As organizations modify their operations to carry on safely serving customers, many are facing challenges covering unexpected costs. To help, the Canada United movement — created by RBC — is offering up to $5,000 for businesses that need to outfit plexiglass barriers, purchases personal protective equipment or update e-commerce capacity.
 
The program, administered across Canada by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, supports businesses that need to make changes to meet local health and safety requirements. Applications for the program opened Monday.

After a spike in the number of cases of COVID-19 in Surrey, all regions of BC are being asked to take extra precautions.
 
Dr. Bonnie Henry issued a new order on Monday, limiting gatherings within private homes and urging businesses to review their COVID-19 safety plans. Our understanding of this disease has changed since many plans were implemented in the summer, and, as we enter flu and cold season, it's timely to update protocols.
 
Dr. Henry also says she expects British Columbians to wear masks in indoor public spaces when around people outside your bubble.

The Capital Regional District has launched a new program to help businesses in the region check the efficiency of faucets used for hand-washing. If the faucet isn't operating at maximum efficiency, the CRD will replace the faucet's aerator for free.
 
The new aerators use less than two litres of water per minute, compared to as much as 11 litres per minute in older faucets. The update can save businesses money and waste less water. The regional district estimates that 25% of all water in Greater Victoria is used for commercial and industrial purposes. That adds up to 10 billion litres per year.
 
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Greater Victoria municipalities will get $13.1 million from a new federal fund for emergency housing, announced yesterday. The $1 billion Rapid Housing Initiative will create as many as 3,000 homes for Canadians in need across the country.
 
The government determined how much of the fund cities will get by metrics such as the percentage of people experiencing homelessness, and the level of renters in severe housing situations. The initiative provides cash to quickly build modular multi-unit rentals, and to transform abandoned or derelict and non-residential buildings into livable, affordable housing units. Applications can be submitted until the end of the year to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

Soon after the results of the provincial election are confirmed, The Chamber will be calling on government to ensure relief programs are available for sectors that are struggling due to COVID-19. The sooner we get our economy back to where it was before the pandemic, the better all of us will be.
 
One initiative we'd like to see improved is the province's Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery Grants program, announced Oct. 9. The program sets aside $300 million for grants between $10,000 and $30,000 to business that meet a range of criteria. The program also offers additional grants between $5,000 and $10,000 to tourism businesses that meet additional criteria.
 
The Chamber is concerned the program could leave behind businesses struggling to survive. Many are in vulnerable situations and need an immediate lifeline to make it through until spring, when revenue streams are expected to stabilize.

The federal government unveiled a new plan last Friday to help commercial tenants struggling with a loss of revenue due to the pandemic.
 
The Chamber had called on government to replace the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA), which expired last month. It suffered from low uptake and had faced criticism from many business that found it exceptionally difficult to implement.
 
The new Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) will be provided directly to eligible tenants, unlike CECRA which relied on buy-in from landlords. The government touts CERS as providing "simple and easy-to-access rent and mortgage support until June 2021."
 
"A program that is easier to access is good news for many commercial tenants that are struggling right now," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams says. "The new plan is an improvement and allows businesses to plan for the winter and spring. We'll have to see how it's rolled out, and how well it works for our most vulnerable businesses in the tourism and hospitality sector."
 
Also announced Friday was an extension of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy until June 2021, and an expanded Canada Emergency Business Account offering access to an interest-free loan of $20,000 in addition to the initial CEBA loan of $40,000.

Statistics Canada's latest unemployment numbers offer more evidence about the impact of the pandemic on jobs in Greater Victoria. Our region is improving from the summer, with the jobless rate at 9.1% for September compared to 10.3% in August and a low of 11.1% in July.
 
However, we are currently the 22nd ranked Census Metropolitan Area in Canada. Before COVID-19, Greater Victoria consistently had the lowest or second lowest unemployment rate in the country.
 
Our ranking is largely attributable to a 39% drop in the number of people working in accommodations and food services — the sector hit the hardest by measures to control the pandemic.

The decision to get BC government workers back in the office is welcome news. In June, The Chamber wrote to provincial Finance Minister Carole James — who is also MLA of Victoria-Beacon Hill — and asked what her plan was to return civil servants to their workplaces. The request was made after Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry advised that it was safe to go back to the office, and after WorkSafeBC published extensive guidelines on how to do so.
 
Greater Victoria's economy needs a vibrant downtown, and downtown businesses need support. Restaurants, cafes and retailers struggle without the civil servants who shop or buy meals before and after work and during their breaks.
 
Chamber CEO Bruce Williams told the Times Colonist that businesses outside of downtown are generally faring well, but those in the core are fighting for their survival.
 
"It’s put a real serious challenge in front of many business owners downtown.”
 
In the letter to the finance minister, which was co-signed by the Downtown Victoria Business Association and the City of Victoria, we called on government to model best practices for a safe return to work. We're thankful our voice was heard, and that the return of public service workers gives hope to the many businesses that are hanging on downtown.

WorkSafeBC: Member since 2006

Downtown Victoria Business Association: Member since 2007

City of Victoria: Member since 1962

The Chamber has written a letter to Victoria Council urging an extension of the Build Back Victoria plan until next spring.
 
"The City’s leadership and investment in innovations led by business are making a difference," states the letter, which is included in a staff report outlining experiences with the program so far. "Many of our restaurants, cafes and pubs were able to sustain their operations because of the opportunity they were given to expand their spaces."
 
Council will consider extending the program tomorrow, as well as a suggestion to allow for vehicle access to businesses on the section of Government Street closed to traffic.

The Chamber is adding our voice to calls for a better approach to helping businesses struggling to pay their rent. The Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program runs out today, and there is still no plan to replace it. CECRA never really provided the urgent help needed by many businesses. It was complicated and restrictive, and failed to consider that businesses need to plan over a longer-term than month-to-month. The sudden end of the program will also hurt businesses that are seeing improved revenue but are not back to pre-pandemic levels.
 
"We know that economic recovery is being led by businesses that are able to find innovative ways to adapt and carry on, but many businesses will need time as they slowly return to the level of activity they need to cover their hard costs," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams says. "In Greater Victoria, our tourism and hospitality sectors especially need help to survive the devastating loss of business that resulted from the ban on international visitors."
 
The Chamber is calling on the federal government to work with the provinces on an improved plan to provide long-term help for businesses struggling to pay commercial rent. Governments had time over the summer to learn from those landlords and tenants who were able to make use of CECRA, as well as those that couldn't make the program work.