Weekly Update: April 30 – May 6, 2021

Expanded public health measures for Business

Mandatory public health measures will apply to all communities with more than 50 cases per 100,000 people and with 30 or more active cases.

• Indoor fitness – Effective May 5
  • All indoor fitness must close, including for one-on-one training.
• Retail – Effective May 5
  • Retail services must limit customer capacity to 10 per cent of fire code occupancy (not including staff) or a minimum of five customers.
  • The 10 per cent capacity limit at shopping malls will exclude common area square footage.
  • Curbside pick up, delivery and online services are encouraged
• Hotels/motels – Effective May 5
  • Hotels and motels can remain open but pools and recreation facilities must close.
• Working from home – Effective May 5
  • Working from home remains mandatory unless the employer requires the employee's physical presence to operate effectively.
  • Where at work for operational effectiveness, employees must mask for all indoor settings, except in work stations or where two-metre physical distancing or adequate physical barriers are in place.
• Work place transmission – Effective May 5
  • Any workplace, except work camps and essential and critical services, with transmission of three or more cases will be required by health officials to close for 10 days.
  • Any workplace that does not comply will be subject to enforcement.
• Restaurants, bars, pubs, lounges and cafes – Effective at 11:59 pm on May 9
  • In-person dining on patios is prohibited. Only take out or delivery services are allowed.
• Personal and wellness services  – Effective at 11:59 pm on May 9
  • Hair salons, barbers, nail salons, estheticians, tattoos and piercing, must close.
  • Previously, these were allowed by appointment only.
• Health, social and professional services – Effective at 11:59 pm on May 9
  • Regulated health services, such as physicians, dentists and chiropractors, can remain open by appointment only.
  • Non-regulated health services, such as massage therapists and kinesiologists, can remain open by appointment only.
  • Professional services, such as lawyers and photographers, can remain open by appointment only.
  • Social services, such as shelters and not-for-profit community kitchens, can remain open.

View the full list of restrictions online, along with additional guidance documents and Provincial Government supports, along with the additional supports and resources through the Chamber website.

RBC Women in Cleantech Accelerator

Innovation hub MaRS and Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) have launched a new accelerator aimed to connect and support women-led clean technology ventures. The RBC Women in Cleantech Accelerator will recruit a mix of 10 exceptional women entrepreneurs and coach them through an intensive 12-month program, connecting them to top government laboratories, investors and corporate partners. For detailed information on the program and to apply: https://marsdd.com/service/rbc-women-in-cleantech-accelerator/. Deadline to apply: June 11, 2021

Changes to the Forest Act

Legislative and regulatory changes that support a more competitive forest sector are now in effect. Read the key updates

Changes to the Competitor Collaboration Guidelines

the Competition Bureau published the final version of its revised Competitor Collaboration Guidelines. These updates are intended to provide clarity to the business and legal communities on how to identify and avoid the types of collaboration that can harm competition. Learn more

Funding Available for Canada’s Indigenous Forest Sector 

The next call for proposals for the Indigenous Forestry Initiative (IFI), to support Indigenous participation in forestry-related opportunities, businesses, careers and governance is now open.  Applications will be accepted until Wednesday, July 7, 2021. All eligible organizations are encouraged to apply.

Federal Government Introduces Bill 30 (Budget 2021 Implementation Act)

Key measures seek to:

• Provide predictable funding to establish a Canada-wide early learning and child care system.
• Bridge Canadians and Canadian businesses through the third wave of the virus and towards recovery, including:
  • The extension of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, and Lockdown Support until September 25, 2021; and
  • The extension of important income support for Canadians such as the Canada Recovery Benefit and the Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit.
• Increase Old Age Security (OAS) for seniors age 75 and older to provide them with better financial security.
• Enhance the Canada Workers Benefit, which will mean more money for low-income Canadians, support about 1 million more Canadians, and lift nearly 100,000 people out of poverty.
• Enhance Employment Insurance sickness benefits from 15 to 26 weeks.
• Establish a $15 federal minimum wage.
• Extend the waiver of interest on federal student and apprentice loans to March 2023.
• Establish the new Canada Recovery Hiring Program, which will help businesses with the costs of hiring new workers.
• Enhance the Canada Small Business Financing Program through amendments to the Canada Small Business Financing Act, including broader eligibility and increased loan limits to facilitate greater access to financing for small businesses.
• Provide an emergency top up of $5 billion for province and territories – specifically $4 billion through the Canada Health Transfer to help provinces and territories address immediate health care system pressures and $1 billion to support vaccine rollout campaigns across the country.
• Provide $2.2 billion to address short-term infrastructure priorities in municipalities and First Nations communities. The funds would flow through the federal Gas Tax Fund, proposed to be renamed as the Canada Community-Building Fund.

Learn more or review the Federal Budget 2021 here.

Funding for Internships with the Construction Industry

The Medicine Hat Construction Association and Alberta Construction Association have partnered with the Government of Alberta to cost-share support of internships of Alberta post secondary students with the construction industry. This program provides 50% cost shared support for internships of 3-16 weeks to a maximum of $5,000.

As outlined in the Employer Fact Sheet, the first step is to complete the Employer Application. Once completed, you will receive a confirmation of the next step.

Pitch Your Way to $10K Closing May 14

Applications are open for startups focused on the following categories: Innovation of Work, AgTech Meets BioTech, The AI Datasphere, Co-Designing Healthier Living, Building Adaptive Communities, Net-Zero Emissions Energy. Apply for free before May 14.