Federal
The Government of Canada announced the following measures:
Relief measures for Registered Pension Plans and Deferred Salary Leave Plans
Proposed amendments to the Income Tax Regulations were announced today by Finance Minister Morneau to provide relief to participating employers and employees of registered pension plans and deferred salary leave plans. Our partner Kim Ozubko will be updating her ongoing Pension Plan Regulatory Relief Summary to address these amendments in due course and in the meantime we have linked here the Backgrounder for the Proposed Relief Measures published today by the Department of Finance Canada.
Canada and Ontario invest in roads and bridges for rural communities in Eastern Ontario
In order to help strengthen the economies of rural and northern Ontario municipalities, the federal, provincial (Ontario), and municipal governments are making strategic investments in infrastructure. The Government of Canada is investing over $9 million in these projects as part of its Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Ontario is contributing more than $6.5 million and local municipalities are contributing over $3 million.
More information on this and other infrastructure projects through the Investing in Canada plan is available on the Government's website.
British Columbia
The Government of British Columbia announced the following measures:
Minister's Statement on Commercial Evictions
The Province's Emergency Order protecting eligible businesses from eviction has been extended. The ban on commercial evictions will remain in place for the duration of the Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistant program (CECRA) which has been extended through the month of July.
Eligible businesses are those which have lost at least 70% of their pre-pandemic revenue and would qualify for the CECRA.
Alberta
The Government of Alberta announced the following measures:
Twinning of Highway 3
The Government of Alberta announced plans to twin a 46-kilometre stretch of Highway 3 between Taber and Burdett. The project will support about 755 jobs as well as improve safety along this increasingly busy portion of the highway.
The project is also part of the planned $10-billion infrastructure spending announced as part of Alberta's Recovery Plan.
Reduced Corporate Tax Rate Makes Alberta a Top Business Destination in Canada
The province of Alberta has fully implemented the Job Creation Tax Cut a year and a half ahead of schedule, making Alberta's general corporate income tax rate now at least 30 per cent lower than any other provincial rate.
In addition, the Innovation Employment Grant, recently announced as part of Alberta's Recovery Plan, will complement the Job Creation Tax Cut by targeting small and medium-sized companies in the early stages of operation.
Both measures support the development of new products and ideas, but a low general corporate tax rate also provides a strong incentive to commercialize products in Alberta as well as encourages diversification as it provides more benefit to companies outside the resource sector and adds extra incentive to invest and grow in Alberta.
Staged Resumption of Court Operations - Part 2
Effective July 6, 2020, the Provincial Court of Alberta will be increasing the number of criminal, family and youth, and civil matters that can be heard in-person at base point locations, during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Details on the resumption of operations in the Provincial Court of Alberta's are available on their website.
Extension of the Cap on Email and Fax Filing Fees
The Alberta Court of Queen's Bench Administration has extended the cap on email and fax filing fees until September 30, 2020. In addition to regular filing fees, documents that are filed via email or fax will be charged at the rate of $1.00 per page, capped to a maximum of $20.00.
Further, the Court of Queen's Bench has also extended the suspension of Rule 13.41(4) of the Alberta Rules of Court (requiring an original Affidavit to be filed with the court within 15 days after it has been filed by fax or electronic means) to September 30, 2020.
Exemption from CMOH Order 05-2020
In a recent notice from the Alberta Chief Medical Officer of Health, dated June 30, 2020, certain exemptions from the quarantine requirements in CMOH Order 05-2020 were made for specified "essential services workers" that are involved in petroleum, natural gas and coal industries.
Read the full notice from the Chief Medical Officer of Health.
Saskatchewan
The Government of Saskatchewan announced the following measures:
Outdoor Pools Set To Open In Saskatchewan Provincial Parks
Both Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park and Pike Lake Provincial Park have re-opened their outdoor pool facilities, subject to a variety of safety protocols which have been put in place.
Additional information, including common questions and answers about the 2020 camping season, is available on Tourism Saskatchewan's website.
Manitoba
The Government of Manitoba announced the following measures:
The Manitoba government is issuing a request for proposals to complete elective surgeries postponed due to COVID-19.
The proposals can be submitted by both public and private facilities and must include details on how applicants will be able to address priority surgical and diagnostic areas by creating additional capacity in the system.
The proposals must also remain subject to all required legislative, regulatory and standards requirements and must not affect existing service delivery capacity in the public system. Details regarding the request and the open tendering process are posted to MERX at merx.com.
Ontario
The Government of Ontario announced the following measures:
Ontario to Provide Additional Funding to Support Municipalities and Urban Indigenous Community Partners
The Ontario government is providing municipalities and urban Indigenous community partners with an additional $150 million to continue to protect vulnerable people from COVID-19 by improving homeless shelters and creating opportunities for longer-term housing.
With this additional funding, the government is providing municipal service managers and urban Indigenous program administrators with a total of $350 million through the Social Services Relief Fund and is building on the support being provided as part of the COVID-19 Action Plan to Protect Vulnerable Ontarians. This investment more than doubles the funding currently flowing to local municipal service managers and urban Indigenous program administrators through the Social Services Relief Fund.
Quebec
The Government of Québec announced the following measures:
Tribunal administratif du travail Webinar
On June 29, the Tribunal administratif du travail announced a webinar scheduled on July 7 for representatives and parties on best practices for optimizing the quality of virtual hearings before the Tribunal. Details can be found on the Tribunal administratif du travail website.
State of Emergency Renewal
On June 30, the Québec government adopted an Order to renew the state of public health emergency throughout the Québec territory and extend the measures provided for by Orders in Council until July 8, 2020.
Montréal - State of Emergency Renewal
On July 1, the Montréal agglomeration extended the state of emergency on its territory until July 6.
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Le gouvernement du Québec a annoncé les mesures suivantes :
Webinaire du Tribunal administratif du travail
Le 29 juin, le Tribunal administratif du travail a annoncé un webinaire le 7 juillet prochain à l'attention des représentants et des parties sur les meilleures pratiques à suivre pour optimiser la qualité des audiences virtuelles devant le Tribunal. Les détails se trouvent sur le site Web du Tribunal administratif du travail.
Renouvellement de l'état d'urgence
Le 30 juin, le gouvernement du Québec a adopté un décret pour renouveler l'état d'urgence sanitaire sur tout le territoire québécois et prolongé les mesures prises par arrêtés ministériels jusqu'au 8 juillet 2020.
Montréal - Renouvellement de l'état d'urgence
Le 1er juillet, l'agglomération de Montréal a renouvelé l'état d'urgence jusqu'au 6 juillet sur l'ensemble de son territoire.
Nova Scotia
The Government of Nova Scotia announced the following measures:
Atlantic Bubble Border Crossing
Starting Friday, July 3, if people live in another Atlantic province and want to visit Nova Scotia, they will need to show proof of residency to enter the province.
Every adult will need to show either a drivers' licence, government identification card, health card, or a utility bill or bank statement with a valid Atlantic Canadian address to provincial officials at airports, ferries or the land border when they arrive in the province. No self-declaration form will be required.
If people can prove that their permanent home is in Atlantic Canada, they will not have to self-isolate for 14 days when coming into Nova Scotia.
People from outside Atlantic Canada are welcome to enter the province; however, they must self-isolate for 14 days when they arrive. If they have already self-isolated in another Atlantic Canadian province, they may enter Nova Scotia without self-isolating again.
Prince Edward Island
The Government of Prince Edward Island announced the following measures:
Campgrounds
On July 8, 2020, provincial campgrounds will reopen at 50% capacity for two-night minimum stays.
Starting Friday, July 3, campers who want to book a two-night minimum stay at provincial campground can do so by visiting Provincial Parks.
Rural Job Initiative
The Employment Development Agency will provide funding for an additional 200 employment positions to businesses in rural Prince Edward Island, through the Rural Jobs Initiative. This initiative will help rural business owners recruit, hire, and train staff and support innovation in rural communities.
Information and applications are available on the Rural Jobs Initiative website.
Atlantic Travel Bubble
On July 3, Prince Edward Island will open its borders to residents in other Atlantic provinces.
Atlantic Canadians will need to complete an online self-declaration form before traveling to the Island. Individuals traveling in the same vehicle need only complete one form with each person traveling identified on the form. A submission identification number will be generated when the form is submitted and will be later verified when entering the province.
Atlantic Canadians traveling to Prince Edward Island are asked to apply within two days of their scheduled arrival date. Everyone entering the province, including Islanders returning home, will go through a health screening at the point of entry.
The province will conduct the following screening measures:
- Seasonal residents traveling from outside Atlantic Canada will need to apply for pre-approved travel and have a self-isolation plan;
- Islanders returning from travel outside Atlantic Canada will need to self-isolate for 14 days; and
- Operation Isolation will continue to follow those self-isolating.
Residents of Atlantic Canada currently self-isolating in Prince Edward Island who have not traveled outside the region in the last 14 days can discontinue their self-isolation as of Friday, July 3.
Yukon
The Government of the Yukon announced the following measures:
Visitor Information Centres
On July 1, 2020, visitor information centres began opening across the territory. On July 1, the visitor centres located in Whitehorse, Carcross, Dawson City, and Beaver Creek opened. On July 5, the visitor information centre in Watson Lake will open.
Phase 2 Reopening
On July 1, 2020, the territory began Phase 2 of Yukon's plan to reopen. Residents of Yukon, British Columbia, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut can now enter Yukon without having to self-isolate. To do so, they must provide valid identification proving they are a resident of one of those four jurisdictions and declare they have not travelled outside of those locations in the previous 14 days.
In Phase 2, Yukon's borders have also opened to the rest of Canada; however, there are restrictions in place, including a mandatory 14 day self-isolation upon arrival.
Northwest Territories
The Government of the Northwest Territories announced the following measures:
Fuel Prices
As of July 1, 2020, the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) adjusted the price of fuel in the Northwest Territories to reflect the current cost of fuel, transportation, and taxes.
Current prices and prices as of July 1st are available on GNWT's website.
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