Weekly Update: November 6-12, 2020

Supports for Business

New measures to curb the rapid growth of COVID-19

Targeted health measures will take effect on Nov. 13 to curb the rapid growth of COVID-19 in Alberta and protect the health system. There are 8,305 active cases of COVID-19 in the province. Hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions are at their highest point since the pandemic began.

New public health measures

Starting Nov. 13, all restaurants, bars, lounges and pubs in regions under enhanced status must cease liquor sales by 10 p.m. and close by 11 p.m. The restriction will remain in place until Nov. 27.

There will also be a two-week ban on indoor group fitness classes, team sport activities and group performance activities in Edmonton and surrounding areas, Calgary and surrounding areas, Grande Prairie, Fort McMurray, Red Deer and Lethbridge.

Additional public health measures will also be implemented in all regions under an enhanced status. These measures will be in place until further notice:

Maximum attendance of 50 at wedding or funeral ceremonies.
It is recommended all faith-based activities limit attendance to one-third capacity per service.
Residents should not hold social gatherings within their homes and should not plan social gatherings outside their community.
It is recommended employers in office settings implement measures to reduce the number of employees in the workplace at one time.

More information.

Make the Post Promise and Order Your Post Promise Kit for Free

The POST Promise signifies a commitment to implement and practice five key steps to workplace safety, helping to prevent the spread of COVID-19. As we enter the busiest shopping period of the year and with Covid numbers on the rise, it is increasingly important to let your customers and employees know that your business is committed to keeping them safe and taking the necessary precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. By displaying the POST Promise logo and signage you are letting your customers know that your business is part of this national initiative. For a limited time, you can order a complimentary kit, including 2 window decals, 3 posters and 10 tent cards for you to use as you wish.

Universal Broadband Fund Announced by Federal Government

The Federal Government's announcement of $1.75 billion, an additional $750 million investment into the Universal Broadband fund will assist in accelerating Canada's broadband needs to meet the increased speed at which businesses, citizens and services have moved online after the pandemic hit. When businesses and families consider where to establish themselves and where to invest, network connectivity is among their list of priorities. The pandemic has further highlighted that digital connectivity is not only critical to resilience and business continuity in times of crisis but also invaluable for social interaction and mental support during times of physical social distancing. Read more in the Canadian Chamber press release.

Climate Pledge Fund

The Climate Pledge Fund will invest in companies in multiple industries, with an initial focus on: transportation and logistics; energy generation, storage, and utilization; manufacturing and materials; circular economy; and food and agriculture. Find out more.

Urban Development Technology Innovation Challenge

TIC invites technology providers to propose a pilot/proof-of-concept on high-level technology (HLT) and innovative solutions for the newly-announced development challenges —Healthy Oceans, Urban Development, and Transport TICs. Selected proposals will receive a maximum of $500,000 grant each, with technology providers co-financing at least 10% of the total cost. Deadline of submission: Friday, 04 December 2020, 12PM (noon UTC +8). For more details, please contact: Grimi Guarico, Trade Commissioner-Climate Finance @ grimi.guarico@international.gc.ca.

CanExport for Businesses (SMEs)

Looking to grow your business globally? Apply online for up to $75,000 in CanExport SMEs funding to cover up to 75% of your international market development activities. Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may choose up to (5) export markets to target, where your company has no or minimal business. We are committed to provide a decision within 60 business days. Click here for more info. Find more resources on our business resource page here.

Calling all Innovators! Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS)

The Department of National Defence, Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program has new sets of challenges for you! Seven (7) new Competitive Projects Calls for Proposals to be exact! Join the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises (OSME) Western Region in a webinar on November 16th for an overview of the unique funding program, to learn about the latest competitive projects and challenges you can help solve, and more. Register here.

October job numbers

Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer issued a statement about the October Labour Force Survey. Of note, there were 23,400 jobs added in October equating to 258,400 jobs recovered that were lost during the pandemic.

Agriculture Training Support Program

The Agriculture Training Support Program has increased support per applicant from $50,000 to $250,000. The program provides a grant to eligible employers to offset the costs of training and ensuring safety protocols are in place for new employees hired from the available domestic labour pool. More information.

Federal support for Canada’s airlines

Premier Jason Kenney issued a statement in response to talks between the federal government and Canada’s airlines. The Premier welcomed the news and encouraged the federal government to develop a national framework to reduce quarantine times for international travellers as demonstrated by the international travel pilot program at the Calgary International Airport and Coutts border crossing.

New quantum computing funding opportunity

Shared Services Canada (SSC) is seeking a user-friendly solution for using Quantum Computing-as-a-Service (QCaaS) to optimize complex problem solving. The deadline to apply is 2:00 p.m. ET, December 15. More information.

New IDEaS call for proposals

The Department of National Defence’s Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) program has launched its fourth Call for Proposals. Visit the website to learn how you can support our troops with your logistics solutions, new armour designs and visual and data security. More information.

Government of Canada supports 3900 jobs in Alberta through targeted help for businesses

the Honourable Jim Carr, the Prime Minister’s Special Advisor for the Prairies, announced more than $5 million for business ecosystem support in southern and northern Alberta.

Backgrounder: Southern Alberta

Backgrounder: Northern Alberta

Supports for Individuals

Removing financial barriers to addiction treatment

Alberta’s government has eliminated user fees for all Albertans accessing publicly funded addiction treatment beds. In lieu of requiring user fees from Albertans, the Alberta government has introduced a new standardized funding program for licensed agencies providing publicly funded addiction treatment services. Albertans struggling with addiction can contact the Addiction Helpline at 1-866-332-2322 for support, information and referral to services. The toll-free, confidential helpline operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More information.

Employee Wellbeing During COVID-19 - Invitation to participate in new research

COVID-19 has challenged Canadian employees and their families. We are seeking to better understand the challenges people are facing and invite you to complete the Conference Board of Canada survey.

Community Supports and Resources

Have your say on firearms policy

Albertans are encouraged to share their opinions through an online survey and by registering for two telephone town hall events being held on Nov. 17 and November 23. Information on participating in these activities is available through the Alberta Firearms Advisory Committee website. Each town hall will be able to accommodate 1,000 people and will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis.

Supporting safe community gatherings

Alberta’s government is investing $1 million to help faith-based and cultural organizations recover costs associated with COVID-19. The new Faith-based and Cultural Facility Relaunch Grant will provide funding to offset costs related to following public health measures to ensure important religious and cultural gatherings can continue safely. More information.

Advocacy

Universal Broadband Fund Announced by Federal Government

We welcomed yesterday’s federal announcement of an additional $750M investment in the fund to complement Canada’s accelerating broadband needs to meet the increased speed at which businesses, citizens and services have moved online after the pandemic hit. Coordination and streamlining of the various broadband funds and programs will be instrumental in providing clarity for Canadian businesses so they can work together with governments in getting high-speed internet to rural communities as quickly as possible. Read more.

Canadian Chamber appears before Senate National Finance Committee, reiterates gaps in Bill C-9

Canadian Chamber of Commerce Director of Parliamentary Affairs and SME Policy, Alla Drigola, appeared at the Senate National Finance Committee which is studying Bill C-9. This bill includes new wage subsidy improvements and the new commercial rent program. We welcome the changes introduced in C-9 on the whole however we continue to highlight specific gaps that need to be closed. Read more.

Canada’s Economic and Environmental Leadership: Driven by Natural Gas and Oil  

The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) has a vision for Canada’s post-pandemic recovery — including opportunities for Indigenous prosperity — that embraces how Canada can help address global climate change.  Learn more about CAPP’s plan to support Canada’s future in our latest CBRN blog post.

New Resources

Guide to Rebuilding Traveller Confidence

This guide, from Destination Canada, offers four simple themes that have risen to the top for small businesses to help restore and cultivate confidence within Canadian travellers by showing that safety is in everyone’s best interest.

Destination Canada's State of the Industry Update – October 2020

These presentations are intended for industry-at-large to quantify the impact of COVID-19. They provide updates on the state of the Canadian tourism sector at varying times in the outbreak by looking at the visitor demand forecast and break impact down by province and by key industry sectors. This is in addition to the Canadian resident sentiments and travel related measures published by Destination Canada.

Five ways to build a more secure business today

From phishing scams that launch ransomware attacks to fraudulent emails that redirect financial funds, keeping your business secure from today’s threats can be overwhelming.   Yet, not prioritizing cybersecurity or believing a cyber attack won’t happen to your operations are the worst things a small business can do.  Field Effect, shares a blog with insight on what you can do to protect your business.  Read more.

How Entrepreneurs Are Adapting to the Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has led to one of the largest economic crises in history. Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) surveyed 1,000 entrepreneurs and 2,000 consumers in Canada to gain a better understanding of how this crisis is changing the habits of Canadians and what Canada’s entrepreneurs are doing to adapt and position themselves in this new context. Download the report.

Featured Webinars

November 17th

3 Things You Can Learn from Your Customers | Register here.

The E-commerce Experience | Register here.

Human Rights And Your Supply Chain for Business Professionals | Register here.

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada's virtual Tourism Congress | Register here.

Empowering connected workers of the future: AI for improved efficiency, safety and job satisfaction | Register here.

3 Steps to a Personal Money Strategy | Register here.

November 18th

Meeting with Advanced Education Minister at 5 pm | Meeting link.

How Canadian Companies Can Navigate 'Business as Unusual' | Register here.

Human Rights And Your Supply Chain for Board Professionals | Register here.

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada's virtual Tourism Congress | Register here.

Policy and a Pint - U.S. Election Results and Ramifications. What Lies Ahead? | Register here.

Green Industry Show & Conference (November 18-20) | Register here.

November 19th

Searching for Purpose & Engagement in Challenging Times | Register here.

Employee Engagement | Register here.

Canada-Japan Trade and Investment Opportunities | Register here.

IBG Global AgTech Webinar | Register here.

A discussion on the future of cybersecurity in Canada | Register here.

November 24th

Executive Western Summit Series with Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos | Register here

Grant Writing 101 - A Live Interactive Webinar | Register here.

Advancing Women in Agriculture Virtual Conference (November 24-25) | Register here.

November 25th

Energy Savings for Business Information Session | Register here.

Is there a Money Gap in Alberta? | Register here.

November 26th

41st Agriculture Update for Professionals | Register here.

December 1st

The 5 Biggest Estate Planning Mistakes Everybody Makes | Register here.

Successfully Managing Your Workplace During a Global Pandemic | Register here.

December 10th

Supporting Local Business; Essential To Our Economy And Communities | Register here.

December 17th

Resilience in the Workplace | Register here.

Webinar Series

TourismRecovery.ca Webinar Series | View Resources here and upcoming sessions below:

Adapting to New Market Realities:
Products, Pricing, Placement, Positioning
Tuesday, November 24 – 12:00 PM MT
Register Now

Workforce Power Session
Wednesday, December 9 – 12:00 PM MT
Register Now

Board Leadership Calgary 2020 Virtual Learning Event

Funding and Financial Management - Cash Flow Management in Times of Uncertainty
Friday, November 27 - 12:00 PM
Register Here
People / Human Work - Anti-Racism and Equity for Everyone
Friday, December 11 - 12:00 PM
Register Here

Women Entrepreneurs

Alberta Women Entrepreneurs (AWE)'s Bold Leadership Courses in November | Register here.
Women's Entrepreneur Day Virtual Conference | Register here.