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Daily COVID-19 Update: June 12, 2020

Supports for Business

Maintaining and Strengthening Canada’s Food Production and Processing Sector

The government today announced the $77.5 million Emergency Processing Fund (EPF) as part of the Government of Canada’s action to support Canadians and businesses facing hardship as a result of COVID-19.

The program will prioritize projects based on two objectives:

  • Emergency COVID Response to assist companies to implement changes required by COVID-19 to ensure the health and safety of workers. This funding will assist with:
    • plant retrofits or adjustments to existing operations to accommodate changes to processes and production; and
    • increasing capacity for herd management.
  • Strategic Investments to assist companies to improve, automate, and modernize facilities needed to increase Canada’s food supply capacity.

Eligible applicants include for-profit organizations, cooperatives and indigenous groups. Activities can be retroactive to March 15, 2020 and must be completed by September 30, 2020.Information on the application process is available through the Emergency Processing Fund or to learn more, please contact aafc.epf-fut.aac@canada.ca or call: 1-877-246-4682.

Bill C-17 To Allow Deadline Extensions For Federal Corporations 

On June 10, 2020, a new bill was tabled in the House of Commons that will allow the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry to issue orders to extend various deadlines for federal businesses, not-for-profits, cooperatives, and boards of trade. 

Bill C-17 affects the following acts administered by Corporations Canada: 

  • Canada Business Corporations Act 
  • Canada Not‑for‑profit Corporations Act 
  • Canada Cooperatives Act 
  • Boards of Trade Act

The bill grants authority to extend the period for holding annual meetings and, for boards of trade, the deadline for filing annual summaries. We will provide more information as soon as it is available

Supports for Individuals

Temperature Screening to Be Required for Travellers at Canadian Airports

Today the government announced an additional measure to this framework. The Government of Canada will now require temperature screenings for all passengers travelling to Canada or travellers departing Canadian airports for either international or domestic destinations.

For international flights to Canada, air operators must conduct temperature screenings at the point of departure, unless the local authority has an equivalent measure in place, in addition to the existing required health check questions for symptoms prior to boarding.

Within Canada, Canadian Air Transport Security Authority screeners will conduct the temperature screening of passengers as part of departure screening procedures. This is in addition to the health screening questions and the wearing of face coverings that are already required for all passengers.

The Government of Canada is taking a phased approach to implementing temperature screening.

  • Phase 1: By June 30, 2020, all air operators will be required to conduct temperature screenings of all passengers travelling to Canada prior to departure from international or transborder points of departure.
  • Phase 2: By the end of July, temperature screening stations will be placed in the departure section of the four major airports that are currently identified as the only Canadian airports for international travel (Montréal, Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver).
  • Phase 3: By September 2020, temperature screening stations will be in place in the departure sections of the next 11 busiest airports in Canada (St. John’s, Halifax, Québec City, Ottawa, Toronto – Billy Bishop, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Kelowna, Victoria).

All passengers who have an elevated temperature and do not have a medical certificate to explain a medical or physical condition that would result in an elevated temperature, will not be permitted to continue their travel and will be asked to re-book after 14 days.

Community Supports and Resources

Spray Parks in Strathcona Island Park and Kiwanis Central Park will open June 13

Effective Saturday, June 13, the spray parks in both Strathcona Island Park and Kiwanis Central Park will be operating for public use. The park washrooms at both locations will be open with safety protocols in place. The City of Medicine Hat is actively reviewing guidance documents provided by the Government of Alberta on Tuesday and evaluating the impact those guidelines will have on various facilities returning to operation. The City reminds residents that relaunching amenities and facilities takes time, particularly with the needs to address COVID-19 related requirements. More information 

Province Cheers on Club for Bookworms

Albertans can support local authors and the province’s publishing industry while connecting with others at a safe distance through the Alberta Reads Book Club. The Book Publishers Association of Alberta hosts this new book club. The first book, selected by Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women Leela Sharon Aheer, is Pass Me By: Gone Fishin’, a graphic novel written and illustrated by Calgary-based Kyle Simmers and Ryan Danny Owen, and published by Renegade Arts Entertainment. The Book Publishers Association of Alberta website has a series of questions to guide discussions among book clubs across the province. Pass Me By: Gone Fishin’ is available as an e-book through local libraries and through local booksellers. More information is available at Alberta Reads Book Club. Readers can also follow #ABreads #ABbooks on social media.

Advocacy

Survey on Economic Recovery and Provincial Priorities 

If you haven't already, please take the time to fill out this survey by the Alberta Chamber of Commerce to help inform provincial priorities for recovery. The survey––which is designed for business representatives who operate in Alberta––will be open until June 30, 2020.

Featured Webinars

Employee Mental Health During COVID-19

Pandemics are tough on HR professionals and your employees, alike. Join registered psychologist Tobi Ceh as she helps us identify struggling employees, understand what Mental Health is, and how to create a healthy workplace on June 22, 2020 12:00 PM. Register here 

Webinar | Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program, With Alberta Chambers Of Commerce

Alberta Chambers of Commerce has arranged a webinar with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) on the CECRA program on Monday, June 15 at 11:00 a.m. MT. Please note that virtual seating is limited; you can register online.

#YXH2Gether

 

Share your stories and resources with us and on the YXH Business Support Group and connect with us for any questions you have.

Recognize your heroes by using the hashtag #YXHheroes.

 

“View life as a continuous learning experience.” Denis Waitley

 

For more resources visit our COVID-19 page

 

On Demand Webinars

Alberta Bits & Pieces Webinar. Watch Now.

Alberta Phase 2 Relaunch Town Hall Recordings. Listen Now.

Canadian Business Resilience Network Video Content

13 Ways COVID-19 and Your Business Part 1: Watch Now.

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) Explained: Watch Now.

Conflict Escalation & What to Do About It. Watch Now.

Crowdfunding through COVID-19. Watch Now.

Cybersecurity And The Ever-Evolving Work Environment, With Field Effect. Watch Now.

Destination Canada: The Visitor Economy: Watch Now.

BDC Economic Pulse (April 20): Watch Now.

Facebook: Build Your Online Presence. Watch now

Facebook: Getting Creative with your Mobile Phone, With Facebook. Watch now.

How to cope with the impacts of COVID-19 on your business. Watch Now.

How to Navigate Government Programs with KPMG. Watch Now.

The Importance of Human Resources & Being Strategic When Your Business is Being Temporarily Impacted. Watch Now.

Keeping Your Company and Employees Secure When Working Remotely. Watch Now.

Leading During a Crisis and Switching to Remote Work. Watch Now.

Maintaining Sales in the face of COVID-19. Watch Now.

Relaunching Your Business. Watch now.

Rent Relief in a World of the Coronavirus: Watch Now.

Shopify E-Commerce Tools. Watch Now.

Social Media in Crisis. Watch Now.

Strategies for How Businesses Can Persevere And Recover From COVID-19. Watch Now.

Understanding, Accessing and Optimizing the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy. Watch Now.

What To Feel When Stressors Collide, With Canada Life. Watch Now.

Working From Home During COVID-19. Watch Now.

Webinar Series

AMHSA, CSSE, Howatt HR, AUMA Mental Health Webinar Series. Click here.

APEX Alberta Webinars: Watch the recorded series

BDC Webinar Series. Click here. 

BusinessLink: View upcoming events.

Buyandsell.gc.ca: Learn how to find bid opportunities. Register now.

CPA Small Business Webinar Series. Click here. 

CPHR Alberta: HR Pandemic Essentials. Click here.

Conference Board of Canada Webinar Series: Mental Health and COVID-19. Click here.

Constant Contact Webinar Series: View the line up of sessions and register.

D2L Webinar Series: Digital Transformation for Associations. Watch Now.

Economic Developers Alberta (EDA) Wednesday weekly: Business & Economic Recovery During the COVID-19 Crisis

Free Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS)® IDS™ sessions. Register here.

International Economic Development Council Webinar series. Watch now.

Retail Council of Canada. Register here.

School of Public Policy. Register here.

StartUp Canada Women Entrepreneur Webinar Series: Click here.

Travel Alberta Webinar Series. Watch Now.

Upcoming webinars

June 15: Find out more about the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance program. Register now .

June 15: Getting found online - tools/tactics to help your website show up higher in search engines. Register now.

June 15: How to adapt your business to thrive in the new normal. Register now.

June 16: Google Ads – what you need to know to start driving traffic to your website. Register now.

June 16: Maintaining Mental Fitness - Mental Hydration. Register here.

June 17: APEX Alberta: Everything DiSC Productive Conflict. Register here.

June 17: Physical return to work: Practical realities and transformative opportunities. Register now.

June 17: Canada's Return to the New Workplace. Register here.

June 18: Alberta Municipal Health and Safety Association - Workplace Reboot 2.0. Register here.

June 18: Facebook and Instagram for Tourism Businesses: Building a Strong Foundation. Register here.

June 22: Mental Health for HR Professionals. Register Now.

June 22: Take Control of Your Business: 3 Simple Tools to Help Your Business Survive and Thrive with Bradshaw & Associates. Register Now

June 22: Employee Mental Health During COVID-19. Register here 

June 24: How to Build an Effective Advertising Strategy. Register now.

Don’t forget Joe Social Media – Free Social Media training from May 1 – June 30 (times vary). Register here. Use promocode: Resilience

Check out more events on our Pandemic Training Calendar

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