Province Focused on Job Creation as We Gradually Start Opening Things Up

Friday, 8 May 2020 13:47

Today, Statistics Canada released its monthly job numbers, which showed a 689,200 decrease in employment in Ontario.

ONTARIO - The job numbers are looking pretty bleak in the Province of Ontario right now.

Today, Statistics Canada released its monthly job numbers, which showed a 689,200 decrease in employment in Ontario. With this in mind the Ontario Government continues to prepare for the next phase of restarting the provincial economy through the implementation of its Framework for Reopening our Province.

Premier Doug Ford says the government has been supporting struggling business owners directly impacted by COVID-19 by providing tax deferrals and commercial rent relief, and by removing regulatory roadblocks.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on people's lives and livelihoods, but thanks to the incredible efforts of our frontline health care workers and all individuals and families, we can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. By Monday, thousands of people will be returning to work at hardware stores, retail outlets and garden centres across the province. Now with the right framework and the right guidelines in place, we can start getting more of Ontario back to work quickly and safely."

Over the past week, the government has begun easing restrictions on workplaces that can operate safely by following public health and safety guidelines. Today, garden centres and nurseries will be able to open for in-store payment and purchases. Hardware stores and safety supply stores will be permitted to open for in-store payment and purchases as soon as 12:01 a.m. on Saturday. On Monday at 12:01 a.m., non-essential retail stores with a street entrance can begin offering curbside pickup and delivery.

The province is also providing $241 million of a total $900 million to the new Ontario-Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance Program (OCECRA), with contributions from the federal government, to deliver relief to small businesses and ensure they are ready to reopen their doors when the emergency measures are lifted.

Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19 also includes $10 billion in support for people and businesses to improve cash flows by providing a five-month penalty and interest-free period to make payments for the majority of provincially administered taxes, deferring the upcoming quarterly municipal remittance of education property tax, and providing up to $1.9 billion in financial relief by allowing employers to defer Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) payments for up to six months.

The Province has also launched the COVID-19: Tackling the Barriers online portal. Businesses working to retool their operations to produce health-related products, or those struggling to operate in this new environment of physical distancing, can submit any potential roadblocks and suggest possible solutions through the website.