June 10, 2020 – Ottawa, Ontario
Small businesses are facing unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Government of Canada has introduced a wide range of supports to help businesses pay and retain their employees and keep up with their operating expenses during this difficult time.
As different regions and communities across the country begin to ease COVID-19 restrictions, business owners are looking for ways to ensure the health and safety of employees and customers in their stores, shops and offices.
Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, announced that the Government of Canada has partnered with the People Outside Safely Together (POST) Promise program, an initiative launched by Canadian private sector organizations to help businesses across the country reopen safely.
The “POST Promise” is a voluntary commitment that business owners and managers can make by following five key public health actions that will help prevent the spread of COVID-19:
- Maintaining physical distance
- Washing and sanitizing hands
- Cleaning and disinfecting regularly
- Staying home if unwell and self-monitoring for symptoms
- Practising respiratory etiquette (including wearing a mask when physical distancing is difficult)
By displaying the “POST Promise” logo, participating businesses can reassure customers that they are doing their part to help protect Canadians’ health and safety.
As we take steps toward restarting the economy, the Government will continue to work with POST Promise to ensure its platform provides businesses with accurate and up-to-date health and safety guidelines.
Quotes
“Canadians are resilient and innovative, and they are always there for each other, especially in tough times. The POST Promise program is a perfect example of business leaders stepping up to help others in the fight against COVID-19. The program will give business owners easy-to-follow steps to prevent the spread of COVID-19. It will also give customers and shoppers confidence in knowing that businesses are committed to their health and safety. Our government will continue to work closely with the business community, as one Team Canada, to ensure Canadian businesses are able to safely restart and rebuild from this crisis.”
– The Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade
“The business organizations that have come together to help launch the POST Promise program are committed to doing our part to stop COVID-19. We are grateful for the support of the Government of Canada, and look forward to working closely with Minister Ng and her colleagues as we continue to reach out to business owners and managers across the country. Together, we can help build the public confidence that is needed to ensure a successful economic restart.”
– Goldy Hyder, President and CEO, Business Council of Canada
Quick facts
- As of December 2017, there were 1.18 million employer businesses in Canada, of which 1.15 million (97.9%) were small, 21,926 (1.9%) were medium-sized and 2,939 (0.2%) were large.
- To support Canadians and Canadian businesses as we fight COVID-19, the Government of Canada introduced the largest relief package in our country’s history, which includes these major programs:
- The Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) is providing businesses with a $40,000 interest-free loan through participating Canadian financial institutions. If repaid by December 31, 2022, up to $10,000 will be forgiven.
- The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) is helping businesses by covering up to 75% of payroll, retroactive to March 15 and continuing through to the end of August.
- The Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program is helping businesses that were forced to close—through support to landlords—cover 75% of their April, May and June commercial rent.
- In addition to broad support programs, the Government’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan includes targeted measures to help tourism businesses, rural communities, artists and athletes, innovative high-growth businesses, Indigenous-owned businesses, women entrepreneurs, farmers and agri-food businesses, and more.