The City is doing everything possible, in full cooperation with the provincial and federal governments, to minimize the impact and see an economic recovery take place as soon as possible.

The City of Barrie is working with our industry partners including Barrie Chamber of Commerce, Sandbox, Tourism Barrie, Barrie Construction Association, the Small Business Centre, the BIA, and the Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre, with updating this page regularly to be able to identify actions to support businesses, workers and residents in responding to the economic impact of COVID-19. This page will enable the City to better respond to the evolving challenges with its partners in government, business and non-profits.

Latest Federal & Provincial Press Releases

• Recent Provincial Announcement
• List of Essential Workplaces
• Stop the Spread Business Information Line Now Open
• New Canada Emergency Response Benefit
• Ontario Enabling Financial Relief for Businesses
• Ontario’s Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19
• What you need to know about the new COVID-19 benefits program
• Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announces enhanced measures to keep employees on the payroll

City Support

Reduction of Enforcement Services
Free Transit: March 20–April 6
Water Wastewater Billing
Property Tax Billing

Economic Support & Recovery

Stay up to date on provincial and federal measures to provide economic relief and support:

Banking Solutions
Federal Programs
Provincial Programs
Other

Funding for Businesses

• A new Business Credit Availability Program to make more than $10 billion available to Canadian businesses in financing and credit insurance solutions through:
  • Export Development Canada (EDC)
  • the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)
• The Canada Revenue Agency will defer tax payments until August 31, 2020, to help businesses with cash flow
• Immediate relief for small businesses with a 10% wage subsidy for the next 90 days, up to a maximum of $1,375 per employee and $25,000 per employer
• A new Emergency Care Benefit of up to $900 biweekly for up to 15 weeks for self-employed people and others who are not eligible for EI sickness benefits
• Increased credit available to farmers and the agri-food sector through Farm Credit Canada
• Allowing taxpayers to defer tax payments until after Aug. 31 amounts that are due after today and before September
• Facebook is offering $100 million in grants to small businesses in 33 countries
• NGen Announces $50M Funding Program to Scale COVID-19 Response

Local Business Resources

The Small Business Centre, the BIA, The Henry Bernick Entrepreneurship Centre and The Barrie Chamber of Commerce can help prepare your business for a recovery strategy.

• Simcoe County Services – Updates
• Workplace Safety & Prevention Service- Pandemic Preparedness Toolkit
• Leadership in times of Crisis: a Toolkit for Economic Recovery and Resiliency
• Country Preparedness and Response Status for COVID-19 as of 12 March 2020
• Mitigating Workplace Concerns About COVID-19: Employee Questions, Employer Questions and Next Steps
• RVH COVID-19 Updates
• Useful resources and readings from MaRS
• The City of Barrie is launching a manufacturing forum for businesses to engage with one another to ask questions and provide solutions for their businesses during the ever-evolving time of COVID-19. If interested, please contact Nora Gavarre at Nora.Gavarre@barrie.ca or call at 705-739-4220 ext. 4431

Information for Organizations & Events

Find out what your organization, workplace or event can do to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Event Organizers

The risk of planning events that will create mass gatherings must be assessed on a case-by-case basis by Public Health Authorities, event organizers and relevant planners. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends conducting a risk assessment when determining the public health actions related to a mass gathering during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Workplaces

Employers should also know what is expected if they have employees returning from travel. Learn more by reading the World Health Organization’s Getting Your Workplace Ready for COVID-19 fact sheet.

General Advice
Hygiene
Flexible Work Arrangements and Sick Leave
Business Travel
Closure

Mental Health Services

With coronavirus (COVID-19) now officially being called a pandemic by the World Health Organization, public fear and anxiety are on the rise. Employees may be experiencing a high degree of uncertainty, worry and stress about the health and safety of their loved ones, and how this pandemic may disrupt their work and personal lives.

While employers are preparing responses to safeguard their business operations and protect the physical health of their employees during this crisis, it’s important to consider everyone’s psychological health and safety, too. Read the following articles to learn how you can respond t the outbreak or please call Canadian Mental Health Association’s hotline at 1-833-456-4566 should you need further assistance.

• 6 tips to respond to employee anxiety about COVID-19
• How to Stay Emotionally Healthy During the Coronavirus Outbreak: Proven techniques for managing stress and anxiety over the outbreak.
• Mental Health Apps
• Ways to connect and stay busy

Arts Community

This is a very challenging time for the arts industry, many of whom are dealing with canceled performances, and loss of work.
City staff have begun to compile a list of helpful resources for Canadian artists and professionals to help during this time:

• Artists for Conservation have released an update on their operations
• ArtsPond is pleased to announce the newly formed Facebook group, I Lost My Gig Canada plus the newly launched website at ILostMyGig.ca. Each of these spaces invite arts and other vulnerable freelance and gig economy workers in Canada to share impact stories and resources in response to the growing number of lost, cancelled, and delayed gigs due to COVID-19 and other issues in the industry.
• COVID-19 Resources for the Music Community
• Emergency Survival Fund for LGBTQ2S artists, performers, tip-based workers and Glad Day
• National Arts Centre – NAC unveils $100,000 relief initiative for performing artists in any discipline
• Emergency funding to professional Canadian writers in mid-project
• Unison Benevolent Fund Financial Assistance
• Behind the Scenes Grant
• CARFAC response to COVID-19

Programs

All available webinars, programming and live streamed events to help you and your business cope with COVID-19.

• Webinars offered through the Barrie Chamber of Commerce
• Cash Flow Management Strategies for Small Business webinar by BizLaunch
• Webinars offered through the BDC on hope to cope
• EDC Webinar on Managing the Impact on Global Supply Chains
• Sandbox Centre present their event page of COVID-19 webinars
• Conway Inc. present Winning FDI Strategies in Uncertain Times
• The Small Business Centre and Digital Main Street Digital Service Squad present Virtual Learning Series Part 1 – Social Media
• The Small Business Centre’s Digital Service Squad present their new program Going Digital. This program is for businesses with little to no web presence to help assist you in strengthening your business during COVID-19.

Hotlines

• The Government of Canada’s Coronavirus Hotline can answer questions and provide information:1-833-784-4397 

• The Emergency Watch and Response Centre (EWRC) can be called 24/7 by Canadian citizens abroad in need of emergency assistance: 1-613-996-8885
• The Business Development Bank of Canada can answer questions for business owners: 1-877-232-2269
• This Employment Insurance (EI) hotline can be called if you have already completed the application for EI sickness benefits, whether you are sick or quarantined, to have the one-week waiting period waived: 1-833-381-2725
• For questions on international trade, call Export Development Canada: 1-888-220-0047
• Ontario Public Health Authority: 1-866-797-0000

• Canadian Mental health Association: 1-833-456-4566
• Province Launches Business Support Line: The province has launched a toll-free line 1-888-444-3659 to provide support to Ontario businesses who have questions about the province’s recent emergency order to close at-risk workplaces following recommendations by Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health