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8 responses to “People In Japan, Spain, France Are Unhappy With Government COVID Response”

1. 

   Toby Barrett

   September 16, 2021

   UPDATE ONTARIO-
   Training tax credits available for laid-off workers

   This is a refundable personal income tax credit that returns 50 per cent of eligible training expenses for 2021, up to $2,000. Expenses that apply include everything from personal support worker training programs to heavy machinery training programs, to courses towards a degree, diploma, or certificate and much more. In combination with the federal government’s Canada Training Credit, people can get a total of up to $2,500 back next year for training.

   The pandemic has changed our economy, and we understand people need relief to maintain their quality of life at this challenging time.

   “The Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit provides up to $2,000 per person to help with the cost of training,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “This is just one way we are supporting workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

   To help workers learn new skills or change careers, the Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit will provide up to $2,000 for 50 per cent of eligible training expenses, for a total estimated $260 million in support for about 230,000 people.

   Up to $2,500 of support is available when the Ontario Jobs Training Tax Credit is paired with the Canada Training Tax Credit.

   Ontario’s 2021 Budget has incorporated the needs of job seekers by offering a helping hand in the form of refundable tax credits; those eligible should know that relief is available.

   “Training programs are essential to our mission of helping people find good jobs,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “With the right training, laid-off workers can get the hand up they need into life-long careers. Supporting innovative training projects in communities across the province is part of our plan to help people develop the in-demand skills they need both now and in the future.”

   We encourage the people of Ontario to use these tax credits to fill the gaps created by last year’s global economic downturn and help set their lives on the right track forward.

   For more information, contact me, MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446 or toby.barrett@pc.ola.org Please mention The Silo when contacting.

2. 

   Toby Barrett

   July 15, 2021

   UPDATE
   Ontario keeping workers safe as province re-opens
   Free health and safety training now available for small businesses

   SIMCOE — The Ontario government is investing $10.5 million to provide up to 60,000 small businesses across the province with free health and safety training over the next three years.

   The new Small Business Health and Safety Training Program will improve health and safety awareness to help prevent illnesses and injures by training health and safety representatives of small businesses on how to keep workers safe in the retail, construction, health care, accommodation and food services, and other sectors.
   Businesses will also be reimbursed for the time the representatives are away from work.

   Safety is always Job#1. We all recognize the importance of awareness and prevention.

   “As Ontario reopens, keeping workers safe will continue to be our top priority,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “Small businesses have less resources to learn about health and safety than other businesses and we know they are facing a lot of financial pressures as a result of this pandemic. Our government is making sure they have the guidance and support they need.”

   Beginning today, Ontario’s new Small Business Health and Safety Training Program will cover the course registration costs for an employee who is appointed by their colleagues as a health and safety representative for their workplace.
   The program will also reimburse small businesses $150 towards the representative’s training time. All small businesses that have six to 19 employees are required to have a health and safety representative and they can apply for this program.

   “Protecting our economy starts with protecting our small businesses and the people who run them and foster their growth,” said Nina Tangri, Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction. “By investing in health and safety training, we’re making our small businesses safer places for hardworking families to seize the opportunities they need to get ahead.”

   The eLearning training course is offered through Workplace Safety and Prevention Services, a Health and Safety Association. The free training takes about six to eight hours for most people to complete, and covers a range of topics, including:

   -occupational health and safety laws
   -rights, duties and responsibilities of workplace parties
   duties and responsibilities of the health and safety representative under the Occupational Health and Safety Act
   -recognition, assessment, control and evaluation of common workplace hazards

   This program builds on Ontario’s commitment to protect and support workers, educate and train people for the labour market and contribute to a prosperous and stable economy and is part of the province’s 2021 Budget, Ontario’s Action Plan: Protecting People’s Health and Our Economy.

   Quick Facts

   To register for the free training, eligible small businesses must access the course through Workplace Safety and Prevention Services’ website. Once training is complete, small business applicants should retain a copy of the certificate of completion as proof for their refund of the $25 registration fee and the $150 toward the cost of worker training time.

   Small businesses can apply for reimbursement through the Small Business Health and Safety Training Program starting in Fall 2021. More details will be available soon on Workplace Safety and Prevention Services’ website.

   Selected by workers, a health and safety representative’s duties include inspecting the workplace on a regular basis, identifying possible hazards, making recommendations for improvements and making health and safety resources available to those in the workplace.

   In Ontario, about 130,000 small businesses require a health and safety representative.

   Workplaces with 20 or more workers are required to have a joint health and safety committee.

   For more information, contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446 or toby.barrett@pc.ola.org Please mention The Silo when contacting.

3. 

   Toby Barrett

   July 2, 2021

   My front row seat to the impact of COVID on Ontario agriculture

   My past two years as Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) have been a front row seat to the impact of the pandemic on our agriculture production.

   It is no exaggeration that our agri-food sector not only touches every corner of Haldimand-Norfolk, but every corner of Ontario.

   Agri-food is vital sector and an economic powerhouse. Excellent soils and technological advances in food processing ensure we have one of the world’s most diversified industries. It supports more than 49,600 farms producing over 200 commodities and contributes $47.3 billion to provincial GDP. Agriculture employs 860,000 Ontarians from both urban and rural communities – representing over 11 per cent of our province’s labour force.

   While other industries came to a near standstill in the past year, our agri-food exports rose to $17.2billion, up 4.2 per cent from 2019. This made Ontario the top agri-food-exporting province in Canada, followed by Saskatchewan.

   Many are not aware of the complexities, the time and effort that goes into food production. Farmers have always been our unsung heroes. Over the past year, along the value chain we saw hard working and innovative producers, processors, distributors, retailers and front-line staff work tirelessly to meet unprecedented challenges. Moreover, our government worked diligently to ensure the continuity of the value chain to bring food to Ontario tables.

   Like those in the industry, OMAFRA is dedicated to continuously enhancing food safety and animal health, and it continues to become a more modern regulator.

   COVID-19 changed many things, but it did not change our need to eat and therefore our need to produce food.

   An anchor of our support for farmers is our suite of robust risk management programs. In partnership with the federal government, we delivered $259 million to Ontario farmers through our farm income stabilization programs, Agri-Invest and Production Insurance. As well, our government has permanently expanded the risk-management program from $100 million to $150 million. Farmers depend on these programs and partnerships in times of need when uncertainties hit.

   We also expanded production insurance coverage for COVID-19-related production losses and enhanced agri-insurance coverage to include labour shortages due to the virus. Through the Feeder Cattle and Commodity Loan Guarantee Program, we backed over $250 million in operational loans, which had real benefits for more than 1,000 Ontario farmers.

   Ontario is in an enviable position to fill the predicted future international demand for safe, high-quality product. We are competing with other jurisdictions, and that is why it is so vitally important that we advocate for our interests.

   Research, innovation and commercialization are vital to maintain a globally competitive sector, capitalize on new and emerging market opportunities, contribute to a healthy Ontario, and support safe and robust food processing. This year, OMAFRA is investing up to $68 million in research and innovation, and over the past four years, has invested over $282 million. Our long-standing partnership with the University of Guelph, the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance and the Agricultural Research Institute of Ontario help secure future opportunities.

   We will always stand shoulder to shoulder with rural Ontario, even in the most difficult times, to grow more opportunities for farms and rural businesses. We will work to protect our critical food system from disruption while maintaining our responsibilities and funding programs without interruption.

   Toby Barrett MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk

4. 

   Bobbi-Ann

   May 3, 2021

   UPDATE: May 3, 2021

   QUEEN’S PARK — More than 40 per cent of Ontario adults have now received at least one dose of COVID-19.

   “Ontario has now administered over five million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine,” said Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby Barrett. “Thank you to frontline workers and volunteers for their hard work to get us here.”

   Despite an inconsistent vaccine supply to date, the province has continued to build a solid foundation in Ontario’s vaccine rollout, with a focus on age and risk, allowing us to reach our most vulnerable populations and have a measurable impact.

   As of April 30, over 5.2 million doses have been administered across the province, starting with the province’s most vulnerable populations, including long-term care residents. Over 91 per cent of Ontarians aged 80 and over have received at least one dose. Over 25,000 first and second doses have been administered in 31 fly-in First Nations communities and Moosonee, and 95 per cent of long-term care residents are now fully vaccinated, providing a layer of protection to those who need it most.

   The province has also continued to expand delivery channels, helping to vaccinate more Ontarians faster. Ontario has over 300 primary care settings, 1,400 pharmacy locations, and 189 mass immunization sites supporting its vaccine rollout in addition to mobile and pop-up clinics occurring in hot spot communities, building the capacity for the province to deliver 150,000 doses each day. Ontario has continued to ramp up its rollout, surpassing five million doses administered in eight days since administering the fourth million.

   More predictable supply from the federal government also allows us to continue to expand booking eligibility across the province, with individuals aged 18 and older eligible to book through the provincial booking system as early as the week of May 24, 2021. People 50-plus can now book vaccinations this week, 40-plus can book next week, 30-plus is up the week of May 17 and those over 18 are the week of May 24.

   A full schedule is available here https://news.ontario.ca/en/backgrounder/1000036/phase-two-schedule-for-covid-19-vaccine-booking-eligibility

   Ontario is on track to offer first dose vaccinations to ten million people by the end of June, as long as there is a steady supply of vaccines from the federal government.

   On Saturday, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones issued the following statement:

   “Yesterday we have achieved our goal of administering first doses of COVID-19 vaccines to 40 per cent of Ontarians aged 18 and over by May 1. With over 4.8 million people having received their first shot, we are one step closer to defeating COVID-19,” Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said in a joint following statement issued May 1.

   Elliott and Jones also said, “The best vaccine remains the first one you’re offered, and we strongly encourage everyone to book an appointment as soon as it’s their turn. By doing so, we can protect our families, friends and loved ones, and stop the spread of COVID-19.”

   For more information, contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446 or toby.barrett@pc.ola.org

5. 

   Bobbi-Ann Brady Dwornikiewcz

   January 29, 2021

   Priority measures for Ontario’s long-term care homes

   Since COVID-19 emerged, I have received hundreds of calls and e-mails about
   long-term care homes and have been passing these concerns to Ontario’s Long-Term
   Care Minister Marilee Fullerton, Minister of Health Christine Elliott, and Seniors’
   Minister Raymond Cho.

   This pandemic has hit long-term care homes across Ontario, and across the world,
   hard. Every region and every ownership type and model have been impacted.

   Our government’s top priority is Ontarians’ health and well-being, especially our
   most vulnerable. We have invested $1.38 billion to ensure our long-term care homes
   and health care partners have what they need.
   
   Addressing urgent staff shortages

   With our health care partners, we have addressed staff shortages in long-term care
   by enabling staff deployment and the use of infection prevention and control teams.

   We immediately deployed rapid-response health care professionals, opened a portal to
   match workers with vacant positions, launched a Personal Support Worker Return of
   Service program, and provided long-term care homes with interim staffing.

   Addressing systemic staffing challenges

   Facing staffing challenges caused by decades of neglect and underfunding, we have
   launched one of the largest recruitment and training drives in history to deliver on
   our commitment to provide an average of four hours of daily direct care for
   residents. This will make Ontario the Canadian leader in creating a better
   environment for residents and staff.

   To implement our staffing plan, we are making additional annual investments, up to $1.9 billion invested annually by
   2024-25 to create more than 27,000 new long-term care positions for personal support
   workers, registered nurses, and registered practical nurses.
   
   Protecting staff, residents, and caregivers

   To ensure a steady stream of personal protective equipment (PPE), Ontario launched
   the PPE Supply Program to provide long-term care homes with eight weeks worth of N95
   respirators. We also invested $30 million to allow long-term care homes to hire more
   infection prevention and control staffing, including $20 million for additional
   personnel, and $10 million for staff training.

   Most recently, $1.434 million was invested in the riding’s long-term care homes to
   support further prevention and containment efforts.

   Enhanced testing requirements during the second wave

   There was $398 million recently announced for long-term care homes to reduce the
   risk of the virus entering from the community. This will help homes adhere to
   enhanced staff and visitor testing requirements, and to support costs associated
   with screening, staffing, supplies, and measures necessary to prevent and contain
   outbreaks.

   Ontario’s vaccination plan is underway

   Phase One of Ontario’s vaccine implementation plan continues by ensuring that all
   long-term care home residents, health care workers, and essential caregivers are
   vaccinated. Vaccination has started in Haldimand-Norfolk, and the process moves as
   fast as vaccine availability, which is a federal government responsibility.

   Ontario’s inspection process is the most rigorous in Canada

   As recommended by Ontario’s Auditor General, the Ministry of Long-Term Care uses a
   risk-based inspection program. This allows us to respond to urgent concerns and to
   clear inspection backlogs. This framework ensures every home is inspected at least
   once annually and homes with complaints, critical incidents, or a history of
   non-compliance and other risk factors are subject to extended inspections.

   Inspectors have been essential to monitoring and tracking conditions at our 626
   homes. They have been in regular contact to ensure they are getting what’s required
   related to staff capacity, outbreak status, supply of PPE, and other critical needs.

   There is a growing body of data and research showing that the driving factor of the
   most significant outbreaks was the age of the home. Older homes had more ward beds,
   which made it more difficult to cohort positive and negative residents and contain
   the spread of COVID-19. This is why our government committed $1.75 billion over five
   years in a comprehensive effort to upgrade old beds to modern standards and build
   new beds.

   We have now seen a year of very tough times. I want to thank all frontline health
   care workers at long-term care homes and their hospital partners for working around
   the clock to help stop the spread of the virus.

   Toby Barrett MPP for Haldimand-Norfolk

6. 

   Toby Barrett

   January 13, 2021

   Safer at Home Programs provide relief to Ontario families

   Jan. 13, 2021

   SIMCOE — The Ontario government is providing new financial supports for individuals,
   families and small businesses, as they do their part to stop the spread of COVID-19
   and protect the province’s health care system during the Provincewide Shutdown. The
   province is expanding the Support for Learners program to include secondary school
   students and lowering electricity prices to a discounted off-peak rate 24/7 for all
   time-of-use and tiered customers.

   “We are asking people to make greater sacrifices to help contain this deadly virus,
   whether that’s staying home or asking their employees to work from home where
   possible,” said Premier Ford. “In response, our government is providing people and
   businesses with additional financial relief to help them get through this very
   difficult period.”

   In January 2021, students aged 13 through Grade 12 will be eligible for funding
   under an expanded Support for Learners program. Parents or guardians will receive a
   one-time payment of $200 per eligible student to help offset education expenses.
   Support will be available for those who attend a public or private school or who are
   homeschooled.

   This funding is important in rural areas where Internet options are more limited
   and parents could face overage charges.

   As part of the Provincewide Shutdown, elementary students will be studying virtually
   until January 11, 2021. Secondary students in Northern Ontario will be studying
   virtually until January 11, 2021 and secondary students in Southern Ontario will be
   studying virtually until January 25, 2021. This additional funding will provide
   support for families impacted by these recent restrictions
   <https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/59790/ontario-announces-provincewide-shutdown-to-stop-spread-of-covid-19-and-save-lives>.

   While transmission in schools remains low, these approaches will help further limit
   community spread of COVID-19.

   “While Ontario schools remain safe, we won’t take any chances following the holidays
   — we will pivot to teacher-led online learning to help protect against the spread of
   COVID-19 in our communities,” said Minister Lecce. “We are providing direct
   financial support to parents of elementary and now high school children to help them
   get through this pandemic.”

   Application instructions will be available on the Support for Learners web
   page<http://www.ontario.ca/SupportForLearners> starting in January 2021. Secondary
   school student applications will be open from January 11, 2021 to February 8, 2021.
   The application deadline for Support for Learners for children or youth aged 0 to 12
   and for children or youth aged 0 to 21 with special needs is being extended to
   February 8, 2021.

   This support is part of over $900 million in direct financial support that the
   Ministry of Education has provided to parents since the start of the pandemic.
   To support people as they stay home during the Provincewide Shutdown, the government
   will hold electricity prices to the off-peak rate of 8.5 cents per kilowatt-hour for
   all time-of-use and tiered customers on a temporary basis starting January 1, 2021.
   This low rate will be available 24 hours per day, seven days a week for a 28-day
   period. The off-peak price will automatically be applied to bills of all
   residential, small business, and farm customers who pay regulated rates.

   “As we enter a Provincewide Shutdown, our government is ensuring that all households
   have stable and predictable electricity bills when they need it most,” said Greg
   Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, Minister of Indigenous
   Affairs. “Staying home means using more electricity, especially during the day when
   electricity prices are usually higher. We will continue to support hardworking
   families and small businesses doing their part by staying home.”

   The province is also making it easier for families and businesses to get the support
   they need to help pay their energy bills through the COVID-19 Energy Assistance
   Program (CEAP)<https://www.ontario.ca/page/find-programs-reduce-electricity-bill>.
   Any residential, small business, or registered charity customer with an overdue
   electricity or natural gas bill will now be eligible to apply. A residential
   customer can receive up to $750 to help cover their electricity bill and an
   additional $750 for their natural gas bill. Small businesses can receive up to $1500
   for each. Newly eligible customers can apply for these enhanced benefits through
   their local utility, starting in January 2021.
   ________________________________
   Quick Facts

   * Ontario’s Action Plan: Protect, Support, Recover provides a total of $13.5
   billion in direct support for families, workers and employers, in addition to
   $11.3 billion in cash flow support.
   * As part of the commitment to keep students safe, the government made available
   $1.3 billion to support the safe reopening of schools – the most robust and
   comprehensive plan in the entire country. This includes an additional $381 million
   from the federal government’s Safe Return to Class Fund.
   * To date, the new Support for Learners program has received almost 1.3 million
   applications and provided more than $175 million in funding to support over
   850,000 children and students since November 30, 2020.
   * According to data reported by school boards as of Friday, December 18:
   approximately 99.64 per cent of students in Ontario have not reported a case of
   COVID-19; approximately 92 per cent of schools across the province have had either
   no cases or one case reported within the last 14 days; and approximately 80 per
   cent of schools do not have a reported case of COVID-19.
   * In March, the government suspended time-of-use electricity rates, holding
   electricity prices to the off-peak rate of 10.1 cents-per-kilowatt-hour 24/7 for
   time-of-use residential, small business, and farm customers for a period of 45
   days.
   * From June 1, 2020 to October 31, 2020, the government introduced a new fixed
   COVID-19 Recovery Rate of 12.8 cents per kilowatt hour to provide relief to
   time-of-use customers.

   ________________________________
   Additional Resources

   * Apply for Support for Learners or get more
   information<http://www.ontario.ca/SupportForLearners>

   For more information, contact me- MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446 or
   toby.barrett@pc.ola.org Please mention The Silo when contacting.

7. 

   Matthew Patterson

   July 16, 2020

   Commonwealth issues joint statement on the COVID-19 pandemic
   16 July 2020

   Commonwealth leaders from all 54 member states have today issued a joint statement on the COVID-19 pandemic and steps that member states are taking to fight the pandemic and to work together in support of each other and broader global efforts.

   Speaking on the release of the Statement, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland, QC said:

   “As the Coronavirus swept through the world spreading in ways we could not have imagined, the Commonwealth can be immensely proud of the way our leaders, governments and institutions have worked together to respond.

   “And we should also be proud of the innovative partnerships and new approaches we have taken to protect our healthcare systems and the well-being of all our people – especially those who are most at risk.

   “For many of our member states the combined social, health and economic impacts of this virus joined with the growing threat of climate change mean they are facing a fight for their very existence.

   “But as we are all impacted by the global pandemic, we must all remain united against pandemic and ensure that the legacy left after its devastating course has run should be one of peace, prosperity and development.

   “This is why we must redouble our commitment to working with our international partners to address COVID-19 and its far-reaching consequences. Because it is only through working together and a continued commitment to multilateralism that we will be able to build resilience, particularly for developing economies and the vulnerable small, developing and least developed, countries so as to ensure no one is left behind.

   “I want to thank all of our member states for their continuing joint commitment to tackle the pandemic and its impacts and to thank the Chair in Office for their support to the Secretariat in preparing this leadership statement on COVID-19.”

   The full Commonwealth COVID-19 joint statement, issued today on behalf of all 54 member states can be found here.

   About the Commonwealth

   The Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 54 independent and sovereign countries. It spans the globe, including both advanced economies and developing countries, in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and Americas, Europe and the Pacific. Its combined population is 2.4 billion, of which more than 60 per cent is aged under 30.

   The Commonwealth Secretariat supports member countries to build democratic and inclusive institutions, strengthen governance and promote justice and human rights. Our work helps to grow economies and boost trade, deliver national resilience, empower young people, and address threats such as climate change, debt and inequality.

   Website thecommonwealth.org
   Join the conversation Tweets by @commonwealthsec #Commonwealth

8. 

   Bobbi-Ann

   July 8, 2020

   Ontario and Canada’s Response: helping small businesses go digital

   $57 Million investment in Digital Main Street will help businesses reopen, recover and grow long after COVID-19

   TORONTO — The Ontario government, in partnership with the federal government, is
   helping small businesses reach more customers through the Digital Main Street
   platform.

   This $57-million program which will help up to 22,900 Ontario businesses create and
   enhance their online presence and generate jobs for more than 1,400 students.

   The new program was unveiled today by Prabmeet Sarkaria, Associate Minister of Small
   Business and Red Tape Reduction, joined by Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic
   Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic
   Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

   “Ontario’s small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and their recovery is
   critical to Ontario’s recovery,” said Minister Sarkaria. “As thousands of small
   businesses across the province closed their doors and halted business during the
   COVID-19 outbreak, many struggled to shift sales or services online. I am very
   pleased, that together with Minister Joly and our federal partners, we are providing
   small businesses with the tools they need to recover, and flourish, as Ontario
   reopens.”

   “This program can assist businesses in Haldimand and Norfolk up their digital
   presence to come out of the pandemic stronger,” said Haldimand-Norfolk MPP Toby
   Barrett.

   Through the $57-million contribution to the Digital Main
   Street
   platform, businesses will be able to take advantage of three new programs to support
   their digital transformation:

   * shopHERE powered by Google will leverage Ontario’s strengths by hiring highly
   skilled and trained students to build and support the launch of online stores for
   businesses that previously did not have the capacity to do so themselves. The core
   goal will be to help small businesses compete and grow, in a world that is
   increasingly online, and help them recover as quickly as possible following
   COVID-19.

   * Digital Main Street Grant will help main street small businesses be digitally
   more effective. Through a $2,500 grant administered by the Ontario BIA
   Association, small businesses will be able to adopt new technologies and embrace
   digital marketing. Municipalities, Chambers of Commerce, and Business Improvement
   Areas (BIAs) can apply for a Digital Service Squad grant, which will allow them to
   establish teams to provide personalized, one-on-one support.

   * Future-Proofing Main Street will provide specialized and in-depth digital
   transformation services and support that helps existing main-street firms adapt to
   changes in their sector and thrive in the new economy. By leveraging teams of
   digital marketing professionals and talented students, these firms will be able to
   create new online business models, develop and implement digital and e-commerce
   marketing strategies, and maximize digital tools, platforms and content.

   “As local economies across Ontario reopen, we’re focused on ensuring that our main
   streets don’t just survive, but thrive,” said Mélanie Joly, Canada’s Minister of
   Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for the Federal
   Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.”These businesses are the backbone
   of our economy, a source of local jobs – and local pride. Thanks to the expanded
   Digital Main Street platform, they’ll be able to expand their offerings and take
   advantage of more and more people shopping online. Our message to Ontario’s small
   businesses and those whose livelihoods rely on them is clear: we’re working with you
   to support good jobs and help our economy come back stronger than ever.”

   “The global marketplace is rapidly changing, and in order to compete and succeed
   Ontario must adapt,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation
   and Trade. “By using innovative tools and technologies, Digital Main Street will
   help our businesses in expanding their reach to meet new markets and adjust to the
   new realities of doing business during the pandemic and into the next phase of
   economic recovery.”

   About 60 percent of Ontario’s small enterprises have a website, and only seven
   percent have an online payment solution. Digitally, Canadian businesses are
   estimated to be two years behind their U.S. counterparts.

   In response, the Ontario government is providing significant support to small
   business. Along with the Digital Main
   Street
   platform, the province is investing an additional $150 million in rural broadband
   which will help open the digital road for many Ontario small businesses. In
   addition, the province has proposed a ban on commercial evictions to help businesses
   that have been impacted by restrictions due to COVID-19.

   Quick Facts

   * The Ontario Government reduced the small business Corporate Income Tax rate by
   8.7 percent starting January 1, 2020. This will deliver up to $1,500 in annual
   savings to more than 275,000 businesses.
   * Ontario’s Small Business Success Strategy, launched prior to COVID-19,
   identified the need for small businesses across the province to build or enhance
   their online presence to remain competitive and expand their markets. The 2020
   pandemic has further reinforced the need for Ontario small businesses to embrace
   digital tools, including having online storefronts and expanding them.
   * To further support small businesses with physical storefronts impacted by
   COVID-19 restrictions, Ontario is Proposing a Temporary Ban on Commercial
   Evictions.
   * The planned expansion of these Digital Main Street programs, including
   ShopHERE powered by Google and the Future-Proofing Main Street program, are the
   next evolution in efforts to help businesses embrace digital tools that began with
   the City of Toronto. Through the leadership of Mayor John Tory and the City of
   Toronto, the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) pioneered
   the creation of Digital Main Street and laid the foundation for it to be expanded
   and scaled-up to serve businesses across the province.
   * The expansion of the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas’
   (TABIA) Digital Main Street platform and program is delivered by the Ontario
   Business Improvement Area Association (OBIAA) with the financial support of the
   provincial and federal governments.
   * shopHERE is a Digital Main Street program operated by TABIA. TABIA will also
   support the delivery of the Future-Proofing Main Street program, along with
   Communitech and Invest Ottawa.
   * The Recovery Activation Program is operated by the Toronto Region Board of Trade.

   Background Information

   * Stakeholder Response to Digital Main
   Street

   Additional Resources

   * For more information on the Digital Main Street, go to:
   digitalmainstreet.ca/ontario

   * Visit Ontario.ca/reopen for more information on economic
   reopening
   * Learn more about A Framework for Reopening our Province: Stage
   1
   * Find more Resources to prevent COVID-19 in the
   workplace
   * Tell us about the economic impacts of the COVID-19
   outbreak
   * See how Ontario is Improving Broadband and Cell Service for Rural
   Communities

   For more information, contact MPP Toby Barrett at 519-428-0446 or
   toby.barrett@pc.ola.org

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