[This page was last updated on January 25, 2022 and will be updated as new information becomes available]

The preventive measures implemented by the governments of Canada and Quebec to prevent the spread of COVID-19 have an impact on all of us, but especially on businesses. To help you manage these effects, the FNQLEDC will publish on this page all the information that could be useful for the entrepreneurs of our communities and for those who offer them services locally, the Community Economic Development Officers (CEDOs).

Summary of this toolbox:

• Tools offered by the FNQLEDC to support individuals and businesses
• Financial assistance programs of the governments of Canada
• Available information (from September 2021 to present)
• Articles from our blog on this subject

Tools offered by the FNQLEDC to support individuals and businesses

The FNQLEDC team developed an application to inform entrepreneurs, CEDOs and First Nations members about the financial support programs and initiatives provided by the governments of Canada and Quebec and certain private institutions, adapted to their situation.

Click here (or on the image opposite) to access this application now to evaluate your eligibility for these programs.

Note: The application is currently not up to date due to multiple changes in financial assistance measures in recent months, however an update will be made in the coming weeks.

Financial assistance programs of the governments of Canada and Quebec

While waiting for the update of the application developed by the FNQLEDC, consult all the financial assistance programs of the governments of Canada and Quebec for businesses and individuals in this difficult period:

• Government of Canada : Financial support for people, businesses and organizations
• Government of Quebec : Financial assistance for businesses

Available information (from September 2021 to present)

Note: Information is listed from newest to oldest.

• Two in three businesses call for relief on sanitary measures (TVA Nouvelles, in French only)
• SMEs are tired of sanitary restrictions (Les Affaires, in French only)
• Towards flexibility on January 31 (La Presse, in French only)
• Wage and rental subsidies to be maintained at 75% (TourismExpress, in French only)
• A hard winter for businesses born during the pandemic (Le Devoir, in French only)
• Restaurants: help now, not in twelve months (TVA Nouvelles, in French only)
• AITQ: Financial assistance and COVID-19: webinars to help you understand! (TourismExpress, in French only)
• Validating the vaccine passport, a headache for many merchants (Radio-Canada, in French only)
• Half a billion in containment benefits every week in Quebec (Le Devoir, in French only)
• One-year extension for interest-free loans to businesses (Informe Affaires, in French only)
• Sanitary restrictions: the retail trade in shock (TVA Nouvelles, in French only)
• COVID-19 Subsidies – Explanatory Notes Relating to the Income Tax Act and Income Tax Regulations (Government of Canada)
• Co-ops get federal funding to reduce rents (Radio-Canada, in French only)
• Businesses will reopen on Sunday and the curfew will be lifted on Monday, announces Quebec (Radio-Canada, in French only)
• Government extends loan forgiveness repayment deadline for the Canada Emergency Business Account (Government of Canada)
• One in four SMEs could close in 2022 (TVA Nouvelles, in French only)
• First Nations fear labour shortage made worse by Omicron (Le Soleil, in French only)
• COVID-19 – Additional funding for restaurant food waste (Government of Quebec, in French only)
• Entrepreneurs discouraged by expanded vaccine passport requirement (Radio-Canada, in French only)
• Backgrounder: Temporarily expanding eligibility for the Local Lockdown Program and the Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit (Government of Canada)
• The Government of Canada launches applications for the expanded Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit (Government of Canada)
• Pandemic of COVID-19 – AERAM now available to restaurants (Government of Quebec, in French only)
• Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit (CWLB) (Government of Canada)
• Government temporarily expands access to Lockdown Program and Worker Lockdown Benefit (Government of Canada)
• Emergency Assistance for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses (COVID-19) (Government of Quebec)
• Quebecers will get the federal lockdown benefit (Le Devoir, in French only)
• COVID-19 – The AERAM is once again available to some businesses (Government of Quebec, in French only)
• Quebec announces the return of a program to help businesses that must close (Le Soleil, in French only)
• Quebec brings back financial aid for businesses forced to close (Montreal Gazette)
• Stricter health rules: The business community awaits attenuation measures (Radio-Canada, in French only)
• Treasury Board of Canada President, Mona Fortier, tables the Supplementary Estimates (B) 2021‑22 (Government of Canada)
• Backgrounder: Canada Emergency Response Benefit advance payment (Government of Canada)
• Government introduces legislation to create jobs and implement targeted COVID-19 support (Government of Canada)
• Types of business eligible for the tourism and hospitality recovery program (Government of Canada)
• Ottawa plays balancing act with new pandemic aid programs (Le Devoir, in French only)
• Emergency business assistance: Fitzgibbon’s fuzzy rules (La Presse, in French only)
• Business assistance programs: $68 million to companies that did not meet the criteria (TVA Nouvelles, in French only)
• COVID-19 – A present government to help Quebec businesses (CNW Telbec, in French only)
• In spite of the relaxing measures, the restaurants are struggling to find their customers (TVA Nouvelle, in French only)
• The end of CRB did not have the desired effect (Le Devoir, in French only)
• Recommendations for a successful return to the office and reduction of indoor distancing (CNESST, in French only)
• Relaxation of sanitary measures in several sectors as of November 15 (TourismExpress, in French only)
• Relaxation of health guidelines: An overview of the main changes (La Presse, in French only)
• Pandemic of COVID-19 – The Government of Quebec announces relaxations applying to several sectors of activity (Government of Quebec, in French only)
• Quebec’s bars and restaurants almost full (Radio-Canada, in French only)
• End of CRB: SMEs are still snatching it up (TVA Nouvelles, in French only)
• Only one in five businesses needing wage/rent support report they will qualify under Ottawa’s proposed changes (CNW)
• Recurring claims for 75% of recipients (La Presse, in French only)
• Marginal effect of the abolition of the CRB on the job market (Radio-Canada, in French only)
• End of the CRB: was it time? (TVA Nouvelles, in French only)
• Government announces targeted COVID-19 support measures to create jobs and growth (Government of Canada)
• Targeting COVID-19 Support Measures (Government of Canada)
• The Canada Worker Lockdown Benefit (Government of Canada)
• Ottawa injects $7.4 billion for more targeted measures (La Presse, in French only)
• The CRB will end, other programs extended (TVA Nouvelles, in French only)
• Ottawa will extend programs until November 20 (La Presse, in French only)
• Ottawa’s silence on the future of pandemic assistance programs weighs on businesses (Le Devoir, in French only)
• Federal government leaves small firms in the cold during Small Business Week: Wage and rent subsidies expire Saturday (CNW)
• COVID-19: Ottawa evaluates support measures for businesses and individuals (Radio-Canada, in French only)
• Self-employed workers feel neglected by Ottawa (TVA Nouvelles, in French only)
• The major conferences: an expected return, but full of challenges (Le Devoir, in French only)
• COVID-19 pandemic – New flexibility measures for restaurants and bars (Government of Quebec, in French only)
• Is it time to cut back on financial assistance to others? (Le Devoir, in French only)
• COVID-19: SMEs call for further extension of federal assistance (TVA Nouvelles, in French only)
• Tourism Industry Recovery Program: Launch of the first call for projects (Government of Quebec, in French only)
• “Inconsistent” rules with other sectors (La Presse, in French only)
• Still unemployed due to the pandemic (Le Devoir, in French only)

For more information, we invite you to consult the archives from March 2020 to August 2021.

Articles from our blog on this subject

Note: Articles are listed from newest to oldest.