We know the Southwestern Nova Scotia business community is doing their due diligence and carefully monitoring developments related to the impacts of the Coronavirus. The Yarmouth and Area Chamber of Commerce continues to monitor all developments and advocate on behalf of all businesses to all levels of government.

Here to Support You

The Yarmouth & Area Chamber of Commerce is here to support you through this crisis.

Review the materials below and if you need further assistance please reach out to us as we are here to help guide you. Get in touch by contacting Rick:

902-740-5251

rallwright@yarmouthchamberofcommerce.com

 

Resources

The following is a gathering of the resources that we are aware of. We will continue to update this on a regular basis and encourage you to check back often.

Re-Opening & Recovery

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

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health & Safety has published the following sector-specific tip sheets:
 
The Government of Ontario have provided the following sector-specific guidance since the COVID-19 crisis began that may help developing your Operational Plan:
 
Chamber COVID-19 Email Updates
Federal Resources

 

 

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: HTMLPDF version
French: HTMLVersion 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 EnglishFrench

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

Provincial Resources

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

How to Support Local
Webinars

 

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

Canadian Chamber of Commerce

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.

Financial Institutions & More
Business to Business Support

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)

Other Information

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

The Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) is a nonprofit organization that delivers an objectives-based program for massively scalable, seed-stage, science, and technology-based companies.

CDL has announced a Rapid Response Innovation Program,  CDL Recovery and they are asking for your in recruiting ventures and teams for this accelerated, virtual program.

The coronavirus is not only a global health crisis - it will change the way people live their lives and restructure business and economics in ways that remain to be seen. The goal of CDL Recovery is to leverage a curated network of highly competent  mentors and investors to commercialize science based innovation in two specific areas or focus:

  • Public Health: Rapid Testing, Digital Health, Vaccinology/Immunology, Virtual Care, etc.
  • Economic Recovery: Digital/Virtual Work, Digital Learning, Automation, Supply Chain Optimization and Logistics, Security, Surveillance and Cybersecurity, Food security, etc.

Please note that the participant ventures for CDL Recovery are not just startups, and could include a solution developed by a large company, a team of individuals that are not incorporated, a partnership between a startup, SME or large company, or any other combination. To discuss prospective ventures that could leverage this unique opportunity please use this  application link.

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