We would like to thank Central Saanich’s business community for all the measures they have taken to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Here is a summary of resources to help you navigate the assistance available to businesses.
Central Saanich Supports and Changes to Operations
- Interested in a temporary outdoor patio or retail/industrial customer service area? To assist businesses and enable outdoor customer service, you can temporarily expand on private land in some cases. Learn more.
- To assist those facing financial hardship, Council extended the penalty dates for property tax payments. Residential, utility and farm property owners haduntil July 31, 2020, to pay without a penalty; a 3% penalty applied after that and an additional 7% penalty after September 30, 2020. Business, industrial, and recreational property owners haduntil September 30, 2020, after which a 10% penalty applied.
- New electronic processes are being used for permits and applications. Learn more.
- Our Community Action Team visited businesses regarding Safe Operating Plans and connected businesses with WorkSafe BC and other resources.
Financial Support
Small and Medium-Sized Business Grants
The Launch Online Grant program provides funding to B.C.-based business to create an online shop and/or improve their e-commerce experience to attract new local customers and expand to new markets. The grant will pay for up to 75% of eligible expenses, up to a maximum of $7,500 per business. The program supports a rapid response for businesses and is accepting applications from businesses ready to start and finish their online shop within 12 weeks. More info here.
- Grants are available from the provincial government; more information is available here. Grants of $10,000 to $30,000 are available. An additional $5,000 to $10,000 grant is available to eligible tourism-related businesses that have been hit especially hard by COVID-19. The program runs until March 31, 2021, or until the funds are fully allocated, whichever comes first.
Wage subsidy
- Wage of up to 75% for qualifying businesses: Up to 75% on first $58,700 of income (or up to $847/week), back dated to March 15. Learn more.
Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small businesses.
Thousands of small businesses in British Columbia will see their monthly rent reduced by at least 75%.
Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP)
- Financing support for small and medium-sized businesses. Available mid-April. Learn more.
Canada Emergency Business Account
- Loans of up to $40,000 for small businesses and not-for-profits, interest-free for one year. A portion may be forgivable. Available mid-April. Learn more.
Loan Guarantee
- Operating credit and cash flow term loans of up to $6.25 million to SMEs. Available mid-April.
- Speak with your financial institution.
- Learn more.
Co-Lending Program
- Co-lend term loans to SMEs for their operational cash flow requirements. Eligible businesses may obtain incremental credit amounts of up to $6.25 million through the program. Available mid-April. Speak with your financial institution. Learn more.
More financial supports can be found here.
Payment Deadlines
Municipal/property tax
To assist those facing financial hardship, Council has extended the penalty dates for property tax payments. The period to pay without a penalty has been extended to: Residential, utility and farm property owners have until July 31, 2020, to pay without a penalty; a 3% penalty will be applied after that and an additional 7% penalty after September 30, 2020. Business, industrial, and recreational property owners have until September 30, 2020, after which there is a 10% penalty. Learn more.
Federal income tax
- Payments owed are deferred until after August 31, 2020 to help businesses with cash flow. Learn more.
BC business taxes
- Payments for Employer health tax (EHT), provincial sales tax (PST), municipal and regional district tax, tobacco tax, motor fuel tax, and carbon tax are deferred until after Sept 30. Scheduled April 1 increases to provincial carbon tax and PST are deferred. Learn more.
School tax
- Cut of 50% for business and industry property classes, to be passed onto tenants. Learn more.
GST/HST
- Payments owed deferred to June 30. Learn more.
Customs duties & taxes
- Payments owed deferred to June 30. Learn more.
WorkSafeBC
- Payment deadlines are postponed without penalty until June 30, except for employers that report on an annual basis (which do not need to report their 2020 payroll or pay their 2020 premiums until March 2021). Learn more.
BC Hydro
- Bill deferral and payment plans. COVID-19 Relief Fund for small businesses. Potential to have your business energy charges waived for up to three months. Applications available week of April 13. Call 1-800-BC-HYDRO
FortisBC
- COVID-19 Customer Recovery Fund provides immediate relief to residential and small business customers facing hardship and a flexible framework for recovery. Learn more.
More Supports by Sector
Child care
- Emergency funding is available for child care providers that stay open or maintain their business while closed. Learn more.
Arts & Culture
- $3-million Arts and Culture Resilience Supplement to give operating and eligible project clients a supplement of up to $15,000. Clients will receive a 50% advance on 2020-21 funding. Learn more.
Publishing and news
- New Independent Advisory Board on Eligibility for Journalism Tax Measures is now in place. Learn more.
Tourism businesses in national parks and historic sites
- Tourism operators in national parks, historic sites, and marine conservation areas will have payments on commercial leases and licences of occupation deferred without interest until September 1. Wait to be contacted by Parks Canada.
Seafood sector
- Seafood growers, shellfish farmers, and processors, will have access to the $5 billion Farm Credit Canada loan program. Learn more.
Farmers and Agri-Food sector
- Access to the $5 billion Farm Credit Canada loan program. Learn more.
Provincial Health Orders
For the most up to date information on Provincial Health Officer Orders visit https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/about-bc-s-health-care-system/office-of-the-provincial-health-officer/current-health-topics/covid-19-novel-coronavirus.
Businesses that have remained open during the pandemic, so far, have done so safely with the support of WorkSafeBC. The WorkSafeBC's website has many resources available to help workplaces take appropriate preventative measures.
Resources for businesses
- B.C. Business COVID-19 Support Service: 1 833-254-4357 or visit http://covid.smallbusinessbc.ca to find out more about the supports in place to help you.
- Government of Canada Economic Response Plan
- BC Chamber of Commerce
- South Island Prosperity Project - COVID Resources
- Small Business BC: Resources for Small Businesses Affected by COVID-19
- British Columbia Economic Development Association
- Mapped list of open businesses on the Peninsula
- Support Local YYJ Gift Card Directory
- Things that are open in Victoria - An online listing of business still open, with options for levels of service.
VIATEC has created a handbook to help determine what is required by authorities and made a checklist complete with examples of how to help reopen offices, including:
- A guide for creating your own “COVID-19 Safety Plan” (required)
- A master re-entry plan checklist
- A deep clean checklist & more!
- Click to download the VIATEC Back to the Office Handbook
