Mayor's Economic Recovery Task Force Resources

Eligible employers would be able to access the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy by applying through a Canada Revenue Agency online portal.

• As of April 8, rather than having to show a 30 percent decline in revenues, businesses can instead show a 15 percent decline in March, and can compare their revenues to previous months rather than the previous year, Trudeau announced. Furthermore, charities and non-profits can also choose whether to include revenues from governments, such as grants, in their calculations when they apply.
• The CEWS calculator can be found on CRA’s Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy webpage.
• Eligible employers would include employers of all sizes and across all sectors of the economy, with the exception of public sector entities.
• 100% refund for certain employer-paid contributions to Employment Insurance, the Canada Pension Plan, the Quebec Pension Plan, and the Quebec Parental Insurance Plan.
• For registered charities and non-profit organizations, the calculation will include most forms of revenue, excluding revenues from non-arm’s length persons. These organizations would be allowed to choose whether or not to include revenue from government sources as part of the calculation. Once chosen, the same approach would have to apply throughout the program period.

CRA is currently accepting applications. Direct deposits will begin to appear in employers’ accounts as of May 7th. The program will now be extended beyond June (further details to be released in near future).

Apply for Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy

We are extending the maximum duration of the Work-Sharing program from 38 weeks to 76 weeks for employers affected by COVID-19. This measure will provide income support to employees eligible for Employment Insurance who agree to reduce their normal working hours because of developments beyond the control of their employers.

Apply for Work-Sharing Program

We are allowing all businesses to defer, until after August 31, 2020, the payment of any income tax amounts that become owing on or after March 18 and before September 2020. This relief would apply to tax balances due, as well as instalments, under Part I of the Income Tax Act.

No interest or penalties will accumulate on these amounts during this period.

Find the income tax filing and payment dates.

Any GST/HST payment that becomes owing from March 27 until the end of May can be deferred until the end of June. For GST and customs duty payments for imported goods, deferral will include amounts owing for March, April and May.

These amounts were normally due to be submitted to the Canada Revenue Agency and the Canada Border Services Agency as early as the end of March 2020.

Find the income tax filing and payment dates.

Cutting taxes by $355 million for about 57,000 employers through a proposed temporary increase to the Employer Health Tax (E.H.T.) exemption from $490,000 to $1 million for 2020.

With this plan, more than 90 percent of private-sector employers would not pay E.H.T. in 2020. Eligible private-sector employers with annual payrolls up to $5 million would be exempt from E.H.T. on the first $1 million of total Ontario remuneration in 2020. The maximum E.H.T. relief from the exemption would increase by $9,945 to $19,500 for 2020 for eligible employers.

About 57,000 private-sector employers would pay less E.H.T., including about 30,000 who would not pay any E.H.T. for 2020, effectively eliminating E.H.T. for these employers for one year. The exemption would return to its current level of $490,000 on January 1, 2021.

More information for Employer Health Tax

Providing a five-month interest and penalty-free period to make payments for the majority of provincially administered taxes, providing $6 billion in relief to help support Ontario businesses when they need it the most. Beginning April 1, 2020, the Province is providing flexibility to about 100,000 businesses in Ontario to help manage their cash flows during this challenging time. This will continue for a period of five months, up until August 31, 2020, and is expected to make available $6 billion to improve the cash flows of Ontario businesses. For this period, the Province will not apply any penalty or interest on any late-filed returns or incomplete or late tax payments under select provincially administered taxes, such as the Employer Health Tax, Tobacco Tax, Fuel Tax, Gas Tax, Beer, Wine and Spirits Tax, Mining Tax, Insurance Premium Tax to complement the relief from interest and penalties from not remitting Corporate Income Tax owing that was announced by the federal government on March 18, 2020.

Deferring the upcoming quarterly (June 30) remittance of education property tax to school boards by 90 days. This will provide municipalities with the flexibility to, in turn, provide property tax deferrals of over $1.8 billion to local residents and businesses;

Our relief package will support businesses through this difficult time while protecting coverage for the people we serve. Benefit payments will continue for people with work related injuries or illness. The deferred premiums will amount to an average $1,760 for approximately 275,000 Ontario businesses.

Also, we have determined that costs associated with COVID-19 related claims will not be allocated at an employer or class level. Instead, they will be allocated on a schedule-wide basis and there will be no change in premium rates for 2020. 

Find more information about WSIB Payments

• Through an emergency order passed on May 1st, the Ontario Government is taking steps to defer a portion of Global Adjustment (GA) charges for industrial and commercial electricity consumers that do not participate in the Regulated Price Plan for the period starting from April 2020.
• This initiative is intended to provide companies with temporary immediate relief on their monthly electricity bills in April, May and June 2020.

To learn more about Global Adjustment please click here.

City of Oshawa is providing a two-month grace period, until June 30, is for the April 27, 2020 installment with no penalties or interest charged. Insufficient funds and pre-authorized payment related fees will be waived.

Find more information about City of Oshawa tax payments

• The purpose is to provide bridge financing to Canada’s largest employers, whose needs during the pandemic are not being met through conventional financing, in order to keep their operations going.
• The LEEFF program will be open to large for-profit businesses – with the exception of those in the financial sector – as well as certain not-for-profit businesses, such as airports, with annual revenues generally in the order of $300 million or higher.
• To qualify, businesses must be looking for financing of $60 million or more and have significant operations or large numbers of employees in Canada, and must not be involved in any ongoing insolvency proceedings.

For more details please click here.

We established a Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) to provide $40 billion of additional support through the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) and Export Development Canada (EDC).

BDC and EDC are working with private sector lenders to coordinate on credit solutions for individual businesses, including in sectors such as oil and gas, air transportation, exports and tourism.

This program includes:

• Export Development Canada will provide guarantees to financial institutions so that they can issue new operating credit and cash flow term loans of up to $6.25 million to businesses.
  •  This program provides credit and cash flow term loans to small and medium-sized enterprises. Canadian businesses in all sectors that were otherwise financially viable and revenue generating prior to the COVID-19 outbreak are eligible to apply.
  • A new domestic mandate has enhanced EDC’s role in supporting all domestic-oriented businesses during the COVID-19 crisis.
  • It allows financial institutions to issue operating credit and cash flow term loans of up to $6.25 million to existing clients, with 80 per cent guaranteed by EDC.
  • This program is now available at various financial institutions and credit unions.

• BDC Co-Lending Program for Small and Medium Enterprises - Applications are now available.

  • This program provides term loans for operational and liquidity needs of businesses, which could include interest payments on existing debt.
  • Similar to the EDC program, this program is available to businesses that were financially viable and revenue-generating prior to the COVID-19 outbreak.
  • The program is designed in three segments to target support to different business sizes.

            1. Loans of up to $312,500 to businesses with revenues of less than $1 million.
            2. Up to $3.125 million for businesses with revenues between $1 million and $50 million.
            3. Up to $6.25 million for businesses with revenues in excess of $50 million.

• • Loans would be interest-only for the first 12 months, with a 10-year repayment period.

Find More Information about the Business Credit Availability Program

The new Canada Emergency Business Account will provide interest-free loans of up to $40,000 to small businesses and not-for-profits, to help cover their operating costs during a period where their revenues have been temporarily reduced. Repaying the balance of the loan on or before December 31, 2022 will result in loan forgiveness of 25 percent (up to $10,000).

As of April 16, 2020, to qualify, these organizations will need to demonstrate they paid between $20,000 to $1.5 million in total payroll in 2019.

Interested businesses should work with their current financial institutions.

Find More Information about Canada Emergency Business Loan

• BDC Capital, BDC’s investment arm, has launched the BDC Capital Bridge Financing Program where they may match, with a convertible note, a current financing round being raised through qualified existing and/or new investors made into eligible Canadian start-ups.
• The program is ideal for high potential companies who have venture capital investor syndicates that are willing to support them. BDC will invest alongside these groups.
• This is not limited to BDC’s portfolio. All companies that meet the criteria are eligible to apply.
• To be eligible, companies must:

1. 1. Be Canadian, backed by a qualified venture capital firm,
   2. Have raised at least $500,000 in external capital before applying for the program,
   3. Be specifically impacted by Covid-19.
   4. Any matching investment by BDC Capital will be further subject, notably, to satisfactory due diligence review by BDC, agreement on terms of the investment and approval by a BDC investment committee.

Interested companies should speak to their lead investor for details.

Venture capital firms looking to participate can contact BDC Capital at [email protected] to discuss their eligibility. 

• The Federal government has committed an additional $250 million to The National Research Council of Canada’s Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) to support innovative, early-stage companies.
• IRAP IAP provides a wage subsidy to eligible employers for up to 12 weeks (details on amount of subsidy not yet released).
• Small or medium-sized businesses (SMEs) pursuing technology-driven innovation who have been unable to secure funding under the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) are eligible and can apply for financial assistance under IRAP IAP.
• The Innovation Assistance Program is available for Canadian SMEs that are already receiving IRAP support and new applicants.
• The call for applications will close Wednesday, April 29, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

To apply a company must meet the following criteria:

1. Be ineligible for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.
2. Be an incorporated, profit-oriented small or medium-sized business in Canada.
3. Be a company with 500 or fewer full-time equivalent employees.
4. Plan to pursue growth and profit by developing and commercializing innovative, technology-driven new or improved products, services or processes in Canada.
5. Lack sufficient financial resources to sustain operations during the COVID-19 downturn period.
6. Have a Canada Revenue Agency business number.
7. Be incorporated by no later than March 1, 2020.

 To apply:

1. If a firm meets all eligibility criteria listed above, please complete an application.
2. The program will be accepting applications until April 29, 2020 at 11:59 p.m. EST.
3. Following the assessment and approval of applications, applicants will be notified in writing on the status of their application as early as the week of May 11, 2020.
4. IAP will begin making payments to successful applicants starting the week of May 11, 2020.

For more information please click here.

An additional $20.1 million has been announced in support for Futurpreneur Canada to continue to support young entrepreneurs across Canada who are facing challenges due to COVID-19.
Futurpreneur Canada is the only national non-profit organization that provides financing, mentoring and support tools to entrepreneurs aged 18-39. The funding will allow Futurpreneur Canada to provide payment relief for its clients for up to 12 months.
For more information please click here. 

FCC has received an enhancement to its capital base that will allow for an additional $5 billion in lending capacity. Customers facing financial pressure are encouraged to contact their FCC relationship manager or the FCC Customer Service Centre at 1- 888-332-3301 to discuss their individual situation and options.

FCC has expanded their offerings to include the following:

• Term loans up to $2.5M, with no fees and an 18-month interest-only option available over a 10-year amortization. 
• These funds can be used for working capital and to modify production due to the impacts of COVID-19.
• FCC customers and non-customers are eligible to apply for FCC lending products.

This action will provide long-term stable funding to banks and mortgage lenders, help facilitate continued lending to Canadian consumers and businesses, and add liquidity to Canada’s mortgage market.

For more information please click here.

The Bank of Canada is acting in several ways to support the economy and financial system and stands ready to take any and all actions that it can to protect the well-being of Canadians during this difficult time. The Bank has responded by lowering interest rates, intervening to support key financial markets and providing liquidity support for financial institutions.

For more information please click here.

The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions announced it is lowering the Domestic Stability Buffer by 1.25% of risk-weighted assets. This action will allow Canada’s large banks to inject $300 billion of additional lending in to the economy.

For more information please click here.

There are two ways to apply:

1. Online
2. Over the phone with an automated phone service: 1-800-959-2019 or 1-800-959-2041

Both of these services are available 21 hours a day, 7 days a week. Both services are closed from 3:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. (Eastern time) for maintenance.

Apply for Canada Emergency Response Benefit

Any GST/HST payment that becomes owing from March 27 until the end of May can be deferred until the end of June. For GST and customs duty payments for imported goods, deferral will include amounts owing for March, April and May.

These amounts were normally due to be submitted to the Canada Revenue Agency and the Canada Border Services Agency as early as the end of March 2020.

Find more information about Payment Dates.

No interest or penalties will accumulate on these amounts during this period.

Find more information about Payment Dates.

• The Ontario government is allowing all retail stores with a street entrance to provide curbside pickup and delivery, as well as in-store payment and purchases at garden centres, nurseries, hardware stores and safety supply stores.
• The business owners should review the health and safety guidelines developed by the province and its health and safety association partners.
• The government is also expanding essential construction to allow below-grade multi-unit residential construction projects like apartments and condominiums to begin and existing above-grade projects to continue.

• The Government of Canada is taking steps to support the farmers and businesses who provide Canadians with the food they need to keep themselves and their families healthy.
• The announcement made on May 5th includes an $252 million investment to support farmers, food businesses, and food processors and an additional $200 million in borrowing capacity for the sector

• The new portal will ensure grocery store shelves remain full and families have food on the table during the COVID-19 outbreak.
• The Government of Ontario website provides access to information on job opportunities and training resources in all parts of Ontario's food supply chain - from grocery retailers to bakeries and cheese processing plants to opportunities on farms.
• The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $1 million in new funding to connect workers with in-demand jobs in the agri-food sector to keep the nation's supply chains strong and store shelves stocked during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• This targeted intake began accepting applications on April 17, 2020. Eligible applications will be received and assessed on a continuous basis, while funding is available.
• For more information about this targeted application intake or to obtain a program guidebook, email: [email protected] or call: 1-877-424-1300

• The Governments of Canada and Ontario are investing $2.25 million in provincially licensed meat processing plants to better protect employees and ensure the continued supply of healthy products
• Through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the first stream of the Agri-food Workplace Protection Program will provide funding to implement COVID-19 health and safety measures in provincially licensed meat plants
• More information about this targeted intake and the program guidelines can be found online on May 12, 2020.

• The Governments of Ontario and Canada are investing up to $2.5 million to help the agri-food sector expand online, providing more opportunities for producers to grow their business and offer more food choices for families who are shopping from home during the COVID-19 outbreak.
• The Agri-Food Open for E-Business initiative will help food producers, farmers markets, retailers, garden centres, greenhouses, nurseries, and agricultural associations develop online business, providing consumers with greater access to a wide variety of food and agriculture products.
• This targeted application intake features two funding streams:

1. 1. Bring Your Business Online. Eligible organizations and businesses can apply for a grant of up to $5,000 to establish an online e-business and marketing presence. Funding under this stream will be quick and responsive for those needing immediate solutions.
   2. Develop Online Business Opportunities. Eligible organizations, businesses and collaborations can apply for cost-share funding of up to $75,000 to implement high-impact projects.

• The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) will immediately accept applications and expedite the approval process to help businesses and organizations develop, expand and enhance their current online presence.

For more information please click here

• For Canadian-based oil and gas producers, oilfield service companies and midstream providers.
• Funds to be used for operational cashflow and business continuity purposes.
• Qualifying businesses must have been financially viable and in good standing prior to the current economic environment.
• Loan size between $15 million and $60 million.
• Offered at commercial rates, repayable within 4 years.
• The deployment strategy for BDC’s Oil and Gas Sector Financing will be finalized shortly.

Please complete the following form to get an update once more information is available.

Government of Canada is waiving ground lease rents from March 2020 through to December 2020 for the 21 airport authorities that pay rent to the federal government. We are also providing comparable treatment for PortsToronto, which operates Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and pays a charge to the federal government.

For more information please click here.

We will provide the CRTC with an equivalent amount to the waived Part I licence fees to support CRTC’s operations.

•  The Federal Government will provide $500 million dollars to Heritage Canada to support artists, creators and rising sports stars, via the new COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations.
• Support will be provided in a manner consistent with other COVID-19 supports such as the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA).
• Organizations eligible for funding would include industry non-profits, national sports organizations, television production houses, music associations and media organizations.
• Funds would be administered by Canadian Heritage with the support of partners, such as the Canada Council for the Arts.
• Canadian Heritage and its portfolio organizations play a vital role in the cultural, civic and economic life of Canadians.
• Arts, culture and heritage represent more than $53 billion in the Canadian economy and close to 666,500 jobs in sectors such as film and video, broadcasting, music, publishing, archives, performing arts, heritage institutions, festivals and celebrations.
• Beginning May 8th, partner organizations will be contacted so that funds can begin to flow to cultural and sport organizations.

Through Buyandsell.gc.ca Canadian companies can bring forward product and services to support Canada’s response to COVID-19.

Click here to find Government of Canada Buy and Sell platform.

• You manufacture in Canada and/or have ready access to necessary inputs through your supply chain.
• You have equipment or facilities that can be rapidly re-tooled to meet medical needs, including for personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves, masks and surgical gowns; sanitizers; wipes; ventilators; and other medical equipment and supplies. 
• You have skilled workers who are able to respond and who could be available for work in the current circumstances.

Click here if you are Canadian manufacturer that can assist Canada in meeting the need for medical supplies.

The Digital Technology Supercluster is leading the development of solutions to some of the biggest issues created by COVID-19. Through the COVID-19 Program, the Digital Technology Supercluster will invest up to $60 million to improve the health and safety of Canadians and Canada’s ability to address issues created by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Digital Technology Supercluster will invest in projects that support the development, deployment, scale-up and adoption of products, services or technologies that help governments, communities, employers and individual Canadians address exceptional needs created by, and effects of, COVID-19.

Learn more about Digital Technology Supercluster.

• The government is ensuring all 23 ONroute travel plazas remain open for take-out, grab and go and drive-through services, including washrooms with enhanced cleaning.
• The province is also providing portable washrooms at 32 truck inspection stations, so trucks have a place to stop and rest safely.
• These actions build on measures announced last month that allow the 24-hour delivery of goods without the restrictions of municipal noise by-laws, and the extension of the validation of driver's licences, Commercial Vehicle Operator's Registration certificates and other products that expired on or after March 1, 2020. 

Ontario is extending construction hours for essential construction projects to 24 hours a day. This will allow for expedited construction on key facilities, such as new hospital builds, expansions, temporary COVID-19 response units or structures, and COVID-19 assessment centres.  Ontario will temporarily limit local noise bylaws from applying to these types of essential construction activities beginning April 7, 2020.

Extending hours for essential construction will also give worksite managers more flexibility to stagger shifts, limit the number of people in one place, and take reasonable precautions to keep workers safe and healthy under the recent guidelines issued by Ontario's Chief Prevention Officer for construction sites. 

The new emergency action will lift the suspension of limitation periods and procedural time periods under the Construction Act and allow the release of holdback payments to contractors and subcontractors. This will help improve cash flow in the construction industry during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Ontario government is launching a new $50 million Ontario Together Fund to help businesses provide innovative solutions or retool their operations in order to manufacture essential medical supplies and equipment, including:

• Gowns
• Coveralls
• Masks & face shields
• Testing equipment

This new Fund will support the development of proposals submitted by businesses through the Ontario Together web portal. The government will be looking for the most viable, innovative proposals that can quickly provide critical goods and services and the greatest benefit to the people of Ontario. The fund is time-limited and will be available to companies and organizations across the province.

Visit the Ontario Together portal.

• The Ontario government is taking further action to stop the spread of COVID-19 by actively recruiting health care workers to increase the frontline capacity of hospitals, clinics, and assessment centres.
• The new Health Workforce Matching Portal will enable health care providers with a range of experience to join the province's response to COVID-19.
• Those providers include retired or non-active health care professionals, internationally educated health care professionals, students, and volunteers with health care experience.
• The portal will efficiently match the availability and skill sets of frontline health care workers to the employers in need of assistance to perform a variety of public health functions, such as case and contact management.
• Employers and interested health care professionals can visit the portal here and create a profile.
• Once registered, professionals can add their availability and employers can enter their request for support. Registrants will receive an email notification if matched. 

Committing $100 million in funding through Employment Ontario for skills training programs for workers affected by the COVID?19 outbreak.

Investing $52 million to expand access to the emergency assistance program administered by Ontario Works to provide financial support to people facing economic hardship and help them with basic needs, such as food and rent during this public health emergency;

Learn more about Government of Ontario's Budget update.

Enhancing funding for charitable and non-profit social services organizations, for example food banks, homeless shelters, churches and emergency services such as the Red Cross, to improve their ability to respond to the COVID?19 outbreak. The government is doing this by providing $148 million directly to Consolidated Municipal Service Managers and District Social Service Administration Boards who would allocate this funding based on local needs.

For more information click here.

The City of Oshawa’ Planning and Building branches will continue to receive development and building permit applications. The City’s Buildings branch continues to provide building inspections.

Click here to visit the City's Building Permit page.

Business and taxi licences due to expire in March and April have been extended to May 31, 2020 to allow individuals and businesses more time to submit and process these applications.

Click here to find more COVID-19 information and updates

• Lot 16 on Athol between Celina and Albert Streets, west of Tribute Communities Centres
• Lot 19 on William Street between Division Street and Carriage Works Drive, behind the Courthouse

Click here to find more information