We’ve put together a helpful guide about some government support programs available to support our members, including businesses.

If you’re looking for guidance on government support programs available, here are some that we’d like to share with you. Please note that some of the resources are only available if you are a resident of or do business in a specific province.

For all Canadians:

• Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan
  • Overview of support available for Canadians and businesses.
• Employment Insurance during the COVID-19 outbreak
  • Details on how to apply for E.I. and pensions.
• In addition, the federal government has announced new tax filing and payment due dates for both individual and business tax returns. Learn more.

 

For Canadian businesses:                                                   

• Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (Government of Canada)
• Business Credit Availability Program (Government of Canada)
  • This program includes:
    • Canada Emergency Business Account - Apply Now
    • Loan Guarantee for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises - Coming Soon
    • Co-Lending Program for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises - Coming Soon

• Export Development Canada (EDC)
• Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
  

 

For BC businesses:

• BC COVID-19 Action Plan (Government of BC)
• COVID-19 Action Plan – Provincial Tax Changes
  • This includes information on health tax deferment, extended tax filing and payment deadlines for PST, municipal and regional district tax, tobacco tax, motor fuel tax and the carbon tax.
• Information on changes to the Employment Standards Act.
• For restaurants:  Liquor & Cannabis Regulation Branch Policy Directive No. 20-05, The sale and delivery of packaged liquor for off-site consumption with the purchase of a meal. 
• Guidance to construction sites operating during COVID-19. 
• BC Hydro COVID-19 Relief Fund for Small Businesses

 

For Alberta businesses:

• COVID-19 support for employers and employees (Government of Alberta)
  • Includes information on corporate income tax, education property tax, WCB premiums, changes to the Alberta Employment Standards Code, and more. 

For Ontario businesses:

• Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID‑19 (Government of Ontario)
  • Includes information on various support measures for residents and businesses:
    • $1.5B increase in electricity cost relief for eligible residential, farm and small business consumers, plus setting electricity prices for time-of-use customers at the lowest rate, 24 hours a day for 45 days.
    • Temporary increase to the Employer Health Tax exemption for 2020 from $490,000 to $1 million, which will cut taxes by $355 million for about 57,000 employers.
    • Interest and Penalty Relief for Business Taxes:  Five-month relief period, starting April 1, for remitting the majority of provincial taxes, providing $6B in relief.
  • Extended job protection for employees unable to work for COVID-19-related reasons, retroactive to January 25, 2020. (Government of Ontario)

 

Additional helpful business resources:

• Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) COVID-19 Small Business Help Centre. 
  • An overview of all the government relief measures (federal and provincial), as well as an FAQ, free templates, guidance from public health authorities, and more.
• Small Business BC’s resources for Small Businesses affected by COVID-19​.