CBDC Southwest Newsletter

April 3, 2020

Good Day,

We hope that you, your families and employees are staying safe and healthy during this unsettling time. In our commitment to keeping you updated, we have added a Resource Page on our CBDC website with quick links to important funding and support.

In today’s newsletter, we will share recent COVID-19 developments that impact you and your business. For full details on any of the supports, announcements or programs, just click on the highlighted links.

Extended and Revised NB State of Emergency

Earlier this week, New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs announced a two-week extension to the province’s State of Emergency. There are also updates, including:

• Commercial landlords are not allowed to evict tenants for not paying their rent due after March 19, 2020, until May 31, 2020.
• Campgrounds must remain closed.
• Owners/managers of seasonal docking for recreational vessels must either prohibit docking or take reasonable steps to ensure persons (who don’t live together) do not come within two metres of each other.

Everyone is prohibited from knowingly approaching within two metres of another person (except those they live with). Best efforts must be used, inadvertent contact does not violate this section. This does not apply to workplaces.

School Closure

The New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development announced yesterday that school will remain closed and the calendar year will not be extended unless the situation drastically improves. Both the Anglophone and Francophone school sectors will be providing home learning plans and resources for families to support the continuity of learning.

New Brunswick Workers Emergency Income Benefit

You can now apply for the New Brunswick Workers Emergency Income Benefit. It is a one-time income benefit of $900 available for workers or self-employed people living in New Brunswick who have lost their job due to the State of Emergency. The benefit will help to bridge the gap between when a person lost their job or closed their business on or after March 15, 2020, to when the national benefit takes effect. The benefit will end on April 30, 2020.

The Government of New Brunswick COVID-19 Guide for Businesses outlines more assistance to support businesses impacted by COVID-19. On this page, you will also find a link to a COVID-19 Webinar for NB Businesses. It’s the first in a series of webinars that will give advice on various timely topics. This first webinar is about human resources issues.

Canada Emergency Response Benefit

On Wednesday, April 1, 2020, the Government of Canada announced The Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB). This will provide temporary income support to workers who have stopped working and are without employment or self-employment income for reasons related to COVID-19. 

This money will be paid in blocks of four weeks in the amount of $2,000, which is equivalent to $500 per week. A maximum of 16 weeks of benefits can be paid.

The benefit is available from March 15, 2020, to October 3, 2020. You can apply no later than December 2, 2020.

To help manage the applications, the CRA has set up specific days for you to apply, based on your birth month:

• If you were born in January, February or March, apply for CERB on Mondays. *Your best day to apply is April 6.
• If you were born in April, May or June, apply for CERB on Tuesdays. *Your best day to apply is April 7.
• If you were born in July, August or September, apply for CERB on Wednesdays. *Your best day to apply is April 8.
• If you were born in October, November or December, apply for CERB on Thursdays. *Your best day to apply is April 9.
• On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays you can apply for CERB regardless of your birth month.

Additional Support for Canadian Businesses from the Economic Impact of COVID-19  are measures aimed at helping businesses protect jobs and pay their employees and bills. They include wage subsidies, deferred GST/HST payments, the Canada Emergency Business Account and the new Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Loan and Guarantee Program.

The Government of Canada COVID-19 Economic Response Plan announced on March 18, 2020, is aimed at stabilizing the economy during this challenging time.

The Government of Canada Resources for Canadian Businesses – Coronavirus disease (COVID-19)  outlines resources to support business owners and their employees.

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has information on taxes, wage subsidies, the Emergency Care Benefit, the Emergency Support Benefit, Canada Child Benefit payments and credit for farmers.

ACOA
The Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) also has support available for small or medium-sized businesses impacted by COVID-19. You can visit their website or call 1-800-561-4030.

WorkSafe NB

WorkSafe NB has announced that assessment premiums related to employer payrolls for March, April and May will be deferred for three months without interest charges.

BDC

The Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) has lots of useful information in this webinar and on this webpage about continuity planning and cash flow planning.

FREE LearnSphere Webinars
LearnSphere has been providing learning opportunities to help businesses and organizations prosper for 20 years. And in response to the current crisis, LearnSphere is offering FREE  WEBINARS on a range of timely business topics, from cash management to working productively from home. What information would help you most at this time? LearnSphere wants to know in this one-question survey.

CBDC Southwest Webinar

Our CBDC Southwest information webinar is now online. In this webinar, program officer Sean Donovan (sean.donovan@cbdc.ca)  outlines programs offered through CBDC including loans and the Self Employment Benefit program - SEB.

When will things be back to “business as usual?” At this point, no one can be sure. But we are 100% sure of our commitment to keeping you up to date and supporting you through this crisis. Please take good care and we will be back in touch soon.