The federal government has announced a temporary policy change that will permit visitors currently in Canada who have a valid job offer to apply for, and receive, an employer-specific work permit without having to leave Canada, effective August 24, 2020.
Tag: Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Ontario Extends Orders Relating to COVID-19
On August 20, 2020, the Ontario government announced that most orders made as a result of COVID-19 are extended to September 22, 2020 (subject to exceptions below). These orders were initially made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and, with the end of the declared emergency on July 24, 2020, were extended under…
Ontario (Again) Updates Its COVID-19 Self-Assessment
Ontario employers who are planning for an eventual return to work have been keeping a close eye on the province’s COVID-19 Self-Assessment Tool (Tool). The Tool directs Ontarians to self-isolate in certain circumstances. This is important because it relates to employers’ Occupational Health and Safety Act duties and their duty to provide statutorily-protected leaves under the Employment Standards Act, 2000.
New Federal Act to Permit Extensions to Time Limits in Federal Legislation as a Result of COVID-19
Bill C-20, An Act respecting further COVID-19 measures, which passed on July 27, 2020, has enacted new legislation that permits the temporary suspension or extension of time limits or other periods specified in federal legislation or in court proceedings governed by federal legislation that are difficult or impossible to meet in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ontario Announces City of Toronto and Peel Region Moving to Stage 3 of Reopening
Today, the Ontario government announced that the City of Toronto and Peel Region can move into Stage 3 of the provincial reopening, effective July 31 at 12:01 a.m. The rules regarding Stage 3 are set out in Regulation 364/20 which has been continued under the recently enacted Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act,…
Comprehensive Overview of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy – July 2020 Update
On July 27, 2020, the federal government passed Bill C-20, An Act respecting further COVID-19 measures (Bill C-20), which amends the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) first enacted in April 2020 with Bill C-14, the COVID-19 Emergency Response Act, No. 2 (Bill C-14). Since April, there have been a number of changes to the CEWS. Bill C-20 implements the modified rules for the CEWS program that apply from June onward.
In this FTR Now we provide a comprehensive summary of the CEWS, including the new details of the CEWS extension to December 19, 2020, and we incorporate content from our previous firm communications dated March 30, 2020, April 2, 2020, April 9, 2020, April 13, 2020, and April 20, 2020.
Bill 195 Passes: Declared Emergency Will End But Emergency Orders Will Continue
On July 21, 2020, Bill 195, Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 received Royal Assent. The Ontario government has announced that the new Act will be proclaimed in force on July 24, 2020. As set out in greater detail in our FTR Now of July 15, 2020, this means that the COVID-19 declared emergency will come to an end on July 24, 2020.
Province Amends Stage 2 Closure Order Effective July 17
On Thursday, July 16, the Ontario government published a regulation that amends the existing Stage 2 Closure Order (Order) made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA). The amendments took effect at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 17, 2020, and are therefore already in force.
Ontario Extends Declared Emergency to July 24, 2020
Further to our FTR Now of July 15, 2020 in which we outlined the changes proposed by Bill 195, Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2000, it has come to our attention that by motion in the Legislature on July 13, 2020, the Ontario government extended the declared emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) to July 24, 2020.
Ontario Introduces Bill to Continue Emergency Orders After the Declared Emergency Ends
Premier Ford recently signaled that he is hopeful another extension of the declared emergency made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) will not be needed. Presumably to this end, on July 7, 2020, the government introduced Bill 195, Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2000 (Bill 195) which, if passed, will enable it to continue Orders made under sections 7.0.2 or 7.1 of the EMCPA even after the declared emergency comes to an end.