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2020 COVID-19 Pandemic Response

In January 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel coronavirus a global health emergency. The virus, known as COVID-19, was first identified in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.

Then, on March 11, 2020, the WHO assessed COVID-19 as a pandemic. 

Just like our response to the 2013 Southern Alberta Flood, and the 2016 For McMurray Wildfires, in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,  EDA is taking the lead in providing ideas, tools and resources to accelerate business and economic recovery. 

COVID-19 and Low Oil Prices Business Impact Survey 

Economic Developers Alberta (EDA), the Alberta Chambers of Commerce (ACC) and Community Futures Alberta are collaborating in the COVID-19 and Low Oil Prices Business Impact Survey.

Read the full survey report here

EDA Business Impact Survey

Between March 20-24,2020, EDA hosted an online survey to gather information on the impact the pandemic is having on Alberta businesses. To view the results click here.

Beyond COVID Webinar Series: Business & Economic Recovery

During the COVID pandemic, EDA held a series of FREE virtual seminars designed to connect us with community leaders from Alberta, across Canada and around the world. These weekly webinars provided information to help accelerate business and economic recovery, profiling various topics and/or industries, as well as post-COVID opportunities.  


Blog

Visit the blog below to find presentations and webinar recordings.

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  • March 18, 2020 5:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Here is the recording of the EDA Business and Economic Recovery COVID-19 Webinar held Wednesday, March 18.


  • March 18, 2020 3:00 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    CFA is working around the clock on a proposal to government relating to TFW’s. Our board will be reviewing tomorrow morning before submission. Mary Robinson continues discussions/negotiations with the Federal Government on this important matter.

    We are also conducting Farm Level survey’s to ensure every Canadian Farmer has an opportunity to provide their input on the impacts of COVID-19. These results are reviewed by our Executive Committee.

     Deadline for completion of this week’s Farm Level Survey is tomorrow at 5:00pm (EST).

    https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/WG3CHNK - English Farm Level Survey

    https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BK3MKP6​- French Farm Level Survey


  • March 18, 2020 2:44 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Prime Minister announces more support for workers and businesses through Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan

    March 18, 2020
    Ottawa, Ontario

    The Government of Canada is taking strong and quick action to protect our economy, and the health, safety, and jobs of all Canadians during the global COVID-19 outbreak.

    The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced a new set of economic measures to help stabilize the economy and help Canadians affected by the impacts of this challenging period.

    These measures, delivered as part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, will provide up to $27 billion in direct support to Canadian workers and businesses, plus $55 billion to meet liquidity needs of Canadian businesses and households through tax deferrals to help stabilize the economy. Combined, this $82 billion in support represents more than 3 per cent of Canada’s GDP. This wide-ranging support will help ensure Canadians can pay for rent and groceries, and help businesses continue to pay their employees and their bills during this time of uncertainty.

    This plan builds on coordinated action taken since the beginning of this outbreak, including the more than $1 billion COVID-19 Response Fund, which provided funding to provinces and territories to strengthen critical health care systems. It represents over $500 billion in credit and liquidity support for people and businesses through cooperation between financial Crown corporations, the Bank of Canada, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI), and commercial lenders to ensure businesses can continue to operate.

    The actions announced today are part of Canada’s whole-of-government response to COVID-19. As a first step, this plan aims to stabilize our economy through targeted measures to address immediate challenges faced by workers and businesses alike. It will help ensure that workers have the money they need while they are sick or in isolation, or due to loss of work or a significant reduction in work income, and help support people and businesses experiencing financial hardship because of the outbreak.

    Canadians should not make health decisions based on their financial needs. As the situation continues to evolve, further measures will be announced to support Canadians, stimulate the economy, and protect peoples’ jobs and livelihoods..

    Support for workers

    Canadians should not have to worry about paying their rent or mortgage or buying groceries because of the COVID-19 crisis. To support workers and their families, the Government of Canada is taking action to:

    ·        Provide additional assistance to families with children by temporarily boosting Canada Child Benefit payments. This measure would deliver almost $2 billion in extra support.

    ·        Introduce an Emergency Care Benefit of up to $900 bi-weekly for up to 15 weeks to provide income support to workers who must stay home and do not have access to paid sick leave. This measure could provide up to $10 billion to Canadians, and includes:

    ·  Workers, including the self-employed, who are sick, quarantined, or who have been directed to self-isolate but do not qualify for Employment Insurance (EI) sickness benefits.

    ·  Workers, including the self-employed, who are taking care of a family member who is sick with COVID-19, such as an elderly parent or other dependents who are sick, but do not qualify for EI sickness benefits.

    ·  EI-eligible and non EI-eligible working parents who must stay home without pay because of children who are sick or who need additional care because of school closures.

    ·        Introduce an Emergency Support Benefit delivered through the Canada Revenue Agency to provide up to $5 billion in support to workers who are not eligible for EI and who are facing unemployment.

    ·        Provide additional assistance to individuals and families with low and modest incomes with a special top-up payment under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) credit. This measure would inject $5.5 billion in the economy.

    ·        Waive, for a minimum of six months, the mandatory one-week waiting period for EI sickness benefits for workers in imposed quarantine or who have been directed to self-isolate, as announced on March 11.

    ·        Waive the requirement for a medical certificate to access EI sickness benefits.

    ·        Extend the tax filing deadline for individuals to June 1, and allow all taxpayers to defer, until after August 31, 2020, the payment of any income tax amounts that become owing on or after today 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. This measure will result in households having more money available during this period.

    ·        Provide eligible small businesses a 10 per cent wage subsidy for the next 90 days, up to a maximum of $1,375 per employee and $25,000 per employer. Employers benefiting from this measure would include corporations eligible for the small business deduction, as well as not-for-profit organisations and charities.  This will help employers keep people on their payroll and help Canadians keep their jobs.

    ·        Provide increased flexibility to lenders to defer mortgage payments on homeowner government-insured mortgage loans to borrowers who may be experiencing financial difficulties related to the outbreak. Insurers will permit lenders to allow payment deferral beginning immediately.

    In addition, to provide targeted support for vulnerable groups, the Government is investing to:

    ·        Reduce minimum withdrawals from Registered Retirement Income Funds (RRIFs) by 25 per cent for 2020 in recognition of volatile market conditions and their impact on many seniors’ retirement savings.

    ·        Implement a six-month, interest-free, moratorium on Canada Student Loan payments for all individuals who are in the process of repaying these loans.

    ·        Provide $305 million for a new distinctions-based Indigenous Community Support Fund, to address immediate needs in First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nation communities.

    ·        Support women and children fleeing violence by providing up to $50 million to women’s shelters and sexual assault centres to help with their capacity to manage or prevent an outbreak in their facilities. This includes funding for facilities in Indigenous communities.

    ·        Provide an additional $157.5 million to address the needs of Canadians experiencing homelessness through the Reaching Home program.

    Support for businesses

    In the face of an uncertain economic situation and tightening credit conditions, the Government is taking action to help affected businesses. To support Canadian businesses and help them retain their workers during this difficult time, the Government is announcing measures to:

    ·        Allow all businesses to defer, until after August 31, 2020, the payment of any income tax amounts that become owing on or after today 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. This measure will result in businesses having more money available during this period.

    ·        Increase the credit available to small, medium, and large Canadian businesses. As announced on March 13, a new Business Credit Availability Program will provide more than $10 billion of additional support to businesses experiencing cash flow challenges through the Business Development Bank of Canada and Export Development Canada. The Government is ready to provide more capital through these financial Crown corporations.

    ·        Further expand Export Development Canada’s ability to provide support to domestic businesses.

    ·        Provide flexibility on the Canada Account limit, to allow the Government to provide additional support to Canadian businesses, when deemed to be in the national interest, to deal with exceptional circumstances.

    ·        Augment credit available to farmers and the agri-food sector through Farm Credit Canada.

    ·        Launch an Insured Mortgage Purchase Program to purchase up to $50 billion of insured mortgage pools through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). As announced on March 16, this will provide stable funding to banks and mortgage lenders and support continued lending to Canadian businesses and consumers. CMHC stands ready to further support liquidity and the stability of the financial markets through its mortgage funding programs as necessary. The Government will enable these measures by raising CMHC’s legislative limits to guarantee securities and insure mortgages by $150 billion each.

    The six largest financial institutions in Canada have made a commitment to work with personal and small business banking customers on a case-by-case basis to provide flexible solutions to help them manage through challenges, such as pay disruption due to COVID-19, childcare disruption due to school or daycare closures, or those suffering from COVID-19. As a first step, this support will include up to a six-month payment deferral for mortgages, and the opportunity for relief on other credit products. The Government of Canada will continue to monitor evolving economic conditions and seek greater relief measures should it be necessary.

    In order to move forward with implementing these new measures needed to provide timely support for Canadians and to ensure the Government has every tool at its disposal to address potential challenges that may arise, the Government intends to introduce special legislation and seek the approval of Parliament.

    The Government of Canada will continue to take further action as required to prioritize the health and safety of Canadians, stabilize the economy, and mitigate the economic impact of this pandemic.

    Quotes

    “No Canadian should have to worry about paying their rent or buying groceries during this difficult time. That is why we are taking the strong action needed to stabilize our economy and help those impacted by the COVID-19 virus. Together, we will get through this difficult time.”

    The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada 

    “These are extraordinary times and we must take extraordinary measures. The Government of Canada will do whatever it takes to ensure that the health of Canadians is protected, families and businesses are supported and our economy remains strong, even in the face of uncertainty. I am working with the financial sector, the Bank of Canada, my provincial and territorial colleagues, and my counterparts from around the world to keep coordinating on significant actions to protect the Canadian and global economy. Canadians can rest assured that we are ready to take all necessary measures to meet the challenges ahead.”

    The Hon. Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance 

    Related Product

    ·        Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan: Support for Canadians and businesses

    Associated Links

    ·        Prime Minister outlines Canada’s COVID-19 response

    ·        Government of Canada takes action on COVID-19

    ·        Canada outlines measures to support the economy and the financial sector


    PMO Media Relations: media@pmo-cpm.gc.ca
    This document is also available at https://pm.gc.ca




  • March 18, 2020 2:12 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)

    For Immediate Release

    Economic Developers Alberta (EDA) Begins Free Weekly Webinar Series to Help Businesses and Economies Recover From the Economic Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic

    Free virtual meetings a safety-conscious method to deliver information to those navigating the current economic disaster and preparing for the future

    Calgary, AB (March 18, 2020) - Once again, Economic Developers Alberta (EDA) is providing leadership to communities, economic developers, and elected officials as they navigate the impact to businesses and economies from the COVID-19 pandemic.

    EDA is hosting a free weekly webinar series designed to share tools, resources and best practices. 

    Based on EDA's award winning Economic Recovery and Resiliency Program, the information delivered in these webinars contains international best practices and is designed for economic developers, business leaders and elected officials. 

    The inaugural webinar, held today at 12:00 PM had an overwhelming response. In just over 48 hours, there were 308 registrations from within Alberta and beyond. It was hosted by Leann Hackman-Carty, EDA’s CEO who delivered information on common post-disaster challenges; the role of local government and economic developers in recovery; as well as an overview of the various specialized tools, training and resources available. She was joined by Michele Evans, ADM, Economic Development Trade and Tourism and Justin Riemer, ADM, Western Economic Development who provided information on various provincial and federal resources.  

    Moving forward, the weekly webinars will be held 12:00 - 1:00 PM each Wednesday for the foreseeable future.

    "Just like we did after the 2013 Southern Alberta Flood and the 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfires, we are dedicated to providing community leaders with the most current, relevant information to help strengthen their communities during a time of crisis," said Leann Hackman-Carty, EDA CEO. "The unique approach we are taking with these webinars means they will truly become a networking event as each week we will have guests who will deliver information pertinent to the economic recovery topic we are discussing. Today's inaugural webinar had 308 attendees from across Canada which proves there is a large appetite for this specialized information."

    Registration for the webinar series is on our website at www.edaalberta.ca.

    ###


    If you would like more information about the webinar series or would like to be a special guest please contact: Leann Hackman-Carty, EDA CEO at: leann@edaalberta.ca


    If you are a member of the media and would like to arrange an interview please contact Nancy Toombs at: nancy.toombs@edaalberta.ca 

    About EDA

    Economic Developers Alberta is the only professional organization for economic developers in the province. A not for profit led by a volunteer board of directors, EDA serves a vibrant membership of over 300 economic development professionals, the private and public sector, and national and international networks. EDA is dedicated to advancing the economic development profession by providing networking opportunities, a professional development program and valuable information. EDA has received an SDG Leadership Award for its Economic Recovery and Resiliency Program, and Public Safety Canada has recognized EDA’s CEO for her leadership in this area nationally.


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