COVID-19: Business Resources Hub

This is the Oakville Chamber of Commerce’s central hub for business resources and updates regarding COVID-19. Please visit this page often as we continue to provide the most up-to-date information. 

Order of Information Listed:
1. Recent Government Announcements for Businesses & Workers

2. Navigating the Business Support Programs

3. Vaccinations & Testing 

2. Financial Support for Businesses: Relief Programs, Grants, Subsidies, and access to capital.

3. Resources for Business: Workplace Health & Safety, Public Health Guidelines by Sector, Targeted Support, Hospitality & Hospitality Sector, Human Resources, Mental Health, Marketing & Digitization,  Manufacturing,  PPE, Self-Employed Workers, Working Remotely, and support and resources for workers.

4. Monitoring COVID-19

 

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Recent Government Announcements for Businesses & Workers 

• Ontario Moving to Next Phase of Reopening on February 17 – February 14, 2022
• Applications Now Open: COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant – February 9, 2022
• Ontario Outlines Steps to Ease Public Health Measures – January 20, 2022
• Ontario Temporarily Moving to Modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen – January 3, 2022
• Ontario Launches New Supports for Businesses – December 22, 2021
• Ontario Further Strengthening Response to Omicron – December 17, 2021
• Canada Temporarily Expands Access to Lockdown Program and Worker Lockdown Benefit – December 22, 2021
• Ontario Further Strengthening Response to Omicron – December 17, 2021
• Ontario to Raise Minimum Wage to $15 an Hour – November 3, 2021
• Ontario Releases Plan to Gradually Reopen – October 25, 2021
• Verify Ontario App for Businesses Available for Download – October 18, 2021
• Ontario Releases Guidance to Support Proof of Vaccination Policy – September 14, 2021
• Halton Region’s Medical Officer of Health Issues Amended Letter of Instructions for Business/Organizations – September 13, 2021
• Ontario to Require Proof of Vaccination in Select Settings – September 1, 2021
• Ontario Moves to Step Three of its Roadmap to Reopen – July 9, 2021
• Ontario Moves to Step Two of its Roadmap to Reopen – June 24, 2021

• Halton  offering earlier second dose appointments to more residents starting June 18 – June 17, 2021

• Accelerated Second Dose Eligibility for Ontarians – June 17, 2021

• New Venture Ontario Fund drives economic growth and creation of high-value jobs – June 9, 2021

• Canada and Ontario invest more than $115.1 million in municipal infrastructure to respond to the impacts of COVID-19 in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (including Oakville) – June 9, 2021

• Ontario dramatically ramping up delivery of rapid test kits – June 9, 2021

• Ontario to move to Step One of Roadmap to Reopen on June 11 – June 6, 2021

• Ontario releases three-step Roadmap to safely reopen the province – May 20, 2021

• Oakville Chamber and the Town of Oakville partner to deliver self-screening kits for SMEs – May 7, 2021

 

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Navigating the Support Programs for Business

• Canadian Business Resilience Network – Canadian Chamber of Commerce and the Government of Canada

• 1-888-444-3659  – Stop the Spread Business Information Line from the Government of Ontario

• Business Benefit Finder – Government of Canada 

• Financial Support by Industry – Government of Canada 

• Small Business Recovery – Government of Ontario

 

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Vaccinations & Testing 

• Rapid Self-Screening Kits for SMEs in Oakville – Oakville Chamber of Commerce and the Town of Oakville

• Rapid Self-Screening Kits for Businesses with 150+ Employees – Ontario Government

• Vaccine Resource Hub – Canadian Chamber of Commerce

• As of Friday, April 16th, eligible essential frontline workers, aged 18 years and older, who cannot work from home can book appointments online to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in Halton Region. Read Halton Region’s letter to employers. Share this information with your eligible workers and provide them with a COVID-19 Vaccine Proof of Employment Attestation Form.

 

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Financial Support for Businesses

• Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) – For Small Businesses, Corporations, Not-For-Profit Organizations, Registered Charities, and Partnerships

• Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) –  For Small Businesses, Corporations, Not-For-Profit Organizations, Registered Charities, and Partnerships

• Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) – For  Small Businesses and Not-For-Profit Organizations. Deadline: June 30, 2021

• BDC Co-Lending Program –  For Medium-size and Large Businesses

• BDC Mid-Market Financing Program –  For Medium-size Businesses

• Black Entrepreneurship Program – For Black business owners and entrepreneurs and may include start-ups and existing for-profit small businesses in Canada, including sole proprietorships, social enterprises, partnerships or co-operatives. 

• EDC Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) Guarantee – For Businesses of all sizes

• Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program (HASCAP) – For small and medium-sized businesses that have received payments either from the Canada Emergency Subsidy (CEWS) or the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) by having demonstrated a minimum 50% revenue decline for at least three months (not necessarily consecutive) within the eight-month period prior to the date of the HASCAP Guarantee application.

• Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF) – For Large Businesses

• Main Street PPE Fund – For businesses with 2 to 9 employees in the retail, accommodation and food services, repair and maintenance, personal and laundry services, gyms and yoga studios. 

• Ontario COVID-19 Worker Income Protection Benefit – Employers can make claims through WSIB for paid sick leave for their employees

• Ontario Skills Development Fund – For employers, apprenticeship training delivery agents, unions, post-secondary institutions, and community organizations. Supports projects that will help relieve pandemic-induced barriers to hiring, training and retaining workers. View the Application Guide.

• Ontario Tourism and Hospitality Small Business Support Grant – Government of Ontario – open until June 25, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

• Property Tax Rebate Grant & Energy Cost Rebate Grant – For businesses required to shut down or significantly restrict services due to provincial public health measures (In areas categorized as Control or Lockdown). 

• Property Tax Deferral Program, Town of Oakville – For businesses and residents

• Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) – For businesses with 1 to 499 full-time equivalent employees, not-for-profit organizations that provide support services to business, and not-for-profit organizations and social enterprises engaged in commercial activities.

• Short-Term Compensation Fund – For Canadian audiovisual productions

 

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Business Resources

 

Workplace Health & Safety 

• Provincial Employment Standards Call Centre (webes@ontario.ca) and Occupational Health and Safety Contact Centre (webohs@ontario.ca) to answer small business health and safety questions.

• Guide on How to Develop a Workplace Safety Plan – Government of Ontario

• COVID-19 Health & Safety Resources – Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

• COVID-19  Screening Tool for Workplaces – Government of Ontario

• Using masks in the workplace – Government of Ontario

• Resources to prevent COVID-19 in the Workplace – Government of Ontario

• COVID-19 Workplace Safety Posters – Workplace Safety & Prevention Services

 

Public Health Guidelines by Sector

• COVID-19 General Information for Halton Workplaces – Halton Public Health

• Updated Public Health Guidelines for Shopping Malls and Retail Stores – Halton Public Health 

• New guidelines for food and drink establishments – Halton Public Health

• Sports and Recreational Fitness Public Health Guidelines – Halton Public Health

• COVID-19 Sector-Specific Health and Safety Guidelines – Workplace Safety & Prevention Services

 

Targeted Support 

• Black Entrepreneurship Program – Government of Canada – For Black business owners and entrepreneurs and may include start-ups and existing for-profit small businesses in Canada, including sole proprietorships, social enterprises, partnerships or co-operatives. 

• Black Innovation Program – Government of Ontario

• The Community Building Fund – Ontario Trillium Foundation – For Tourism, Culture, Sports & Recreation Organizations – Deadline May 5

• COVID-19 Relief Fund for Francophone Non-Profit Organizations  – Government of Ontario 

• Feminist Response and Recovery Fund – Government of Canada

• Futurepreneur Program for Young Entrepreneurs – Government of Canada

• Ontario Skills Development Fund – For employers, apprenticeship training delivery agents, unions, post-secondary institutions, and community organizations. Supports projects that will help relieve pandemic-induced barriers to hiring, training and retaining workers.

• Ontario Tourism and Hospitality Small Business Support Grant – Government of Ontario – open until June 25, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

• Short-Term Compensation Fund – For Canadian audiovisual productions

• Support by Industry – Government of Canada

 

Hospitality & Toursim Industry: Support & Resources

• Ontario Tourism and Hospitality Small Business Support Grant – Government of Ontario – open until June 25, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. EDT.

• Our Restaurants Campaign – Canadian Chamber of Commerce 

• Freeze the Alcohol Tax Campaign – Canadian Chamber of Commerce 

• Business Insurance Action Team – Insurance Bureau of Canada 

• BarterPay Grants for Restaurants – BarterPay in partnership with Restaurants Canada

 

Human Resources

• Chambers Plan: COVID-19 Business Resource Centre – The Chambers Plan

• Payroll and COVID-19 – Canadian Payroll Association

 

Mental Health

• Working Towards Mental Wellness: A Toolkit for Employers – Ontario Chamber of Commerce

• Mental Health Resources – Canadian Mental Health Association

• Mental Health Resources – Workplace Safety & Prevention Services

• How to Manage Return Anxiety as the Lockdown Lifts – Mental Health Commission of Canada

• Resource Hub: Mental health and wellness during the COVID-19 pandemic – Mental Health Commission of Canada

• Support & Resources – Canadian Mental Health Association Halton Region Branch

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Monitor COVID-19

Stay up-to-date on the rapidly evolving situation, and on the nature of the virus itself, by frequently checking municipal, provincial, and national websites.

• Halton Region Public Health

• Ontario Ministry of Health

• Government of Canada Public Health

• Centre for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention: COVID-19 Resources

•  World Health Organization (WHO): COVID-19 Updates

 

 

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