Kindness Rocks, Paid Sick Leave, 2021 Federal Budget, Island Lake Management Plan Survey and more!
Get Ready to Rock!
The Kindness Rocks Project is coming to Downtown Orangeville! Starting next week, we’ll be asking Orangeville residents to bring their painted rocks to the raised garden beds outside of Readers’ Choice and Broadway Music.
The idea behind the Kindness Rocks Project is that one moment, one positive message, can change your whole day! One day can change a life, and one life can change the world. Each act of kindness creates a ripple effect and spreads hope throughout the community.
This is a fun and safe activity that will bring some colour & energy to Broadway! We encourage all our members to participate by contributing some rocks to the garden (get your kids involved!) and/or sharing our social media posts about the Kindness Rocks Project when you see them! Small, hold-in-your-palm sized rocks are best for everyone’s safety! We’ll be sharing some painting and decorating tips when the project is announced, stay tuned!
Do you sell paint and supplies for making Kindness Rocks? Please let us know so that we can mention you in our post!
Save the Date! Virtual Member Meet-Up Tuesday May 18th @9am *New Date*
Due to a scheduling conflict, the Virtual Member Meet-Up has been moved to Tuesday May 18th @ 9am! Prior to COVID-19, our Monthly Member Meet-Up’s were a chance to get to know each other, learn from guest speakers, and welcome new members. We have really missed getting to connect and share with you in this way and are excited to announce that starting in May, the Meet-Up’s will be back in a virtual format! We’ll start with an informal chat, a chance to catch up with each other and hear how we’ve all been keeping, then we’ll meet a new member and listen to a presentation from a guest speaker -official invite coming soon, stay tuned!
Ontario Government Introduces Paid Sick Leave
MPP’s passed Ford’s COVID-19 Paid Sick Leave Bill yesterday, new legislation that requires employers to provide employees with up to $200 of pay for up to three days if they are missing work because of COVID-19. This program will be retroactive to April 19, 2021 and effective until September 25, 2021, the date the CRSB will expire.
The province will partner with the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board to deliver the program and reimburse employers up to $200 per day for each employee.
See official release here.
Canadian Federal Budget 2021-2022 – What You Need to Know!
The Federal Government released the budget proposal for 2021-22 last week, this included updates on current subsidies for small businesses. We have summarized the key information that may impact your business. We recommend reading BDO’s article for more in-depth information on these subsidies to find the information that is relevant for your business. The CFIB has provided a good summary also.
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)
This subsidy will be extended to September 25th, 2021. The extended periods for this subsidy begin June 6th and will run to September 25th (periods 17 – 20).
The budget has proposed that the CEWS subsidy be gradually reduced starting July 4th, 2021. The amounts will continue to be calculated on a sliding scale based on decline in revenue, however, the base rates and variable rates have changed for businesses who have experienced loss in revenue below 70%. For businesses who have experienced of a loss of 70% or more, the maximum will still apply.
Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS)
The budget proposes to extend CERS for the same additional months as the wage subsidy – June 6th, 2021 to September 25th, 2021. During this extension, the base subsidy rate will be phased out, starting July 4th, 2021.
The current rate is 65% of qualifying expenses. Based on the budget proposals, the maximum base rate will decline over the periods from 65% in June to 20% in the last period starting August 29th, 2021. The current rate of 25% for any areas in lockdown will continue throughout these periods.
NEW - Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP)
The new Canada Recovery Hiring Program is intended to provide financial support to businesses as they reopen. The subsidy will offset a portion of additional costs incurred due to increasing wages, extending hours, or hiring new staff. The subsidy will cover up to 50%, starting June 6th, 2021, though to November 20th, 2021.
Upcoming Webinar: Stress, Survival & Showing Up
When: May 4th
Time: 6:30-8pm
Brought to you by: Dufferin County’s Development & Tourism Department
“Stress, Survival & Showing Up,” is specifically designed to address the unique challenges being faced by Dufferin County’s business owners during the pandemic. Hosted by registered psychotherapist and business owner Sarah Ahmed, the event will explore practical stress management and emotional regulation tactics, as well as self-care concepts in the workplace. Attendees will also have the opportunity to exchange ideas and questions in a Q&A session with Sarah.
For more information and to register, please visit the EventBrite page here
Island Lake Management Plan – Take the Survey!
The first public meeting for the Island Lake Conservation Area Management Plan was held last week. For those interested, the recording of the presentation is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTkrijGR3q8 .
The CVC is asking for your help, by way of completing the survey and sharing your thoughts. Diverse input and feedback on the conceptual designs is essential to the development of a plan that meets the needs of the community and sets the park up for long-term success.
We encourage you to read the materials available on CVC’s website: https://cvc.ca/enjoy-the-outdoors/conservation-areas/island-lake-conservation-area/island-lake-conservation-area-management-plan/.
After reading, you can provide your feedback by taking the public survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ILCA. The survey closes on May 7th.
Thanks everyone! Happy Friday!