Good afternoon, 
 

It’s Friday – the end of another long week for the business community in our area and around the world. We know many of you are waiting on details on the various government support measures and hoping for changes to eligibility requirements and the chamber remains focused on communicating those concerns to government, gathering information and advocating for required changes. 
 

This weekend, you may pause and reflect on what the future looks like for your business, you may see a clear path, and you also may have to make difficult decisions. Please know that we are here to support you as you move forward and will work hard to provide the details you need to determine the next steps for your business.  We are all thinking about the businesses, organizations and individuals that are struggling with the COVID-19 crisis and the uncertainty that lies ahead. We will continue to provide you with the information and services you expect from your chamber.  
 

This week we hosted our first virtual networking event and the participants provided great feedback – we are looking forward to hosting more in the near future. We will also continue to offer and share informational webinars to help navigate COVID-19 and other business issues.  If you have idea for activities that we can be working on that would help your business or organization moving forward – please share them with us. 
 

At the end of the third week of our daily messaging related to the COVID-19 crisis, the flow of information has started to slow down – and our updates likely will as well starting next week as a result. We will plan to send our update out next week on Monday and Thursday – and add any other days where the information warrants additional updates – particularly if there are details on applications processes or clarification on eligibility requirements. 
 

—————————————————————————————————————————— 

Due to the high number of expected applicants, Canada Revenue Agency is asking people to apply for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (“CERB”) based on their birth month when the portal opens on April 6. More information can be found here. 
 

—————————————————————————————————————————— 
 

Today the premier clarified confusion that has arisen around the state of emergency and how it impacts tenants. The mandatory order under the Emergency Measures Act suspends the right for landlords to evict tenants for non-payment of rent, through to May 31. He said that people can still be evicted – but the reason for the eviction cannot be that they are unable to pay their rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic. All other tenant obligations remain. If somebody is unable to pay their rent, they must discuss the matter with their landlord and make the appropriate arrangements for payment. 
 

Premier Higgs also announced the Emergency Bridging Fund for vulnerable post-secondary students will support students who are directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The funds will be distributed by post-secondary institutions based upon eligibility criteria and will provide a one-time amount of up to $750 per student. 
 

The province’s daily press release can be found here. 

—————————————————————————————————————————— 
 

ONB’s NB Business webinar series continued today with a look at the provincial and federal COVID-19 relief measures announced so far. Find the episode here. 
 

Thank you to the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) for sharing their guide of what an employer should do – if an employee tests positive. 
 

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has summarized their completed and on-going advocacy being undertaken on behalf of the national chamber network. You will note many of the concerns highlighted in the recent Atlantic Chamber of Commerce Survey of Atlantic businesses and advocated on their behalf to elected officials as well. It also references responses by the government to concerns expressed by the business community. 
 

—————————————————————————————————————————— 

The Fredericton Chamber of Commerce’s Open, Operational and/or Offering help business directory is live. We are asking all local businesses that are open, operational and/or offering help to fill out this brief form to help us populate the page.  And please continue to share, share, share so our community knows the services available! 
 

—————————————————————————————————————————— 

You are receiving this message because you are on our email list. If you know other individuals or organizations that could benefit from our information, ask them to join our mailing list here. Of course, all daily emails are also available on our website by clicking here we are continuing to share them on our social media vehicles (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram). 
 

We also still want to hear how the COVID-19 Crisis is affecting your business and any specific ways that the government can support you at this time.  Contact either myself or our Policy & Research Manager, Morgan Peters to share information or ask questions. 
 

kristar@frederictonchamber.ca / (506) 461-5165 

advocacy@frederictonchamber.ca / (506) 470-5593 

Sincerely,  

Krista Ross, CEO, Fredericton Chamber of Commerce