Business Support During COVID-19

Together with the County of Barrhead, Community Futures Yellowhead East, and Barrhead & District Chamber of Commerce, we have compiled the resources that are available to employees and businesses in our region faced with financial challenges presented by the COVID-19 crisis.

Click here to read the joint press release.

Alberta Urban Municipalities Association has created a fantastic spreadsheet detailing what services are available for individuals, self-employed and employers. You can view this here.

Alberta's Relaunch Strategy

Alberta's Relaunch Strategy puts safety first while gradually reopening businesses, resuming activities and getting people back to work. For more information on the relaunch click here.

Visit Alberta Biz Connect - a resource for workplace guidance and supports for businesses and non-profits affected by COVID-19 begin to reopen and resume operations safely.

Staying Informed

To stay informed on the evolving COVID-19 situation, monitor these government and health pages for Alberta, Canadian and international information.

Government of Canada: COVID-19 Resources for Canadian Businesses
Government of Canada: COVID-19 information for Albertans
Barrhead Chamber of Commerce: COVID-19 - Information and Resources
Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): COVID-19 Resources
World Health Organization: COVID-19 Updates

Fraud Awareness

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, scams are starting to circulate and the public needs to be aware.

For more information about scams affecting businesses and the top 10 frauds affecting Canadians visit the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Financial Support & Business Continuity

This is a difficult time for businesses and employers. The requirement for the public to socially distance means that store fronts are seeing fewer patrons, and other businesses are experiencing a significant decline in requests for their products and services. While some businesses are able to retool and adapt to the changing market, others are left with their hands tied - laying off staff.

In order to assist our local business community, we have compiled a list of services being provided by the provincial and federal governments in support of economic sustainability.

Alberta is Reopening

Alberta Biz Connect is your resource for workplace guidance and supports that help businesses and non-profits affected by COVID-19 begin to reopen and resume operations safely.

Other notable announcements by the Government of Canada

The federal government is changing the Canada Account to allow the government to provide additional support to Canadian export companies through loans, guarantees or insurance polices during these challenging times.
The Bank of Canada will broaden the scope of the current Government of Canada bond buyback program. This is intended to add market liquidity and support price discovery.
The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) announced that it has lowered the Domestic Stability Buffer by 1.25 per cent of risk-weighted assets, which will allow Canada's large banks to inject $300 billion of additional lending in to the economy.
The Government of Canada has launched an Insured Mortgage Purchase Program (IMPP), which will purchase up to $50 billion of insured mortgage pools through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC). This action will provide long-term stable funding to banks and mortgage lenders and add liquidity to Canada's mortgage market.

Public Health Measures

The Government of Alberta has implemented new public health measures to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, including new restrictions on mass gatherings that affect businesses.

Updated 10:47 AM, December 9, 2020.