Clearview Chamber Of Commerce
220 Huron St, P.O. Box 1049
Stayner, Ontario L0M 1S0
Hours of Operation
Please contact us for our current hours of operation.
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ONTARIO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE COVID-19 UPDATE
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Friday, May 29, 2020
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KEY UPDATES
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ONTARIO'S NEXT PHASE OF TESTING
CANADA EMERGENCY COMMERCIAL RENTAL ASSISTANCE (CECRA)
- With June 1 fast approaching, main street businesses urgently need the federal and provincial government’s help with addressing commercial rent obligations. We join the Canadian Chamber of Commerce and provincial and territorial chambers in calling for immediate action. Read the letter here and share on social.
- The CECRA application portal is now open to all commercial landlords in Ontario. Apply here.
CANADA EMERGENCY WAGE SUBSIDY CONSULTATION
- The federal government has launched a consultation process to seek information and feedback from businesses of all sizes, in every sector, labour representatives, not-for-profits, and charities on how the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) program can be adapted to save as many Canadian jobs as possible. The consultations will close on June 5, 2020.
- To participate in this consultation:
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The COVID-19 pandemic forced many employers to reduce or close operations due to a lack of business, while others shut down due to emergency government orders. Although the mandatory closure of workplaces has had a significant impact on Ontario business, this was a short-term measure to protect all Ontarians.
To prevent a short-term measure from having permanent consequences for businesses and jobs, it has become urgent that the Ontario government temporarily amend the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) to support employers and employees during this unprecedented period of disruption.
Currently, the ESA requires an employer to comply with notice and severance obligations when a layoff exceeds 13 weeks.
Under some circumstances that period can be extended, but many employers - particularly small and medium-sized enterprises - are unable to meet those conditions.
These businesses will have to pay expensive severance obligations to their employees, a cost which could result in their permanent closure and more people losing their jobs. In addition to the lost livelihoods of business owners and workers, the closures and job losses would have a devastating impact on Ontario’s economy.
On March 26, the Government of Manitoba issued an order designed to avoid this scenario by excluding the period of a declared state of emergency from their expiry calculations. Given the timing and circumstances, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce recommends that the Government of Ontario issue a similar order to help protect both businesses and their employees during this difficult time.
Time is of the essence, so we call on the Province to act now to make this important change to the ESA. The government has already made temporary amendments to the ESA to protect employees during this crisis, including allowing job-protected emergency leave and preventing employers from requiring doctor’s notes from their workers. Now, to preserve jobs and keep businesses alive, it needs to act once more.
It may feel like a lifetime ago that Ontario declared a state of emergency, but it has been only two months. There is still much to do to adjust legislation to support both employers and employees during this unprecedented time and prevent unintended consequences from imperiling businesses, jobs and livelihoods. We hope the government amends the ESA as swiftly as possible.
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CLICK TO TWEET:
Critical temporary Employment Standards Act change required to protect employers and employees during pandemic. Read @roccorossiTO's op-ed: https://bit.ly/2MafqQP #COVID19 @OntarioCofC
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ADDITIONAL UPDATES
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- Today, Prime Minister Trudeau announced $650 million in new funding for improving the health, economic, and social wellbeing of Indigenous peoples and communities who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.
- On May 28, to further protect seniors and staff in long-term care homes, the Ontario government announced an extension of the mandate of the Incident Management System Long-Term Care Table. The government has also deployed long-term care inspection teams to conduct detailed inspections of highrisk homes.
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UPCOMING WEBINARS
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Join the Ontario Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, June 3 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm for an exciting in-conversation about political leadership in the time of crisis with three former Premiers: the Honourable Christy Clark, the Honourable Jean Charest, and the Honourable Bernard Lord.
The coronavirus pandemic is an unprecedented human tragedy, affecting people across the globe, including at home in Canada. However, amidst the challenges during this unprecedented time, the Canadian spirit has risen. Businesses across the country have diverted resources to support COVID-19 efforts and collaboration between all levels of government and with the business community have never been higher.
- How do we build on this to position Ontario and Canada to be even stronger to compete in the post-COVID world?
- What lessons from the past can support efforts for today and tomorrow?
Click here to register. Join us virtually while at home! A Zoom link will be sent to all registrants 24 hours before the webinar.
See our previous and upcoming webinars, here. If you have any questions regarding these webinars or have a suggestion for a future webinar contact us.
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REGISTER NOW | Webinar with the Hon. Mary Ng
Join us on Friday, June 5 from 9:00 to 9:30 am for a webinar with the Hon. Mary Ng, the federal Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade.
The discussion with Minister Ng will address key questions on relief programs available to small businesses during a time when they need it most, as well as provide insights on what the path to recovery may look like.
Click here to register.
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Indispensable Partners in the Fight Against COVID-19
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1. CHAMBER NETWORK ENGAGEMENT
We all have a role to play in the fight against COVID-19. We continue to engage with our members, share important updates from the government and listen to concerns and suggestions from Ontario's business community.
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2. COVID-19 ADVOCACY
We are taking concerns from the business community and communicating them to all levels of government. Click here to stay up to date on our advocacy.
3. #DIFFERENCEMAKERS
As the indispensable partner of business, our member companies are stepping up, joining the fight, and diverting resources to support COVID-19 efforts. Join us in celebrating our #DifferenceMakers on our website. If you know a business stepping up in the fight against COVID-19 please let us know.
This week's #differencemakers
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See our latest news and advocacy |
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Join our mailing list for important COVID-19 updates.
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