Good Afternoon All,
Here are today's updates. There's a number of updates so please take the time to read through this email and the attachments.
Phase One Opening in Ontario:
This afternoon Premier Ford announced the opening of Phase One - attached please find the Province's detailed list and guidelines for opening within each category - for our Retail members please read the attached carefully as there are details about what you are able to do within your stores based on space and social distancing. You are also being urged not to fully reopen if you aren't ready on May 19th. Retailers may continue to do on-line sales, curbside pick-up in addition to opening when they are able to do so following the attached guidelines.
Opening this Saturday, May 16:
- parks, golf courses, marinas, tennis courts and sports fields
Opening Tuesday, May 19:
- Retail businesses with a street entrance (malls are not opening)
- Pet Groomers, Pet Boarding
- All Construction
- Off leash parks
NOT able to open during Phase One:
- Restaurants, bars, cafes
- Hair and Nail Salons
- Spas
- Concert, movie venues
- Malls
STILL in effect:
- Gatherings can not exceed 5 people
- Social distancing of 2 metres; use of masks if social distancing is not possible.
Here is the link to the Province's media release on Phase One:
Campaign to push for moratorium on commercial evictions:
Even though the Province has announced the launch of Phase One today, we know that it is going to take quite some time for businesses to get fully back to pre-Covid revenue levels and only a select number of businesses are allowed to open in Phase One. So the critical concerns about rent still continue. Today Councillor Fletcher, Councillor Wong-Tam, MPP Tabuns and other Members of Provincial Parliament called upon Premier Ford to immediately enact a moratorium on commercial evictions. They are asking all small businesses and your customers to help spread this urgent request by emailing and posting on your social media and tagging the Premier and the Ministers of Economic Development and Small Business. Attached please find the contact and tagging information for these three members. I've also attached our Don't Turn Out The Lights graphics for social media - please feel free to use these in your posts along with the hashtag #stopcommercialevictions
Councillor Fletcher wanted to share her piece in Beach Metro News with you. It is about protecting small business during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Here is the link: https://www.beachmetro.com/2020/05/12/in-my-opinion-small-businesses-are-at-the-heart-of-our-neighbourhoods-and-they-need-to-be-protected/
New Funding Source:
The Federal Government has opened another funding source that may work for some of you - especially if you haven't been eligible for some of the other programs. Details are below and a link to the site which will provide complete details and application instructions.
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Susan Puff