada Emergency Response Benefit
- Canada Emergency Business Account
- BDC – 7 Steps to Ensure the Health of Your Business
- Canadian Payroll Association:COVID-19 payroll Q & A document
- Canadian Centre for Occupation Health & Safety: here and here
- Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Guide What to do if an employee tests positive for COVID-19
- Canada’s Premiers Provinces and territories: Taking action on COVID-19
- Food & Consumer Products of Canada COVID-19 Operations Best Practices for Industry
World Health Organization COVID-19 - Business and Employees / Organisation mondiale de la santé – Entreprises et employés
English version
Council of Canadian Innovators – COVID-19 Slack Channel (you must create an account)
English Slack Channel Link Facebook: Business Resource Hub Uber Eats
Tweet | Blog post | Press release Innovative Medicines Canada COVID-19: Working Together on a Solution Innovative Medicines Canada: Statement on Canada’s Drug Supply / Déclaration portant sur l’approvisionnement en médicaments English | French
