COVID-19 TASK FORCE
On April 5, MLA Megan Mitton, Sackville Mayor John Higham, Dorchester Mayor JJ Bear, Port Elgin Mayor Judy Scott, and Fort Folly First Nation Chief Rebecca Knockwood, established the Tantramar COVID-19 Task Force (TCTF). The TCTF includes key community volunteers from unincorporated areas of Tantramar, such as Aulac and Cape Tormentine. The TCTF has been mandated to coordinate an appropriate community response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you need help during the COVID-19 pandemic with groceries, prescriptions, or other issues, you can contact the TCTF for assistance at enquiry.tctf@gmail.com. You can also visit the Tantramar COVID-19 Facebook page. To reach one of the co-chairs, please email cochairs.tctf@gmail.com.
A May 15 press release with recent information on the Task Force is here.
Personal Protective Equipment Contacts
Here are some local/regional contacts to source personal protective equipment (PPE):
Brunswick Fyr and Safety – 857-3191
Micmac Fire and Safety Source Ltd. – contact Justin Neate – 1-506-261-5876
Cummings Fire and Safety – Linda Patterson 1-506-446-5992
FEDERAL RESOURCES
Canadian Commercial Emergency Rent Assistance Program
This program will help commercial tenants and small businesses with rent relief – https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/finance-and-investing/covid19-cecra-small-business
Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses – Reopening Guides
The CFIB a source that can guide business through each province’s regulations for reopening and offer templates and tools for small business with little support . Details are here:
https://www.cfib-fcei.ca/en/small-business-resources-dealing-covid-19
https://www.cfib-fcei.ca/en/covid-19-templates
And there is a sign for your door available here.
Regional Relief and Recovery Fund
The Federal Government has unveiled a new fund meant to fill in gaps missed by other programs – details are here.
Canada Emergency Response Benefit
Application and program information is available here.
Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy
As a Canadian employer whose business has been affected by COVID-19, you may be eligible for a subsidy of 75% of employee wages for up to 12 weeks, retroactive from March 15, 2020, to June 6, 2020. Click here for details.
Canada Emergency Student Benefits
The Government of Canada has introduced several measured to help post-secondary students. Details are available here.
Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses
They have a list of useful business resources for small businesses:
Business Development Bank of Canada
They have a new Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Loan and Guarantee Program. Details here.
Government of Canada Assistance Programs
The Government of Canada has a COVID-19 Economic Response Plan. This includes general support for individuals, such as those support for people facing unemployment, and support for businesses, including avoiding layoffs and access to credit. You can see the full list of Federal programs here.
Service Canada Citizen Specialist Contact
Service Canada has an online service portal – information is here.
Chantal Lepage is the Citizen Service Specialist for Service Canada in our area. If you are an employer in the region that needs information concerning the how, when and what of employment insurance for their employees, she can help.
Chantal LePage
Citizen Services Specialist, Citizen Services and Program Delivery Branch — Atlantic Region
Service Canada / Government of Canada
chantal.lepage@servicecanada.gc.ca
Tel:(506)777-4610, BB(506)875-1638
Government of Canada and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce
They have established the Canadian Business Resilience Network to help Canadian businesses navigate the COVID-19 reality and prepare for recovery. They are also partnering with Stats Canada on a national survey – goal to measure the impact on business, from a national perspective. For details visit here.
PROVINCIAL RESOURCES
Worksafe NB
The brochure Recovery Guidance – Work Safe NB May 8 2020 is here.
Province of New Brunswick
The list of Provincial programs for businesses is here.
The “NB general public health measures COVID Recovery” document is here.
Provincial Recovery Framework
The Provincial Recovery Framework has information on reopening businesses.
COVID-19 Business Engagement Slides – April 29
CBDC and the Government of New Brunswick Small Business Emergency Working Capital Program
This program is designed to help provide relief to businesses as they responded to the challenges posed by COVID-19. Impacted small business owners can apply for working capital loans up to $100,000, they will not be required to pay interest for the first six months. Interest payments will be required in months 7-12 and principal and interest payments will begin in month 13.
Small Business Emergency Working Capital
CBDC us also offering free 2 hour consultation sessions for businesses. The information is here.
Tourism New Brunswick
The Government Department has a page of resources for tourism operators here. Emerit online tourism training courses are available here. They have created Business Engagement slides here.
Department of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour
There is a quick reference guide for resources for NB Workers and Students affected by COVID-19 here.
Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick (TIANB)
TIANB has published a page of resources for tourism related businesses and other businesses, to see it click here. They are also doing a survey of businesses affected by COVID-19.
Emerit online tourism training courses are available here, and they are free.
Association of Municipal Administrators of New Brunswick
The Association has put together this list of useful programs available as of April 1:
Programs Summary April 1 AMANB
LOCAL AND REGIONAL RESOURCES
Town of Sackville
We have updated our website with the most up to date information we have received on local businesses, including current opening hours and options under these unfortunate circumstances. If you have an update that you would like us to include, please contact 364-4930. Please click here for a list of updates, we’ll also be sharing it on social media. If there is a change in your operations, please update us at visitor@sackville.com or call 364-4930 and we will update our news item.
Mainstreet Redevelopment
Mainstreet Redevelopment has a, “We are all in this together” initiative to help local businesses. Please contact gwenzwicker@gmail.com at Mainstreet to participate.
Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton
The Chamber has an extensive list of information and resources to help businesses, which you can find here.
Sackville businesses are encouraged to take part in the Love For Local campaign the GMCC started on Facebook. It is a platform where any business that is still operational (restaurants doing takeout, delivery services, online services, etc.) can advertise on the page and spread the word. They have videos, radio spots, print advertising underway and will be pushing this heavily on social media to raise some awareness that now is the time to support local business.
The Chamber is also offering a series of online webinars to help business owners during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. These webinars are all free and are open to members and non-members and will be presented to address some concerns raised by chamber members.
Resilience, Mitigation, and Recovery: How ACOA’s COVID-19 Assistance can help your business
Presented by: Kent Estabrooks, Vice-President at ACOA
Date: May 21, 2020
Time: 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM ADT
Stingray Radio
Stingray Radio operates stations in Moncton and they are offering grants for free advertising. Details are here.
Excellence NB Website