HALIFAX: As Nova Scotia extends the state of emergency, financial assistance will be made available to small business owners and those who work for small businesses, in addition to food banks.
The provincial cabinet met on April 2 by teleconference and agreed to ask the lieutenant governor to extend the state of emergency for another two weeks. As a result, the order will extend to noon on April 19.
During a daily briefing in Halifax that same day, Premier Stephen McNeil unveiled a $20 million Worker Emergency Bridge Fund for the self-employed and laid-off workers who do not qualify for Employment Insurance.
“We will provide a one-time $1,000 payment to bridge the gap between the lay-offs and closures, and the federal government’s Canada Emergency Response Benefit,” the premier noted. “The goal is to get the money into the hands of impacted workers as quickly as possible.”
McNeil also announced a $20 million Small Business Impact Grant which provides a grant of 15 per cent of gross revenues – either from April 2019 or February 2020 – up to a maximum of $5,000.
“This [flexible], one-time, up-front grant can be used for any purpose,” McNeil said. “We don’t want to leave anyone behind.”
Both are part of a $50 million fund administered by Dalhousie University with a goal to start processing applications this week, “to get the cash out the door as quickly as possible,” the premier explained. Information on who qualifies and how to apply is available at: novascotia.ca/coronavirus. Those enrolled in other provincial or federal initiatives will not be excluded from these programs.
A new extended hours phone line was set up for people wanting information on income assistance eligibility from the Department of Community Services. Call toll-free 1-833-722-1417 from Monday to Friday 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. During regular business hours, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. call the regular toll-free line at 1-877-424-1177.
After issuing an advisory for the public to limit the number of trips to its landfill by using curbside waste collection instead, the Municipality of the County of Richmond announced that its heavy garbage collection program will be carried out from May 4 to 30. They asked the public to not place waste curbside more than a week before the scheduled collection.
“The municipality has maintained regular operations at the facility up to this point, however the number of people frequenting the facility on a daily basis is excessive,” reads a statement on the municipal Web site. “If we are unable to reduce the number of residents using the facility to an acceptable level, we may have to close the facility to the general public to ensure the safety of our residents and employees during this difficult time.”
The Municipality of the County of Inverness and Seaside Communications – in cooperation with the Strait Area Centre for Education’s SchoolsPlus Program – teamed up to provide vulnerable residents with food resources.
“Right now, children are not able to access their regular school breakfast programs,” said Inverness CAO Keith MacDonald. “With the support of Seaside, municipal staff have been able to fill and deliver food hampers to youth who are facing food insecurity during the pandemic.”
Through funds from Seaside, staff from the municipality and volunteers with the SchoolsPlus Program will distribute 130 food hampers to families throughout the county.
Schools participating in the SchoolsPlus program include: Whycocomagh Education Centre; Cape Breton Highlands Education Centre; Inverness Education Centre; and Bayview Education Centre in Port Hood.
Hampers are being delivered with the help of Strait Area Transit. The donation by Seaside has also allowed additional food to be distributed to local food banks.
On April 3, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced an investment of $100 million to national, regional, and local organizations across Canada that are able to reach people and communities experiencing food insecurity. These organizations – including but not limited to Food Banks Canada, Salvation Army, Second Harvest, Community Food Centres Canada, and Breakfast Club of Canada – will work with partners to meet the urgent food needs of Canadians, including Indigenous peoples and Northern populations.
This funding will be used to purchase food and other basic necessities. It will help these organizations find new, creative ways to reach people in need, so they can continue to carry out their important work while respecting physical distancing guidelines. They will be able to use the funding to buy or rent equipment and other materials to help address the unique needs of the communities they serve and the health-related challenges presented by COVID-19.
The $100 million investment is divided as follows: $50 million to Food Banks Canada; $20 million divided evenly between Salvation Army, Second Harvest, Community Food Centres Canada, and Breakfast Club of Canada; and $30 million for local-level organizations who serve people experiencing food insecurity.
Funding will be delivered through the Government of Canada’s Local Food Infrastructure Fund. More than 360 projects are receiving funding to increase accessibility of healthy, local foods within their communities, including through urban gardens, community kitchens, food banks, and greenhouses.
Eligible activities for this new funding include the purchase of food, support for the transportation and distribution of food, hiring temporary help to fill volunteer shortages, and activities to implement biosecurity measures, such as the purchase of personal protective equipment, to reduce the spread of COVID-19 among volunteers and clients.