For those who want to stay right up to date with what’s happening in the City on COVID-19, please join me daily on the City of Victoria’s Facebook page at 2:30pm. And please share this link and information with your friends and neighbours. We’re getting lots of emails with lots of questions and we’ll do our best to answer them and keep you and the media up to date with these live daily updates. I’ll also post the videos here from now on. This video is my address from Wednesday. We’ll be back Thursday at 2:30pm. 

News from the federal government

This morning the Prime Minister announced that the Canada Emergency Response Benefit will become available to Canadians who have exhausted their Employment Insurance (EI) benefits since January 1st, seasonal workers who can’t find work because of COVID-19 and those who earn up to $1,000 a month.

With these changes, Canadians will now be allowed to collect the CERB even if they still have some earnings, as long as their monthly income does not surpass $1,000. The new rules will likely extend CERB eligibility to an estimated 1.1 million Canadians who are still working but saw their hours drastically reduced amid COVID-19.

News from the City

As I shared last week, we’ve deferred property taxes by a month as part of Council’s suite of relief measures. That would have left the Downtown Victoria Business Association without their annual funding which usually comes in July. So Council has decided this year to help the DVBA out by paying them their levy in July anyway. This is so the organization can continue its important work in supporting local businesses through the pandemic.

The DVBA is supporting their 1,500 business members to ensure they have all the information they may need on emerging programs and resources that can support them in the near term. They are also promoting ways the public can support local businesses by way of online orders, and take-out and delivery options for restaurants.

Currently, the DVBA is partnering with the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness to help coordinate volunteers to distribute food at the temporary shelter at Topaz Park to help protect vulnerable populations

The DVBA Clean Team has also stepped up its efforts in helping keep downtown clean, sanitizing and cleaning all transit stops downtown, staying on top of graffiti, and being extra eyes on the street and looking out for downtown businesses now that there are currently few people downtown.

Today during my daily address, Jeff Bray the Executive Director of the Downtown Victoria Business Association joined me. This is some of what he said and the information he shared:

“Today is National Takeout Day. Check out your local restaurant online and order an extra take-out or delivery meal. You can also support local retailers by purchasing online gift cards now, putting much needed revenue into the pockets of businesses to help keep them going.

“You may even want to consider sending an email to your favourite retailer, to let them know you’ll be there for them. This will greatly help with the morale of downtown businesses that have had to let their staff go due to the pandemic.”

He also shared a range of online resources the community can access to support local businesses:

• Gift cards for local businesses can be purchased online at Support Local Greater Victoria.
• YYJLocalsForLocalsis a group of community-minded tech and marketing professionals offering pro-bono assistance to local small businesses, restaurants, and bars. Learn more at com.
• Donate to Boxes of Hope. Every $10 donated provides a warm, healthy meal to someone in need and supports the local restaurant community by keeping staff employed.

The City’s Business Hub staff have compiled a comprehensive list of resources for businesses at victoria.ca/bizresources.