ontario government business reopening plan

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Ontario, Canada Moves to Roadmap Exit Step, as Amended

Last May, Ontario released its Roadmap to Reopen , a three-step plan to safely and gradually reopen the province and loosen certain public health restrictions. In July, Ontario filed O. Reg. 541/21, which added a new “ Roadmap Exit Step .” On February 25, 2022, Ontario filed Regulation 99/22 and Regulation 100/22 , which provide that, effective March 1, 2022, all of Ontario will move to the Roadmap Exit Step , as amended. These regulations were made under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 .

Below we provide a summary of the restrictions that are eliminated and those that will continue to exist, in accordance with the amended Roadmap Exit Step . 

What restrictions are eliminated at the Roadmap Exit Step , as amended?

Although there will be some exceptions, on March 1, 2022, most rules and restrictions put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic will be eliminated, including:

• Most sector-specific rules;
• Capacity limits;
• Physical-distancing requirements;
• Attendance limits for organized events and social gatherings;
• The requirement to actively screen workers;
• The proof of vaccination requirement; and
• The requirement to collect and maintain contact information.

What restrictions will exist during the Roadmap Exit Step, as amended?

The following restrictions will continue:

General Compliance

Operation in Compliance with Applicable Laws

Businesses and organizations must operate in accordance with all applicable laws, including the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and its Regulations.

Operation in Compliance with Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health

Businesses must comply with advice, recommendations, and instructions issued by:

• Physical distancing, cleaning or disinfecting;
• Establishing, implementing and ensuring compliance with a COVID-19 vaccination policy and setting out the precautions and procedures that must be included in that policy; or
• Screening individuals by, among other things, posting signs at all entrances to the premises, in a conspicuous location visible to the public, that inform individuals on how to screen themselves for COVID-19 prior to entering the premises. The safety plan must describe this passive screening measure and how it will be implemented.
• A local public health official before February 25, 2022, except where it relates to a COVID-19 vaccination policy.

Subject to certain exceptions (including, but not limited to exceptions for persons who are being accommodated in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 , persons being reasonably accommodated in accordance with the Human Rights Code , and persons performing work for the business or organization in an area not accessible to members of the public and able to maintain a physical distance of at least two metres from every other person while in the indoor area), masks or face coverings will continue to be required for any person in an indoor area of a business’ or organization’s premises, or in a vehicle that is operating as part of the business or organization; however, employers will no longer be required to ensure that:

• Workers who temporarily remove a mask to consume food or drink are separated from every other person by at least two metres, or plexiglass or some other impermeable barrier; and
• Workers wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) that protects their eyes, nose and mouth if they provide services to unmasked persons who come within two metres in an indoor area and they are not separated by an impermeable barrier.

As noted above, businesses will be required to passively screen individuals by posting signs at all entrances to the premises, in a conspicuous location visible to the public, that inform individuals how to screen themselves for COVID-19 prior to entering the premises. As noted below, the safety plan must describe this passive screening measure and how it will be implemented.

Safety Plan

It will continue to be the case that no later than seven days after a requirement first applies, an employer must prepare, post, and make available a written safety plan describing the measures that have been or will be implemented in the business to reduce the transmission risk of COVID-19, including health screening and requiring masks or face coverings. There is no longer a requirement that the safety plan refer to the wearing of PPE.

Long-term Care Homes

Despite anything set out in the Roadmap Exit Step , directives, policies or guidance that apply to a long-term care home within the meaning of the Long-Term Care Homes Act, 2007 , issued by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Minister of Long-Term Care or the Ministry of Long-Term Care, still apply.

Cannabis Retail Stores, Day Camps, Overnight Camps, and Schools

Rules in the Roadmap Exit Step that are specific to cannabis retail stores, day camps, overnight camps, and schools, discussed in detail here , continue to apply.

Bottom Line for Employers

As we have seen over the last two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, it is difficult to predict what tomorrow might bring. We will follow any developments that may occur and provide an update should it be appropriate. 

Information contained in this publication is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice or opinion, nor is it a substitute for the professional judgment of an attorney.

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Here are the full details of Ontario's 3-step Roadmap to Reopening plan

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Ontario's provincial government just released a 3-step plan they've dubbed " Roadmap to Reopening " outlining how they plan to lift lockdown restrictions across the province over the weeks and months to come.

The new plan involves three distinct steps — not to be confused with the "stages" of Ontario's original reopening framework,  as implemented last summer, or the colour-coded "zones" of the framework we were under before the entire province was plunged back into full shutdown mode on April 3.

Stay-at-home orders are still expected to lift on June 2 , as planned, but current emergency brake shutdown restrictions will remain in effect until we're cleared to enter Step One of the Roadmap.

This time around, restrictions will not be lifted on a region-by-region basis. We're all in this together — and everything depends on how fast Ontario residents get vaccinated against COVID-19.

Health Minister Christine Elliott said on Thursday when announcing the news that, based on current trends in key health indicators, Ontario is expected to enter Step One of the reopening roadmap the week of June 14, 2021 .  

The entire province will stay in each step for at least 21 days before moving forward (if vaccination thresholds and other public health indicators have been met).

An overview of the three steps in Ontario's latest reopening plan. Graphic via Province of Ontario.

Here's everything you need to know about what the new 3-step reopening entails, and what the people of Ontario need to do to move through it swiftly.

Step One: 60 per cent of Ontario adults have received at least one dose  

• Outdoor gatherings up to 10 people;
• Outdoor dining up to 4 people per table;
• Outdoor fitness classes, personal training and sports training up to 10 people;
• Essential retail at 25 per cent capacity and can sell all goods (including discount and big box);
•  Non-essential retail at 15 per cent capacity;
•  Retail stores in malls closed unless the stores have a street-facing entrance;
• Outdoor religious services, rites and ceremonies with capacity limited to permit 2 metres of physical distancing;
• Horse racing and motor speedways without spectators;
• Outdoor horse riding;
• Outdoor pools, splash pads and wading pools with capacity limited to permit 2 metres of physical distancing;
• Outdoor zoos, landmarks, historic sites and botanical gardens with capacity limits;
• Campsites, campgrounds and short-term rentals; and
• Ontario Parks.

Step Two: 70 per cent of adults have received one dose and 20 per cent of adults have had two

• Outdoor gatherings up to 25 people;
• Indoor gatherings up to 5 people and other restrictions;
• Outdoor dining up to 6 people per table;
• Outdoor sports and leagues;
• Outdoor meeting and event spaces with capacity limits;
• Non-essential retail at 25 per cent capacity; essential retail at 50 per cent capacity;
• Personal care services where face coverings can be worn at all times with capacity limits;
• Outdoor cinemas and performing arts with capacity limits;
• Horse racing and motor speedways for spectators with capacity limits;
• Outdoor tour and guide services with capacity limits;
• Indoor religious services, rites or ceremony gatherings at 15 per cent capacity, outdoor permitted with capacity limited to 2m of physical distancing;
• Public libraries with capacity limits;
• Outdoor waterparks and amusement parks with capacity limits; and
• Fairs and rural exhibitions with capacity limits.

Step Three: 70 to 80 per cent of adults have had one and 25 per cent of adults have received two doses

• Outdoor gatherings with larger capacity limits;
• Indoor gatherings with larger capacity limits and other restrictions;
• Indoor dining with capacity limits;
• Indoor sports and recreational fitness facilities with capacity limits;
• Indoor meeting and event spaces with capacity limits;
• Essential and non-essential retail capacity expanded;
• Personal care services with capacity expanded and other restrictions;
• Indoor cinemas and performing arts facilities with capacity limits;
• Indoor and outdoor religious services, rites or ceremony gatherings with capacity limited to permit 2 metres of physical distancing;
•  Indoor museums and art galleries with capacity limits;
• Indoor zoos, aquariums, waterparks and amusement parks with capacity limits;
• Casinos and bingo halls with capacity limits; and
• Other outdoor activities from Step Two permitted to operate indoors.

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Ontario government suggests new reopening plan will shift away from regional approach

Chris Fox CP24.com and CTV News Toronto Managing Digital Producer

TORONTO -- The Ontario government is hinting that the province will move away from "the regionalization approach" it has used in the past to lift public health restrictions and instead pursue a "sector by sector" reopening strategy.

Solicitor General Sylvia Jones made the comment to reporters at Queen’s Park on Wednesday.

It comes on the heels of the Ministry of Health confirming that they will not revive the colour-coded framework for COVID-19 restrictions when the time comes to restart Ontario’s economy.

“The Minister of Health has suggested that we're going to be moving away from the regionalization approach,” Jones said. “We know what happens is people move and are more likely to move from place to place if we go to a regional approach and have certain parts of the province with tighter restrictions than others.”

The Progressive Conservative government has previously imposed business closures and other public health restrictions on a region-by-region basis with Premier Doug Ford arguing that the different approach is needed given the different viral picture in some parts of the province.

The approach has at times resulted in some businesses being allowed to operate in parts of the Greater Toronto Area but not in others.

Jones, however, suggested on Wednesday that Ontario’s reopening plan is more likely to be based on a “sector by sector” approach in which different kinds of business would gradually be permitted to reopen based on risk.

“Sector by sector is important because frankly there are differences and nuances depending on what kind of business you operate. So that's why we want to look at sector by sector to see what can safely reopen and when,” she said.

Health Minister Christine Elliott has said that her government plans to provide the public with a full reopening “very soon.”

A target date to begin lifting restrictions hasn’t been decided on but sources have told CTV News Toronto that the government is working on a rough timeline of June and early July to fully unlock the economy.

OHA recommends staged reopening

The Ontario Hospital Association (OHA) wrote an open letter to Ford Wednesday, urging the premier to use a “staged and cautious” approach in reopening as ICU occupancy remains high and variants remain a significant threat.

The group said vaccination coverage, vaccine supply, disease incidence, health system capacity and understanding the sources of transmission should be taken into account by the province as they make their plans.

“The approach should be based on evidence and clear metrics and driven by the continued need to ensure that any ongoing transmission is limited,” the OHA wrote.

“It should consider equitable access to services and opportunities for marginalized populations, and – as appropriate – distinguish between the gradual reopening of the health care system and that of the broader economy.”

The group said maintaining high testing rates and effective case and contact management are crucial parts of the reopening strategy.

In the letter, the OHA laid out some key factors that should be considered for a staged approach to reopening. They include opening low-transmission environments first like parks, golf courses, tennis courts and other outdoor amenities, continuing current travel restrictions, setting vaccination targets in specific high-risk communities, and monitoring hospital capacity.

“By examining these areas in consultation with health and scientific experts and clearly communicating evidence-based decisions, Ontario can increase the probability that reopening is safe and successful,” the group wrote.

“This approach would protect vulnerable populations and public health and health system capacity and mitigate the risk of a fourth wave causing even more damage to the health system and economy.”

With files from CTV Toronto's Colin D'Mello

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Businesses relieved as Ontario moves to Step 3 of reopening plan, but ‘still have a long road ahead’

This article was published more than 2 years ago. Some information may no longer be current.

The provincial government announced on Friday that as of July 16, essential and non-essential retail and personal-care services will be able to operate with no capacity restrictions as long as physical distancing is maintained, and indoor dining will be permitted for the first time in months. ALEX FILIPE/Reuters

Business owners applauded Ontario’s decision to move to Step 3 of its reopening plan next Friday, but there remains a long road to recovery for many.

The provincial government announced on Friday that as of July 16, essential and non-essential retail and personal-care services will be able to operate with no capacity restrictions as long as physical distancing is maintained, and indoor dining will be permitted for the first time in months.

“This really is like oxygen for our retailers,” said Diane Brisebois, president and chief executive officer of industry group the Retail Council of Canada. “It was extremely important to get them to reopen as quickly as possible.”

But some Ontarians may be hesitant to return to normal, and some restrictions remain, said Dan Kelly, president and chief executive officer of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. “They still have a long road ahead.”

While the new rules lift the 25-per-cent capacity restrictions for non-essential retailers, stores will still have to limit the number of customers in order to ensure they comply with two-metre distancing requirements.

“What’s more important is that it’s a signal to consumers to have more confidence, and to feel as a society that we’re reopening,” said David Bensadoun, chief executive officer of Montreal-based Aldo Group Inc. He has seen the impact as stores have reopened in the U.S.: in May, for example, nine out of Aldo’s top-10 selling items there were dress shoes with heels; in Canada, eight out of 10 were flats.

“For fashion retail, the capacity is one thing; another thing is, are people living life again?” Mr. Bensadoun said. “Do they want to celebrate, and wear something other than sweatpants?”

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At Civello Salons, moving from 25-per-cent capacity to two-metre distancing rules will make a big difference, said chief executive officer Ray Civello. But staffing is a challenge: After months of shutdowns, many people left the industry or struck out on their own with in-home services. Mr. Civello’s staffing levels are 75 per cent of what they were.

“We’re looking at how to be attractive to youth, to come and work with us,” he said. “… At the forefront of our thinking is training and developing more talent.”

Gyms and other fitness facilities will be allowed to open for indoor service on Friday, at 50-per-cent capacity.

“The phone has been ringing non-stop with people asking, are we open?” said Carrie Percival, senior instructor at the Academy of Martial Arts in Brampton. During the pandemic, the school began offering online classes, and has run outdoor classes since June. It has also expanded its business by offering corporate Tai Chi classes online.

“Everyone is talking about physical fitness, but a big part of martial arts is about mental health as well,” Ms. Percival said.

For some businesses, reopening will not be immediate. Corner Peach, a restaurant in Ottawa, converted its space to a bodega during the pandemic, selling things such as wine, sourdough bread and take-home meals.

“We switched to a store because we couldn’t deal with the back and forth – open, close,” said co-owner Caroline Murphy. She and her business partner are currently expanding into the space next door to keep the shop going, but won’t reopen the restaurant right away. They are planning some renovations first.

“We’re thinking of reassessing the seating arrangements so that people can be more separate – possibly putting in booths,” she said.

Amer Diab, co-owner of the Three Speed bar in Toronto, is taking a cautious approach.

He said the pub may not open as much as it could, “as far as capacity is concerned.”

In March, when outdoor dining was opened up in Toronto and Peel Region, Mr. Diab gathered his staff to discuss whether they should open for patio service – and decided they did not yet feel safe doing so. (Within a couple of weeks, the province pulled an “emergency brake,” shutting down outdoor dining across Ontario.) They began outdoor service in June at roughly 25 per cent of their patio capacity.

Now, Mr. Diab plans to talk to his staff again about whether to resume some indoor seating.

“There are decisions made for business, and decisions made for public health, and they’re not always the same decisions,” he said. “We’re trying first and foremost to make sure the staff feel safe.”

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Province's business reopening plan could create 'confusion,' says Ontario Chamber

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Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) president Rocco Rossi said the provincial government's gradual reopening plan is sending mixed messages in the easing of pandemic-related restrictions.

“Getting this right is critical - we don’t want to see another spike in cases which could trigger another lockdown, prolong the crisis and further depress consumer confidence. Clear and consistent communication and guidelines will be important determinants of the plan’s success," he said in a statement.

The province has extended the stay-at-home orders in Northern Ontario until at least February 16 at which point each region will transition according to the colour-coded COVID-19 Response Framework and the local public health data available at that time.

But don't expect unfettered and unrestricted access to your favourite big box store anytime soon. 

Want to read more stories about business in the North? Subscribe to our newsletter.

Ivana Yelich in Premier Doug Ford's office said no in-person shopping at non-essential retailers is permitted in regions where the stay-at-home order remains in effect, which is most of the province.

If COVID infection rates continue to improve and trend in the right direction, she said by next week most of the remaining regions will transition into the framework and associated level of restrictions (e.g., grey-lockdown, red-control, orange-restrict, yellow-protect and green-prevent).

"That’s when in-person shopping in non-essential shopping will be permitted," said Yelich.

Non-essential retailers will be permitted to open their doors at a patron capacity of 25 per cent. This applies to retailers like hardware and liquor stores, discount and big box stores. Retailers must have a screening system in place for patrons.

“Today’s announcement aims to gradually re-open some of Ontario’s regional economies based on differences in case numbers," said Rossi.

"We have been calling for a coordinated and gradual reopening of the economy, however; we are concerned today’s news risks creating confusion among business and consumers if new rules around re-opening aren’t aligned with stay-at-home orders in certain regions of the province.

“The OCC along with chambers of commerce and boards of trade across the province wrote to the premier last week calling for a coordinated approach to reopening Ontario’s economy, ensuring society reopens for business in a harmonized fashion that prioritizes individual safety as well as economic stability. We also called for the wide-scale implementation of rapid testing and a more robust tracking and tracing regime to inform decisions around closures and openings.

“We welcome steps so that our province and economy can emerge stronger. Most certainly retail businesses will welcome their ability to reopen under restricted capacity. The business community will continue to prove their commitment to safety protocols to protect their workers and customers to keep their doors open.”

- with files from Sudbury.com

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CP24 BREAKING NEWS IN TORONTO AND BEYOND

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'Nothing we're doing here is normal:' Ford government urged to move up reopening of economy

Codi Wilson , CP24.com Journalist

@CodiWilson

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is calling on the Ford government to revise its reopening plan and “immediately reopen” parts of Ontario’s economy, including non-essential retail, restaurants, and gyms.

In an open letter released on Tuesday, the CFIB slammed the Ford government’s reopening plan for being too slow and urged the premier to revise Ontario’s reopening dates so they are “in line with other provinces.”

“Yes, other provinces have used business lockdowns at various points during the pandemic. But no jurisdiction in North America – and very few in the world – have locked down businesses for the length of time businesses have been closed in Ontario,” the letter read.

“From decisions like closing ski hills and golf courses, to completely shutting down non-essential retailers and hair salons, the phrase ‘only in Ontario’ has been far too common throughout the pandemic. In British Columbia, retailers were never closed to in-store customers.”

Ontario’s stay-at-home order will expire tomorrow but the province has said it does not plan to begin Stage 1 of the reopening plan, which will see patio dining resume and non-essential retail reopen at 15 per cent capacity, until around June 14. Hair salons are not expected to reopen in Ontario until sometime in July, when the province enters Stage 2, and gyms will remain shuttered until Ontario enters Stage 3, likely not until the end of July or August.

“Tomorrow is supposed to be the day that our retailers, our restaurant patios, our gyms and our hair salons finally reopen their doors after two long months of provincewide lockdown,” the CFIB's letter continued.

“Instead, Ontario’s reopening plan has them remaining closed for at least another two weeks, and many for much longer. Meanwhile, COVID cases continue a strong downward trend, and estimates show vaccinations have already hit the first-dose threshold for Step 2.”

The province saw a significant drop in the number of new infections on Tuesday, reporting a daily case count of just 699, the lowest single-day total since October.

Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s outgoing chief medical officer of health, has said he would like to see case counts drop down to between 500 and 600 for multiple days before easing restrictions. The Ford government previously confirmed that nothing will reopen in the province until two weeks after 60 per cent of all adults had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, a milestone the province hit last week.

CFIB is urging the province to immediately reopen all retail stores at 20 per cent capacity, restaurants for patio dining and limited indoor service, hair salons and barbers by appointment, as well as gyms and recreational activities by appointment.

“I think we've been locked down for so long in Ontario that we've begun to think that what we're doing here is normal, that this is the way that other jurisdictions, even other Canadian provinces are handling COVID restrictions, and we're pointing out to the premier that nothing we're doing here is normal. Nobody is doing lockdowns for as long as Ontario has, as deep as Ontario has,” Dan Kelly, the president and CEO of the CFIB, told CP24 on Tuesday.

“Sure other provinces have used lockdowns, but they haven't locked down everybody and thrown away the key like we have here in Ontario.”

The CFIB, which represents about 38,000 small businesses in Ontario, is also asking the province to adjust its reopening plan to allow regions with lower case numbers and hospitalizations to reopen faster than regions with higher rates of COVID-19 transmission. The group is also asking the provincial government to provide a “detailed timeline” for the full reopening of the economy, including events and entertainment, and approve a third round of funding through the Ontario Small Business Support Grant.

“Time is quickly running out for Ontario small business owners to keep their firms afloat. Many have exhausted their personal savings and as of July, will start losing access to federal funding programs while still being fully shut down by the province,” the CFIB's letter concluded.

“Swift action must be taken now to begin reopening the provincial economy for the sake of saving small business.”

Restrictions will remain in place when stay-at-home order expires

The province confirmed Tuesday that no new businesses will reopen when the stay-at-home order expires tomorrow.

“We’ve seen great progress in our fight against COVID-19 in recent weeks, but now is not the time to let our guard down,” Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said in a written statement.

“With the Stay-At-Home order set to expire, we need to provide people with certainty so that they can continue to follow public health guidance. Doing so will help us to meet our goal of starting to gradually lift some restrictions when we enter Step One of the Roadmap when it is safe to do so.”

While the provincial government has not confirmed if talks are underway to reopen parts of the economy sooner than June 14, Kelly said he has heard rumblings that the province is considering reopening some businesses as early as this Friday.

“That would be welcome news to small firms that are hanging on by their fingernails. Right now, I'm hoping that we're going to see that,” he said.

“Many, many MPs, including government MPs, are super frustrated at their own premier, at their own government, and they have been sharing with me that they are working behind the scenes to try to get the government to take a different tact, and this includes members of the Ontario cabinet.”

Kelly said if the province plans to allow businesses to reopen on Friday, advance notice will be required.

“Businesses do need a little bit of lag time to be able to get things in order. I mean the restaurants need to reorder fresh produce, staff need to be recalled,” he said.

“We do need to make sure that business owners are given a bit of notice but look, if we can get the message out tomorrow that businesses are going to be allowed to open potentially as soon as Friday… that will provide some businesses with at least a pathway to potentially make it."

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Small businesses suffer under the weight of the Ontario government’s lockdown restrictions

These 2 small business owners say more funding and a fair reopening plan is needed.

By Nandita Sharma June 18, 2021

The spread of COVID-19 in Ontario has been the reason for government-mandated restrictions on non-essential services since mid-March 2020.

The lockdowns, deemed necessary to prevent the spread of COVID-19 according to public health officials, have been hard on small businesses, threatening the livelihoods of small business owners and their staff, including the permanent closure of many businesses. During the first half of 2021, frustrations around repeated lockdowns peaked. Many small business owners felt neglected after an ‘ emergency break ’ lockdown was announced after a previous lockdown in early April. Petitions for a safe plan to open their businesses started to emerge to fight back, including one from the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB), who started a petition addressed to Ontario Premier Doug Ford. 

The petition reads: “ Enough is enough. Never-ending lockdowns are crushing my business and our local economy. Ontario’s reopening plan, (“ Roadmap to Reopen “) reads more like a plan to make the province the last jurisdiction on the continent to allow even a trickle of business activity to resume. This is not the glimmer of hope that many small businesses were desperate to see.”

“I hope there will be government incentives to help small businesses, especially artistic venues,” said Coko Galore, who runs Bad Dog Theatre Company in Toronto, who also would like to see more incentives for business owners. “Our entire livelihood and industry disappeared overnight, and the reopening plans are challenging for the arts because we have to do prep stuff. Especially for businesses like Bad Dog because we lost our venue.” 

Toronto business owner Pegah Akbari, the owner of a pastry and baked goods company called Peu de Creme, believes when it comes to lockdowns small businesses are at a disadvantage compared to the big guys.

“While the lockdown hasn’t been easy for any business, it’s been disproportionately difficult for smaller independent businesses,” said Akbari, who started her business in March 2020 when the first lockdown order was announced in Ontario.  

“While so many larger companies had the means to switch over to online stores and delivery services, many small businesses that relied on their storefront really took a lethal hit, she said. “While I was lucky enough that this didn’t affect my small business directly, I also often found that the business closure guidelines put out were so wide-sweeping, and with such a broad brush stroke, that it didn’t even give many small businesses a chance despite their concerted efforts to abide by all required safety measures.” 

Akbari, who operates her business out of her home, said these factors will affect how she votes in the next election cycle.  “Among many other factors related to the decisions made in the handling of the pandemic, treatment towards small businesses during lockdown will also impact the direction that I vote in,” she said.  

To help small businesses stay afloat, the Ford administration announced the Small Business Support Grant in December of 2020 and the portal to apply was launched in January. For those who are eligible, the grant is a one-time only payment of between $10,000 to $20,000 depending on their recorded losses. According to the site, eligible small businesses include those that:

• Were required to close or significantly restrict services due to the Provincewide Shutdown being imposed across the province effective 12:01 a.m. on December 26.
• Have fewer than 100 employees at the enterprise level.
• Have experienced a minimum of 20 per cent revenue decline in April 2020 compared to April 2019. New businesses established since April 2019 will also be eligible if they meet the other eligibility criteria.

The response to these incentives however has been mixed.

“The government has provided some aid like the Ontario Small Business Support Grant and the Main Street Relief Grant, but the window to apply for some of these was so small and the one-time financial aid that they provided is negligible for most small businesses that are struggling or are on the tipping point of foreclosure,” Akbari said. “I’d like long-term incentives – measures that can help businesses throughout the duration of lockdown.” 

While it is a start, these two small business owners say the need for incentives is exceeding what is being offered. Small businesses are mobilizing and vocalizing their struggles in hopes that they will receive an adequate response.

Read more from Spotlight on Small Biz:

• This Toronto theatre-maker is staying ‘booked and blessed’ during the pandemic
• Small business selling journals and planners hopes to reach Canadian customers this month
• From mom to surrogate to fertility counsellor

About this article

By: Nandita Sharma Posted: Jun 18 2021 12:31 pm Edition: Toronto Filed under: Government • Spotlight On Small Biz Topics: Baker • comedy • Government • lockdown • small business

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Two-thirds of Ontario small businesses say the province’s reopening plan is too slow

Two-thirds of ontario small businesses say the province’s reopening plan is too slow | cfib.

Toronto, June 8, 2021   – Ontario’s slow pace of reopening is driving the province further behind the rest of the country, according to the latest data on the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)’s   Small Business Recovery Dashboard . Two thirds of Ontario business owners say reopening is not happening fast enough, compared to only one-third of businesses in BC and 23 per cent in Quebec.

“Ontario businesses are incredibly frustrated as they have had little or no opportunity to make sales, while the rest of the country is reopening much faster,” said CFIB president Dan Kelly. “At this rate, many provinces will be back to normal business operations before Ontarians can even get a haircut. We need to pick up the pace now, or many businesses won’t even make it to reopening.”

*PEI not included due to smaller sample size.

“Yesterday’s announcement that Step 1 of Ontario’s reopening plan will start Friday was much-needed good news for restaurants and retailers, but gyms, hair salons, barbers, stores located in malls without a street-facing entrance and many others remain closed,” added Kelly. “Most of these low-risk business activities have been open for weeks or months in other provinces, or, like retail in BC, never closed at all during the pandemic.”

CFIB is urging the Ontario government to:

• Add hair salons, barbers and other personal care services to the reopening list for this Friday. 
• Add some capacity for gyms, fitness, and dance studios this weekend.
• Add limited capacity this Friday for indoor dining as is in place in most provinces.
• Immediately provide retailers in malls with no street-facing entrance with an option for in-person sales.
• Shorten the three-week interval between further rounds of reopening and bring in a new, faster plan that is more in line with other provinces. 
• Immediately add a third round of Ontario Small Business Support Grant funding to help those facing ongoing restrictions as they reopen.
• Resurrect the PPE grant at a greater amount to help businesses with the potentially high cost of safe reopening. 

“The level of anger and despair we’re hearing from business owners is alarming. They are watching their life’s work crumble due to the province’s inaction. The Ontario government needs to let more businesses reopen more quickly, so they can catch up to their counterparts in the rest of the country,” concluded Kelly.    For media enquiries or interviews, please contact: Milena Stanoeva, CFIB 647-464-2814 [email protected]

Source for CFIB data Preliminary results for Your Voice – June 2021 survey. The online survey started June 3, 2021, n = 2,989. For comparison purposes, a probability sample with the same number of respondents would have a margin of error of +/-1.8%, 19 times out of 20.

About CFIB The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is Canada’s largest association of small- and medium-sized businesses with 95,000 members across every industry and region, including 38,000 in Ontario. CFIB is dedicated to increasing business owners’ chances of success by driving policy change at all levels of government, providing expert advice and tools, and negotiating exclusive savings. Learn more at cfib.ca.

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Small business rent crisis demands a provincial grant and expanded federal support as covid-19 restrictions continue, three-quarters of ontario businesses say the provincial government has done a poor job of communicating its new disconnecting from work legislation, cfib calls on ontario to build a plan to carefully reopen small business and expand the small business support grant.

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After seven painful years spent calling for accountability, Soleiman Faqiri's family hoped that by now, the province of Ontario would have acted on at least one of the recommendations issued in the inquest into his death at the hands of jail guards.

Instead, they say, there's been radio silence.

In December, a coroner's inquest confirmed what family insisted on all along: that Faqiri's 2016 death at the Central East Correctional Centre was indeed a homicide. Along with that finding came 57 separate recommendations from the coroner's jury — all aimed at preventing anyone with mental illness from dying at an Ontario jail again. 

But five months on, the province won't say if it will act on any of those recommendations, including to release a public statement recognizing jails are not an appropriate environment for those with significant mental health issues — something the jury at the coroner's inquest said should be done within 60 days. You can find the full list here.

Asked about the province's response, Howard Sapers, a former federal correctional investigator and former Ontario independent adviser on correctional reform, was blunt. 

"The lack of action is inexcusable," Sapers said.  

How many more inquests do we need until the system transforms?​​​​​​ - Yusuf Faqiri

Faqiri's family agrees and is now demanding an apology from the provincial government, not only for his death, but the government's inaction on the jury's recommendations.

The family held a news conference Thursday morning at Queen's Park, joined by Opposition NDP critic for the attorney general Kristyn Wong-Tam, to call on Premier Doug Ford to respond. 

"We want to call out the government for their inaction and their indifference to the lives of the mentally ill," Faqiri's brother, Yusuf, told CBC News. "They're under the expectation, outrageously, that this case will go away. This case will not go away."

Faqiri's mother put it more bluntly.

"They've done nothing. The system has remained the same. Nothing's changed," said Maryam Faqiri. "The truth came out, they killed my son ... And they haven't even said my son's name publicly."

'My family deserves a public apology,' Soleiman Faqiri’s brother says

On Wednesday, Wong-Tam tabled a private members' bill in the legislature called the  Justice for Soli Act (Stop Criminalizing Mental Health) .

The bill would see the provincial government formally recognize that "a correctional facility is not an appropriate environment for a person experiencing a mental health crisis" and "mental illness requires health care and should not be criminalized."

Solicitor general declines to apologize

A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Solicitor General told CBC News only that it is "continuing to carefully review the inquest recommendations and will respond to the Office of the Chief Coroner directly." Asked how much longer that review will take, the ministry didn't respond.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Solicitor General Michael Kerzner placed the blame on the previous Liberal government, adding the Ford government has hired more than 1,000 correctional officers, invested half a billion dollars into corrections infrastructure and increased training and Native Inmate Liaison Officers as well as chaplains.

"We have made tremendous differences and tremendous strides. We have come a long way from then to now to now," he said.

Asked if he would apologize to the family, Kerzner would not answer directly. 

"This happened under another government's watch. We are moving forward. We are making the investments and we will do everything that we can to keep Ontario safe."

Ontario’s solicitor general declines to apologize on government’s inaction on Faqiri inquest

Sapers, who testified as a witness at the inquest, said implementing the recommendations would "save lives." 

"Even if there are one or two recommendations that need consultation and more thought, I would have expected a signal that Ontario was not happy with the status quo," he said.

The status quo is a criminal justice system struggling to deliver on "basic promises" and "an in-custody reality that in its current state is increasingly both ineffective and unsafe," according to a report published by the Ontario Chief Coroner's expert panel on deaths in provincial custody last year.

The panel found the number of deaths in Ontario jails rose "dramatically" from 19 in 2014 to 25 in 2019 and then nearly doubled to 46 in 2021. Asked for a count of in-custody deaths since then, the province did not respond. 

What we learned at the inquest into Soleiman Faqiri's death

Faqiri, who suffered from schizoaffective disorder — a combination of schizophrenic and bipolar symptoms — was taken into custody on Dec. 4, 2016, after allegedly stabbing a neighbour during what his family has said was a psychotic episode. 

He was awaiting a mental health assessment at the Central East Correctional Centre when he died face down on a cell floor, after guards punched and struck him repeatedly, pepper sprayed him twice, covered him with a spit hood and left him shackled.

• 'I felt hollow': Jurors at Faqiri inquest hear of segregation, remand overuse in Ontario jails
• Doctor in charge of Faqiri's care in jail defends decision not to send him to hospital amid 'crisis'

The long-awaited inquest into Faqiri's death took place in late 2023 and pulled back the curtain on what was described to jurors as a broken system, plagued by a lack of training and staff, tensions around different layers of management and an overreliance on segregation.

Corrections staff, health-care staff and management all recognized the 30-year-old was in crisis, the jury heard. Yet despite ministry policy, he was never taken to hospital or seen by a psychiatrist.

'People keep dying, predictably and preventably'

While non-binding, the recommendations stemming from his death gave the province a "realistic, immediate action plan to prevent the next predictable death of someone in a mental health crisis" in corrections, said lawyer Anita Szigeti, who represented the mental health advocacy organization Empowerment Council during the inquest.

By now, Szigeti said, the province could have easily acted on "cost-neutral" recommendations, including committing to independent oversight of provincial jails, reviewing use-of-force options — particularly when it comes to people in crisis — and ending the use of spit hoods.

As recently as April, Szigeti points out, another man with a mental illness died in an Ontario jail — while the province continues to "review" recommendations made months ago. Ibrahim Ali's family spoke to The Globe and Mail about his condition earlier this month.  

"The Coroner's motto is, 'We speak for the dead to protect the living,'" said Szigeti. "The Government of Ontario is not listening. They're plugging their ears and humming to avoid having to confront the reality that vulnerable people keep dying, predictably and preventably."

Following the inquest, Faqiri's family also hoped Ontario Provincial Police might reopen their investigation into his death. A finding of homicide at an inquest does not carry any criminal liability, however the force could have chosen to reinvestigate based on information presented to the jury.

• Guard who helped Soleiman Faqiri chokes back tears recalling 'his last joyful moment on this earth'
• 'No longer any doubt,' says Soleiman Faqiri's family as inquest deems Ontario jail death a homicide

Asked about that possibility, the OPP told CBC News its investigation ended in 2020. "If new information were to come to light, the OPP would review that information to determine whether further investigation is warranted," said spokesperson Gosia Puzio.

For Faqiri's family, action on the recommendations can't come soon enough, his brother said.

"All of us have a stake when individuals have a mental illness," said Yusuf. 

"These are human beings and their lives are being lost because of uninformed policy decisions or because of lack of resources. How many more inquests do we need until the system transforms?"

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Reporter-Editor

Shanifa Nasser is a journalist with CBC Toronto interested in the justice system, national security and stories with a heartbeat, with a focus on underrepresented communities. Her reporting on Canada's spy agency in 2020 earned an Amnesty International Award and an RTDNA. Her work has also been the basis of two investigative documentaries at The Fifth Estate. Contact her at: [email protected]

• Twitter: @shanifanasser

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