Kate Yurkovich
Associate
Guide
Published09 November 2020
COVID-19: Ontario economic support programs
137
minute read
Ontario economic support programs
Ontario declared a provincial state of emergency under the province's Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act on March 17th, 2020. On April 11, 2020 the Ontario government announced that all emergency orders that have been put in place to date under s.7.0.4 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act will be extended until April 23, 2020. On May 12, 2020 the Ontario Government announced that the declaration of emergency will be extended further until June 2, 2020. On May 19, 2020, the Ontario Government announced that all emergency orders that are currently in force have been extended until May 29, 2020. On May 27, 2020, the Government announced that all emergency orders that are currently in force under s.7.0.2(4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act have been extended until June 9, 2020. On June 2, 2020, the Ontario Government announced that all emergency orders that are currently in force have been extended until June 30, 2020.
In June 6, 2020, the Ontario Government announced that all emergency orders currently in force under s.7.0.2(4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act have been extended until June 19, 2020. Additionally, due to COVI-19's unprecedented impact on the justice system, the province is extending the suspension of limitation periods and time periods in proceedings until September 11, 2020 under s.7.1 of the Emergency and Civil Protection Act. On June 24, 2020, the Ontario Government announced that all emergency orders currently in force under s.7.0.7 of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act have been extended until July 15, 2020. On July 9, 2020, the Ontario government extended all emergency orders currently in force that were made under s.7.0.2(4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to July 22, 2020. On July 16, 2020, the Ontario Government announced the extension of most emergency orders currently in force under s.7.0.2 (4) of the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) until July 29, 2020.
On March 25, 2020, Ontario's Minister of Finance announced the March 2020 Economic and Fiscal Update, "Ontario's Action Plan 2020: Responding to COVID-19.
On April 27, 2020, the Ontario Government released A Framework for Reopening our Province which outlines the criteria Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Heath and health experts will use to advise the government on the loosening of emergency measures, as well as guiding principles for the safe, gradual reopening of business, services and public spaces. Ontario officially entered stage one of its Framework for Reopening the Province on May 19, 2020.
On July 21, 2020, the Ontario Government passed Bill 195 Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020and Bill 197 COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020.
The purpose of Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 is to ensure important measures remain in place to address the threat of COVID-19 once the provincial declaration of emergency has ended. These measures provide the province with the necessary flexibility to address the ongoing risks and effects of the COVID-19 outbreak as Ontario moves towards recovery. The Act will come into force on July 24, 2020 to coincide with the termination of the declared provincial emergency. On August 20th, the Ontario government administered a press release on the extension of the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 until September 22nd, 2020. However, the Education Sector order will end on August 31st, 2020, and the Limitation Periods order will end and suspended time periods will resume running on September 14th, 2020. Most orders passed under this Act were again extended on October 20, 2020 until November 21, 2020, as announced by a press release from the Ontario government. The orders were also amended to clarify that dance classes were permitted, with conditions, under the modified Stage 2 regulations.
The COVID-19 Economic Recovery Act, 2020 will help create jobs and generate development by getting key infrastructure projects built faster. It will also strengthen communities by ensuring municipalities are equipped with the tools they need to continue to provide critical services, along with protecting consumers, modernizing services, improving the education system and removing social and economic barriers for young people.
On September 25, 2020, the Government of Ontario announced new operating restrictions on restaurants, bars, and night clubs, effective September 26, 2020. Strip clubs were ordered to be closed from September 26, 2020.
On October 2, 2020, the Ontario Government announced, through a press release, a pause on any further reopening for an additional 28 days. Face coverings were made mandatory in all public indoor settings across the province, including businesses, facilities, and workplaces. Effective October 3, 2020, businesses in Ottawa, Peel, and Toronto were placed under additional restrictions. Indoor capacity at restaurants and other food and drink establishments was limited the greater of the number of patrons who can maintain a physical distance of at least 2 meters or 100 patrons, no more than 6 patrons at a table, and requiring the collection of contact tracing information. Seating at event and meeting facilities was limited to six people per table and 50 people per facility. All group exercise classes were limited to 10 individuals, and a maximum of 50 people per facility.
On October 9, 2020, the Ontario government announced modified Stage 2 restrictions in Toronto, Ottawa, and Peel. Effective October 10, 2020 all indoor gyms and fitness facilities, cinemas, casinos, performing arts centres, spectator areas in racing venues, and interactive exhibits with a "high risk of personal contact" in museums, galleries, and zoos were required to close. Restaurants, bars, and other food service venues were prohibited from offering service indoors. Personal care services where face coverings must be removed for service, including beard trimming, facials, and makeup application, were also prohibited. Limits on social gatherings in these areas were lowered to a maximum of 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors where physical distancing can be maintained. The measures are expected to remain in place for at least 28 days, and will be reviewed on an ongoing basis.
On October 16, 2020, the Ontario government announced that the modified Stage 2 restrictions would also apply to York Region, effective at 12:01 a.m. on October 19, 2020.
On November 3, 2020, the Ontario government announced changes to the levels of restrictions aimed at slowing the spread of COVID-19. Instead of the previous 3-stage framework, the new guidelines have 5 stages ranging from "Prevent", which was similar to the previous Stage 3, to "Lockdown", which is similar to the modified Stage 2. The decision to enter a new phase is based on a variety of criteria which includes the weekly incidence of new cases, the R0 rate, test positivity, hospital and ICU capacity, and the ability of public health units to process tests. Comprehensive details about the criteria used for each stage, and what is permitted in each can be found on a PowerPoint presentation dated November 3, 2020. As of November 9, 2020, only the Peel and Toronto Regions are at a modified Stage 2/Control. The applicable restrictions for each public health unit will continue to be updated on the COVID-19 Levels by Region webpage.
In this section:
- Health care
- Economic support for businesses
- Economic support for individuals
- Economic support for families / Child care
- Support measures offered by other Ontario organizations
HEALTH CARE
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COVID-19 Contingency Fund |
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DESCRIPTION |
Ontario's Minister of Finance announced on March 25, 2020 that the province would dedicate $1 billion to a COVID-19 contingency fund for emerging needs related to the COVID-19 outbreak. |
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LINKS |
March 26, 2020 news release can be found here. The Ontario Government's March 25, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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Increased Investment into Healthcare |
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DESCRIPTION |
Ontario's Minister of Finance announced on March 25, 2020 that the provincial government is taking the following measures:
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's March 26, 2020 news release can be found here. The Ontario Government's March 25, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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Measures to Protect First Responders |
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DESCRIPTION |
The Ontario government has made an emergency order that will allow police, firefighters and paramedics to obtain COVID-19 positive status information about individuals with whom they are coming into contact The information disclosed will be limited to an individual's name, address, date of birth, and whether the individual has had a positive COVID-19 test result. |
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ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY |
Once the declaration of emergency is lifted, this data will be made inaccessible to first responders. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's April 6, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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Creation of Ontario Together |
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DESCRIPTION |
The Government of Ontario has created a new website, Ontario Together, to assist the government and manufacturing sector partners with redirecting resources towards the production of essential medical equipment. On June 2, 2020, the Ontario Government announced that three companies, Sterling Industries, SRB Technologies, and Southmedic will be receiving support from Ontario together to re-tool their processes and increase their capacity to make personal protective equipment. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's June 2, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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Support for Mental Health and Addictions |
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DESCRIPTION |
The Government of Ontario is providing an additional $14.75 million to increase access to mental health and addictions services across the province. The investment is provided through the Support for People and Jobs Fund. |
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ACCESS & ELIGIBILITY |
According to the government's news release, the funding is being distributed as follows:
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's September 10, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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A Roadmap to Wellness |
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DESCRIPTION |
The Government of Ontario is providing an additional $176 million this year to expand access for mental health and addictions supports during the pandemic. The funding is part of a broader initiative that will invest $3.8 billion over 10 years to build a modernized and comprehensive mental health and addictions system. |
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ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY |
Funding commitments include:
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's October 7, 2020 news release can be found here. The Ontario Government's October 21, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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Keeping Ontarians Safe: Preparing for Future Waves of COVID-19 |
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DESCRIPTION |
The province has announced a suite of investments as part of its COVID-19 fall preparedness plan. The plan is designed to help the province quickly identify, prevent, and respond to any scenario in order to protect communities. |
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ACCESS & ELIGIBILITY |
Funding commitments have been made to a variety of areas, including:
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's September 22, 2020 news release can be found here. The Ontario Government's September 24, 2020 news release can be found here. The Ontario Government's October 1, 2020 news release can be found here. The Ontario Government's October 14, 2020 news release can be found here. The Ontario Government's October 27, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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Ontario's Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover |
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DESCRIPTION |
The Ontario government announced a variety of funding measures, projected at $15.2 billion, to support health care services as part of its 2020 budget. |
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ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY |
Key budget measures related to health care include:
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LINKS |
The Ontario government's highlights of its 2020 budget dated November 5, 2020 can be found here. |
ECONOMIC SUPPORT FOR BUSINESSES
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Legislative Changes to allow Corporations to Operate Virtually and Electronically |
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DESCRIPTION |
The province is permitting Ontario corporations to conduct virtual meetings and to defer certain annual meetings in specified circumstances and is allowing the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services to accept copies of documents, electronic signatures on documents, and electronic filing of documents. These changes are part of COVID-19 Response and Reforms to Modernize Ontario Act, 2020. Additionally, the COVID-19 Response and Reforms to Modernize Ontario Act, 2020 will permanently allow the Ministry to accept copies of documents signed by electronic signature, providing greater flexibility to businesses moving forward. Legislative amendments to the Corporations Act, the Business Corporations Act, the Co-operative Corporations Act and the Condominium Act, 1998 related to virtual meetings and the deferral of annual meetings in some circumstances, are in force and retroactive to March 17, 2020, the day the Declaration of Emergency came into effect. To enable businesses to file copies of documents, documents signed by electronic signature and temporary electronic filing to the Ministry, the Alternative Filing Methods for Business Act was introduced along with legislative amendments to the Business Corporations Act, Business Names Act, Corporations Act, Corporations Information Act, Co-operative Corporations Act, Extra-Provincial Corporations Act, Limited Partnerships Act, and the unproclaimed Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 (to take effect upon proclamation). |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's May 22, 2020 news release can be found here. The COVID-19 Response and Reforms to Modernize Ontario Act, 2020, SO 2020, c 7 – Bill 190 |
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Flexibility for Corporations Conducting Director and Shareholder Meetings |
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DESCRIPTION |
On March 31, 2020, the Ontario Government issued a temporary order suspending certain provisions of the Ontario Business Corporations Act and the Corporations Act. The temporary changes permit corporations to conduct shareholder and director meetings through virtual or electronic means, despite conflicting provisions in a corporation's by-laws or constating documents. The order also extends deadlines for director and shareholder meetings. |
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ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY |
The temporary changes apply retroactively as of March 17, 2020. |
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LINKS |
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Temporary Doubling of the Employer Health Tax Exemption |
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DESCRIPTION |
The government proposes to retroactively raise the EHT exemption from $490,000 to $1 million for 2020. The exemption would return to its current level of $490,000 on January 1, 2021 |
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ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY |
Private-sector employers (except registered charities) with total annual Ontario remuneration over $5 million, and public-sector employers are not eligible for the exemption. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's March 25, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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Interest and Penalty Relief from Provincially Administered Taxes |
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DESCRIPTION |
Commencing April 1, 2020 the penalties and interest will not apply to Ontario businesses that miss filing or remittance deadlines under the following provincially administered taxes:
The relief period will run for 5 months. During the relief period, penalties and interest will not apply to late returns or remittances made under these tax programs. |
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ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY |
The relief period is available to all Ontario businesses that are required to file returns and make remittances under the listed tax programs. Businesses will not be required to provide any documentation supporting their reasons for late‑filing or payments and they will not be required to advise the Ontario Ministry of Finance of their inability to meet their deadline(s). |
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LINKS |
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Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit |
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DESCRIPTION |
The province will be helping to support regions lagging in employment growth with a proposed new Corporate Income Tax Credit, the Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit. The credit is a 10 per cent refundable credit for capital investments in regions of the province where employment growth has been significantly below the provincial average; the credit would be available to eligible businesses that construct, renovate or acquire commercial and industrial buildings in designated regions. |
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ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY |
Eligible Corporations - A Canadian-controlled private corporation that makes qualifying investments that become available for use on or after March 25, 2020 in specified regions[1] of Ontario Qualifying Investments - Eligible expenditures for capital property included in Class 1 and Class 6 for the purposes of calculating capital cost allowance. Spending Requirement - Expenditures in excess of $50,000 and up to a limit of $500,000 in the taxation year. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's March 25, 2020 news release can be found here. Information about the Regional Opportunities Investment Tax Credit can be found here. |
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Postponement of Property Tax Reassessment |
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DESCRIPTION |
Assessments for the 2021 taxation year will continue to be based on the same valuation date that was in effect for the 2020 taxation year. |
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ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY |
All property taxpayers. |
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LINKS |
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Deferrals on Workplace Insurance Premiums |
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DESCRIPTION |
The province will be making available $1.9 billion in support through deferrals on workplace insurance premiums. The measure will run through the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) allowing employers to defer premium payments for up to six months. The WSIB will cease interest accrual on all outstanding premium payments and will not charge penalties during the six-month period. |
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ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY |
All businesses covered by the WSIB's workplace insurance are automatically eligible. No action is required from eligible businesses to take advantage of this financial relief package, however participation is optional. For more information see WSIB's website. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's March 26, 2020 updated news release can be found here. The Ontario Government's March 25, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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Acceleration of Essential Construction Projects |
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DESCRIPTION |
The government of Ontario is extending construction hours for essential construction projects to 24 hours a day. The government will temporarily limit local noise bylaws from applying to these types of essential construction activities, beginning April 7, 2020. |
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ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY |
The extension of hours will only apply to projects deemed to be essential construction projects such as new hospital builds, expansions, and temporary COVID-19 assessment centres. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's April 8, 2020 news release can be found here |
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Support for the Agri-food Sector Supply Chain |
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DESCRIPTION |
The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $1 million in new funding to connect workers with in-demand jobs in the agri-food sector during the COVID-19 pandemic. The program will be implemented through the Canadian Agriculture Partnership. The program will help primarily agriculture, food processing companies and grocery retailers to recruit and train workers who are important to keeping the essential food supply chain functioning. |
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ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY |
Through the Partnership's Place to Grow: Agri-Food Innovation Initiative, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) will immediately accept applications and will expedite the approval process to help address sector labour concerns quickly. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario's Governments April 17, 2020 news release can be found here. See the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Place to Grow: Agri-Food Innovative Initiative webpage here |
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COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund |
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DESCRIPTION |
The Ontario COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund provides research institutions with funding to contribute to global efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Applicants are invited to submit proposals that:
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ACCESS AND ELIGIBILITY |
Eligible Institutions include:
The Ontario COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund will pay the requested eligible:
The program's contribution includes both direct and indirect cost support. There is no maximum funding amount that you can request per grant. All funding requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. This program does not have a match component. However, where applicable, you should outline in your application whether the proposed project is co-funded by any other funding agency. Applicants can submit an application through the Ontario Together portal here. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's April 18, 2020 news release can be found here See the Ontario Governments COVID-19 Rapid Research Fund webpage here |
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Staffing Flexibility for Retirement Homes |
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DESCRIPTION |
A temporary order has been made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to help retirement homes address emergency staffing needs. The order provides retirement homes with more flexibility to recruit and reassign staff to address the impacts of COVID-19. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's April 3, 2020 news release can be found here. O. Reg 118/20 – Work Deployment Measures in Retirement Homes can be found here. |
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Mandatory Management Orders for Long-Term Care Homes |
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DESCRIPTION |
On May 13, 2020, the Ontario government adopted an emergency order allowing the province to issue a mandatory management order for a long-term care home struggling to deal with a COVID-19 outbreak. The order makes amendments to the Long Term Care Homes Act, 2007. This measure is in addition to the actions under the mandate of the Incident Management System Long-Term Care Table. This table is composed of health care professionals who make immediate decisions to deal with issues related to staffing levels, infection management and resources during the COVID-19 outbreak. The IMS table also facilitated assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces into five homes and deployed 150 hospital teams to support staff in other long-term care homes. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's May 28, 2020 news release can be found here. The Ontario Government's May 13, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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Regulatory Amendments to the Retirement Homes Act, 2010 |
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DESCRIPTION |
On May 30, 2020, the Ontario government made amendments to the Retirement Homes Act, 2010 regulation, enabling the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) to better support seniors living in retirement homes during the COVID-19 outbreak. The regulation change increases the emergency payment the RHRA can pay to eligible retirement home residents from $2,000 to $3,500. In the event of an emergency, such as an outbreak, this funding can be used to support residents to cover costs for transportation, alternative accommodation or temporary care. The regulation change also requires retirement homes to report infectious disease outbreaks to the RHRA during COVID-19 and beyond. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's May 30, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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Staffing Flexibility for Services Providing Supports to Adults with Disabilities |
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DESCRIPTION |
A temporary order has been made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act to help services providing supports to adults with disabilities address emergency staffing needs. |
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LINKS |
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Relief for Non-Profit Social Services Organizations and Charities |
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DESCRIPTION |
Ontario's Minister of Finance announced on March 25, 2020 that the province will enhance funding by $148 million for charitable and non-profit social services organizations such as food banks, homeless shelters, churches and emergency services to improve their ability to respond to COVID-19, by providing funding directly to Consolidated Municipal Service Managers and District Social Service Administration Boards who would allocate this funding based on local needs. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's March 25, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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Ontario-Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program (OCECRA) |
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DESCRIPTION |
The Ontario Government is partnering with the Canadian Government to provide urgent rent relief to small businesses and landlords. The province is committing $241 million through the new Ontario-Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program (OCECRA). The total amount of provincial-federal relief that would be provided is more than $900 million, helping to ensure small businesses are ready to reopen their doors when the emergency measures are lifted. The OCECRA will provide forgivable loans to eligible commercial property owners experiencing potential rent shortfalls because their small business tenants have been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. |
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ACCESS & ELIGIBILITY |
The OCECRA would be administered by the CMHC and would be available until September 30, 2020. Support would be retroactive to April 1, covering April, May and June 2020. Eligibility requirements
To receive the loan, property owners will be required to reduce the rental costs of small business tenants for April to June 2020 by at least 75 per cent and commit to a moratorium on evictions for three months. For more information on eligibility, see the Ontario Government's backgrounder on OCECRA here. Applications for the program opened on May 29, 2020. Applicants can visit the Ontario Government's Website here to determine how much rent support they may be eligible for. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's May 29, 2020 news release can be found here. The Ontario Government's April 24, 2020 news release can be found here. See the Ontario Government's backgrounder on OCECRA here. See the Prime Minister's announcement on April 24, 2020 here. |
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Agri-Food Open for E-Business Initiative |
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DESCRIPTION |
The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $2.5 million through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to help the agri-food sector expand online. The Agri-Food Open for E-Business initiative will help food producers, farmers markets, retailers, garden centres, greenhouses, nurseries, and agricultural associations develop online business, providing consumers with greater access to a wide variety of food and agriculture products. This targeted application intake features two funding streams: Bring Your Business Online: Eligible organizations and businesses can apply for a grant of up to $5,000 to establish an online e-business and marketing presence. Funding under this stream will be quick and responsive for those needing immediate solutions. Develop Online Business Opportunities: Eligible organizations, businesses and collaborations can apply for cost-share funding of up to $75,000 to implement high-impact projects. |
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ACCESS & ELIGIBILITY |
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) will immediately accept applications and expedite the approval process to help businesses and organizations develop, expand and enhance their current online presence. See OMAFRA's website here for information on how to apply. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's April 24, 2020 news release can be found here. See Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's news release dated April 24, 2020 here. |
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New Tool to Support Trucking Industry |
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DESCRIPTION |
The Ontario government is offering a new free 511 app which will provide truck drivers immediate access to the information they need to stay safe, fed and rested while delivering essential goods across the province during the COVID-19 outbreak. The Ontario 511 app provides images from over 600 cameras and includes up-to-date highway information on construction, collisions and road closures. It also identifies open rest areas and locations throughout the province that offer food and fuel. The app includes an easy to use map view and features a drive mode that provides hands free audio alerts. |
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ACCESS & ELIGIBILITY |
The Ontario 511 pilot app is available for free on the App Store and Google Play. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's April 30, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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COVID-19 Tracking the Barriers website |
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DESCRIPTION |
The Ontario government is launching the COVID-19: Tackling the Barriers website to help businesses overcome the unique challenges created by the global pandemic. Businesses working to retool their operations to produce health-related products, or those that want to continue their operations in this new environment of physical distancing, can submit any potential roadblocks to the website. The province is prepared to allow temporary changes to provincial rules and regulations in order to remove any barriers that are hindering business and negatively impacting Ontario's supply chain. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's April 28, 2020 news release can be found here. Visit COVID-19: Tracking the Barriers here. |
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The COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program – Small Businesses |
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DESCRIPTION |
The Government of Ontario has announced that it will provide $8 million in funding to provide support to businesses struggling with bill payments as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. |
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ACCESS & ELIGIBILITY |
Applications for this program will be made available in the coming months. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's June 1, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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Support for Industrial and Commercial Electricity Consumers |
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DESCRIPTION |
The Ontario Government is taking steps to defer a portion of Global Adjustment (GA) charges for industrial and commercial electricity consumers that do not participate in the Regulated Price Plan for the period starting April 2020. The initiative will provide companies with temporary immediate relief on their monthly electricity bills in April, May and June, 2020. The government intends to keep the emergency order in place until May 31, 2020, and subsequent regulatory amendments would, if approved, provide for the deferral of these charges for June 2020 as well. |
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ACCESS & ELIGIBILITY |
The GA rate for smaller industrial and commercial consumers (i.e., Class B) has been set at $115 per megawatt-hour, which is roughly in line with the March 2020 value. Large industrial and commercial consumers (i.e., Class A) will receive the same percentage reduction in GA charges as Class B consumers. Subject to the approval of subsequent amendments, deferred costs would be recovered over a 12-month period beginning in January 2021. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's May 1, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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Protective Measures in Place for Workers During Tree Planting Season |
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DESCRIPTION |
The Ontario Government is making $3.5 million available to help put protective measures in place for the workers who plant trees this season. Funds will be used for larger camp facilities and additional kitchens to provide more space, as well as extra personal protective equipment, plastic partitions for transporting workers and more wash stations. |
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LINKS |
The Ontario Government's May 7, 2020 news release can be found here. |
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Agri-food Workplace Protection Program |
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DESCRIPTION |
The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing $2.25 million in provincially licensed meat processing plants to better protect employees and ensure the continued supply of healthy products for consumers during the COVID-19 outbreak. Through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership (the Partnership), the first stream of the Agri-food Workplace Protection Program will provide funding to implement COVID-19 health and safety measures in provincially licensed meat plants, including purchasing additional personal protective equipment, redesigning workstations, supporting employees who require mandatory isolation, and work-site mobility and transportation. In addition, the federal and provincial governments are further investing up to $2.25 million to help farmers better protect employees and ensure the continued supply of healthy food products for consumers during the COVID-19 outbreak. The second intake of the Agri-food Workplace Protection Program aims to help farmers enhance health and safety measures to prevent the spread of the virus. The funding will be used for initiatives like purchasing personal protective equipment, enhanced cleaning and disinfection, and redesigning workstations. Support is also available for farmers who experience unexpected costs for housing and transportation as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak among on-farm employees. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) is now accepting applications and will expedite the approval process to help support workplace health and safety in the agri-food sector. Eligible applications will be received and assessed on a continuous basis, while funding is available. On June 12, 2020, the Government of Ontario announced that it is expanding the Agri-food Workplace Protection Program and committing up to $15 million to enhance health and safety measures on farms and in food processing facilities. The Enhanced Agri-food Workplace Protection program provides cost-share funding for farmers to purchase Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and implement workplace modifications and other measures. |
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ACCESS & ELIGIBILITY |
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) will begin accepting applications on May 12, 2020 and will expedite the approval process to get the necessary support to the agri-food sector faster. Eligible applications will be received and assessed on a continuous basis, while funding is available. More details on the program are available on the Ontario Government's website here. |
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LINKS |
The Government of Ontario's May 14, 2020 news release can be found here. The Government of Ontario's May 8, 2020 news release can be found here. See Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's May 14, 2020 news release here. See Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's May 8, 2020 news release here. |
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Canada-Ontario Job Grant Program |
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DESCRIPTION |
The Canada-Ontario Job Grant provides direct financial support to individual employers or employer consortia who wish to purchase training for their employees. It is available to small, medium and large businesses with a plan to deliver short-term training to existing and new employees. Employers can get up to $10,000 in government support per person for training costs. The training that is implemented must be delivered by an eligible, third party trainer. Employers with over 100 employees need to contribute ½ of the training costs. Small employers with less than 100 employees need to contribute 1/6 of the training costs. For employer groups who want to apply for training supports the government offers a COJG Consortium Stream. The Consortium Stream allows a group of employers (two or more employers) to pool their resources to support common training objectives and goals. To apply as a consortium, the intermediary organization needs to ensure all the participating employers and trainees meet COJG requirements, and are able to make their required contribution towards the training cost. |
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ACCESS & ELIGIBILITY |
Employer Eligibility Requirements:
Employers can apply online through the Ontario Government's website here. |
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LINKS |
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The Eastern Ontario Development Fund (EODF): Business Stream |
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DESCRIPTION |
Through the Business Stream of the Eastern Ontario Development Fund, the Province of Ontario will provide up to 15% of eligible costs for projects that support business investment and economic development in the region. |
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