COVID-19 Resources for Businesses

Mandatory Face Covering Bylaw remains in effect for Fort Saskatchewan

The Mandatory Face Covering Bylaw C29-20 requiring all citizens age 10 and over to wear a mask in all indoor public spaces is in effect to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in our community. This applies to all individuals age 10 and over unless they meet exemption criteria.

The Bylaw will remain in effect until rescinded by Council or until it expires.

If you have any questions or inquiries about the Bylaw, please go to fortreport.ca.

Download the Mandatory Face Covering Poster

COVID-19 Update

In response to the growing COVID- 19 case numbers in Alberta, and specifically in the urban areas, on December 8 the Government of Alberta announced stronger measures aimed at bending the curve. The proposed business restrictions will be in place for 4 weeks at minimum, commencing December 13^th.

The following restrictions are in effect as of December 8, 2020:

Masks are mandatory in all indoor public spaces and workplaces.
All indoor and outdoor social gatherings are prohibited.

These restrictions are effective December 13, 2020:

Working from home is mandatory when physical presence is not required.
Some businesses will be required to close, reduce capacity or limit their in-person access. All previous restrictions from Nov. 27 remain in place until the new restrictions come into effect.

The full list of new mandatory restrictions is available on Alberta.ca

How to Calculate 15% Occupancy

Effective December 13, there is a new Provincial mandatory restriction relating to businesses and services. Some businesses were asked to limit their in-person access to reduce the amount of contact between people in the community, while still allowing them to offer services.

Reduced Capacity and Occupant Loads

Most retail businesses may remain open with capacity limited to 15 per cent of the occupancy set under the Alberta Fire Code or a maximum of five customers. Learn more about restricted capacity and occupant load by visiting Stronger Public Health Measures page.

What is the Approximate Restricted Capacity of my Business?

The Government of Alberta has guidance on determining restricted capacity and occupant load.

Modified Government Support Programs

You might be familiar with several of these government support programs, however many have been updated or changed since they were first announced last spring. Even if your business did not previously qualify, we strongly recommend looking through the programs again to see if you qualify now.

Government of Canada

Support for your business:
- This tool asks businesses a series of questions to direct them towards the programs for which they are eligible.

Managing your business during COVID-19: Financial support, loans and access to credit:
- This link has a list of active (and previous) programs available for businesses, including brand-new programs.

Support for individuals
- While CERB may be complete, there are still many newly-developed programs intended to support individuals.

There have been questions around the level of support available to a community in lockdown vs. not in lockdown:

This applies specifically to the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS):

The website states, “If you are eligible for the base subsidy, you may also be eligible for lockdown support if your business location is significantly affected by a public health order for a week or more.” This will likely be most relevant for businesses who must close due to the public health order.

Government of Alberta

Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant

While the website is not yet updated, Premier Kenny committed to increasing the amount of the grant from $5,000 to a maximum of $20,000. The application is not yet open but will open soon.


The Federal Government is taking immediate, significant and decisive action to help Canadians facing hardship.	Measures to protect employers and employees from the economic disruption and position Alberta for recovery.	The City is working with the Chamber of Commerce to support our local businesses and our community.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Supplies

The following list are businesses that carry various types of PPE, cleaning supplies, non-medical masks, signage and plexiglas barriers, and have given their permission to be publicized to the local business community.

Please note supplies are limited and not guaranteed to be available at all times.

If you are a supplier of PPE, cleaning supplies, or other equipment that businesses will need to re-open and want to be added to this list, please email ecdev@fortsask.ca with the relevant details. This list will be updated on an ongoing basis.

PPE Suppliers

Business / Individual	Product/Service	Contact Information
Winners Way Source For Sports	Non-medical face masks	780-998-2288
Skyway Canada Limited	Mass Temperature Scanner System and UV-C Light Disinfection	780-413-8007
Shoppers Drug Mart -Westpark	Non-medical masks & Cleaning Supplies	780-998-1821
Shoppers Drug Mart - Southpoint	Non-medical masks & Cleaning Supplies	780-998-2236
Dependable Printers	Signage	dependable_printers@live.ca 780-998-2885
Fort Signs and Promo	Signage, Non-medical masks & Cleaning Supplies	Orders@fortsigns.ca
Swinx Life Sales	PPE & Cleaning Supplies	sales@swinxlife.com 780-245-6386
Staples Fort	Cleaning Supplies & Signage	Staples website
Home Depot	PPE & Cleaning Supplies	Home Depot website
Safeway	Cleaning Supplies	Safeway website
Your Dollar Store With More	Cleaning Supplies	Your Dollar Store with More website
Dollarama	Cleaning Supplies	Dollarama website
Giant Tiger	PPE & Cleaning Supplies	Giant Tiger website
Freson Bros. Fresh Market	PPE & Cleaning Supplies	Freson Bros. website
Crystal Glass	Lexan or Plexiglass Barriers	Crystal Glass website
Fort Saskatchewan Quilters Guild	Non-medical masks	bournequilting@shaw.ca
Jenifer Dalmer	Non-medical masks	780-235-7007
Debby Michaud	Non-medical masks	michaud.debby@gmail.com
Fort Distillery	Hand Sanitizer	Fort Distillery website
Brand Alliance (Renee Hall)	Non-medical masks	rhall@bamko.ca
Kilograms	Non-medical masks	crisismsc@gmail.com
AMRE Supply	PPE & Cleaning Supplies	780-461-2929
Busy Bee Sanitary Supply	PPE & Cleaning Supplies	780-462-0075
W.E. Greer	PPE & Cleaning Supplies	780-451-1516
Med PPE Canada	PPE & Cleaning Supplies	1-866-834-1864
Canadian Linen	PPE & Cleaning Supplies	Canadian Linen Website

Additional active opportunities to purchase or supply PPE include:

Alberta Bits and Pieces Program
Federal Call to Action for Manufacturers - where Canadian manufacturers can assist Canada in meeting the need for medical supplies;
ATB Nexus (an Alberta based procurement solution, supported by ATB Financial) can help create RFP packages and find supply chain opportunities for your business;
Rapid Response Platform a new automated system that can match supply with demand, simplifying supplier discovery during the procurement process; and

Biz Connect Website

Biz Connect Website launched for Alberta businesses. This guidance supports sectors currently allowed to operate under public health orders:

Any questions about the Government of Alberta’s guidance for re-opening, or lifting of restrictions for businesses, can be sent to BizConnect@gov.ab.ca.

Workplace Guidance for Business Owners

This document has been developed to support all business and sectors (excluding health care settings) in reducing the risk of transmission of COVID-19 among workers, volunteers and patrons. This document outlines the criteria that should be addressed in individual, written workplace policies and procedures established to address the COVID-19 pandemic response.

Workplace Guidance for Business Owners

Dentons Return to Work Employer Toolkit

NAIT - Post-COVID-19 Facility Re-entry Guide

Business Owners and employees: you are not alone.

The Mental Health Help Line is available 24/7 to provide advice and referrals to community supports nearest you. Call 1-877-303-2642. Other resources include:

Crisis Services Canada
Find Your Canadian Mental Health Association | CMHA
Help in Tough Times |AHS

Calling all suppliers – Help Canada combat Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)

Business Continuity

Employer and Employee Information

FAQs

Where can I receive financial support and funding to keep my business operating?

Both the Federal Government and Government of Alberta have announced a range of financial programs to assist small businesses at this time. Programs include:

What supports are being offered by the Province of Alberta?

The Alberta government will provide immediate funding and supportive measures to support local businesses, employers and employees.

Support for employers is provided through:

Corporate income tax payment deferral (until August 31, 2020)
Education property tax deferral
WCB premium payment deferral (until 2021)
Utility payment deferral (for 90 days)
Funding measures: among other financial support, for example, small business customers can apply for payment deferral on loans and lines of credit for up to 6 months, and other measures.

See COVID-19 support for employers and employees by the Alberta Government for more details and related resources.

For questions about financial relief and Alberta government programs and services related to the COVID-19 response, call 780-310-4455 from 8am to 8pm, 7 days a week.

What supports are being offered by the City of Fort Saskatchewan?

In an effort to support residents and businesses during the COVID-19 response, the City of Fort Saskatchewan is taking the following measures:

Waiving late fees and penalties on utility bills (water, sewer and waste) from March 23 – June 22, 2020 (90 days). The City will continue to send the utility bills each month. Please contact the City’s utility billing staff at 780-992-6200 or by email at utilityclerk@fortsask.ca to make these arrangements.
Fostering Community Wellness – we are encouraging our amazing residents to build connectedness, foster relationships, and get creative.
Waiving Transit Fares – this applies to local routes 582, 583, 584, and route 580 to Edmonton’s Clareview LRT Station.
Special Council Meeting – In April Council will meet to discuss the developments in the City’s COVID-19 response strategies and related matters, property tax penalties and the 2020 budget.

How will COVID-19 affect import/exports and shipment of inventory?

Currently, there are no restrictions on the import or exports. While borders are beginning to close for leisure travel, there is no indication whatsoever, this will affect commercial transport. If your business relies on transport by air, be aware most passenger airlines are currently scaling back operations, but cargo services are continuing as normal.

How can I minimize my business costs as much as possible?

Speak to your service providers/landlords if payments are upcoming. They are keenly aware of the situation, and there will likely be room for flexibility in payment terms. In some instances, this is already happening:

All taxpayers can defer, until after August 31, 2020, the payment of any income tax amounts that become owing on or after mid-March and before September 2020.
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) is permitting lenders to allow payment deferrals.
The Government of Alberta announced measures to help those struggling to meet their utility bills.

I’m going to have to lay off employees temporarily. How do I handle it correctly?

While we know all of our employers want to do everything in their power to avoid layoffs, we understand it can’t be avoided in some cases. The Government of Alberta has information on Temporary Layoffs that’s been updated with information on Employment Insurance and COVID-19.

Are there any alternatives to laying off employees?

Yes. The Government of Canada has extended the Work-Sharing Program to 76 weeks and created the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.

What are the details for the Canada Emergency Wage subsidy?

The Government of Canada has announced a 75 per cent wage subsidy for qualifying businesses, for up to 3 months, retroactive to March 15, 2020. This will help businesses to keep and return workers to the payroll.

What if my business is closed and I can’t access the Emergency Wage Subsidy?

The Government of Canada has established a Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) to provide $65 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, exportation and tourism.

This program includes:

Canada Emergency Business Account
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.
To qualify, these organizations will need to demonstrate they paid between $50,000 to $1 million in total payroll in 2019.
Loan Guarantee for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
EDC is working with financial institutions to issue new operating credit and cash flow term loans of up to $6.25 million to SMEs.
Co-Lending Program for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises
BDC is working with financial institutions to co-lend term loans to SMEs for their operational cash flow requirements.
Eligible businesses may obtain incremental credit amounts of up to $6.25 million through the program.

Both of these programs will roll out in the three weeks after March 27, and interested businesses should work with their current financial institutions.

Where can I find out more about Employee Insurance and COVID-19?

The Government of Canada has dedicated Employment Insurance page to apply for EI benefits. Afterwards, you can apply to have the usual one-week waiting period waived by calling the government’s toll-free number at 1-833-381-2725. If there’s a need to lay off employees, ensure they’re receiving a record of employment as they will need this to apply.

What if I don’t qualify for Employment Insurance?

The Government of Canada created the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. The program will provide a taxable benefit of up to $2,000 a month for up to 4 months to:

workers who must stop working due to COVID19 and do not have access to paid leave or other income support;
workers who are sick, quarantined, or taking care of someone who is sick with COVID-19;
working parents who must stay home without pay to care for children that are sick or need additional care because of school and daycare closures;
workers who still have their employment but are not being paid because there is currently not sufficient work and their employer has asked them not to come to work; and,
wage earners and self-employed individuals, including contract workers, who would not otherwise be eligible for Employment Insurance.

The Canada Emergency Response Benefit is accessible through a secure web portal. Applicants will also be able to apply via an automated telephone line or via a toll-free number.

Apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit

Financial Support

Lease Holders

Retail Leases Can be Negotiated with Landlords Amid COVID-19: Expert

Reliable Sources of Information