As The Voice of Retail™, RCC is here to help retailers navigate through this crisis.
Recent Updates
- Manitoba announces further restrictions, no change to retailThe Manitoba government has announced a number of additional restrictions in response to rapidly rising case numbers, however restrictions applying to retail remain unchanged. Manitoba Health Orders will … Continued
- Federal government adapts business supports to Omicron-driven capacity restrictions or lockdownsNote: As with all new federal programs, full details tend to emerge over several weeks, as issues and questions arise and are answered. We … Continued
- Capacity restrictions and travel restrictions for Newfoundland & Labrador and New BrunswickDue to increasing COVID-19 numbers, the Newfoundland & Labrador and New Brunswick governments have increased capacity and travel restrictions for their provinces. New Brunswick … Continued
- Manitoba announces further restrictions, no change to retailThe Manitoba government has announced a number of additional restrictions in response … Continued
- Federal government adapts business supports to Omicron-driven capacity restrictions or lockdownsNote: As with all new federal programs, full details tend … Continued
- Capacity restrictions and travel restrictions for Newfoundland & Labrador and New BrunswickDue to increasing COVID-19 numbers, the Newfoundland & Labrador and … Continued
- Alberta announces new measures – retail capacity unchangedThe Alberta government has just announced additional public health measures … Continued
- Ontario sets up hotline to allow more employer-led vaccine clinicsTo increase booster vaccination capacity, Ontario is opening up a … Continued
- Additional COVID-19 restrictions in Atlantic CanadaRising COVID-19 case numbers across Atlantic Canada have led governments … Continued
- B.C. Further Tightens COVID-19 RestrictionsOn Tuesday, December 21, 2021, B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer (PHO) … Continued
- Retail and restaurants to follow tighter capacity restrictions in P.E.I.Beginning December 18, 2021, PEI’s COVID-19 restrictions have increased to … Continued
- Government clarifies proof of vaccination option in New BrunswickGrocery retailers no longer have the option of requiring proof … Continued
- RCC continues to monitor restrictions in SaskatchewanWith case numbers continuing to remain manageable, and with several … Continued
- Alberta expanding rapid testing availabilityAs one of the strategies to avoid further restrictions, Alberta’s … Continued
- Updated rules for indoor social gatherings in AlbertaThe province has updated indoor social gatherings rules, for what … Continued
- New Quebec COVID-19 restrictions include capacity restrictions in retailIn response to the steep rise in COVID cases, the … Continued
- B.C. announces new restrictions in response to Omicron variantIn response to the spread of the Omicron variant and … Continued
- Ontario moves to 50% Capacity as of Sunday, December 19 at 12:01amIn response to the rapidly-spreading and highly transmissible Omicron variant, … Continued
In these challenging times, RCC welcomes retailers across Canada to subscribe to our Retail policy news & COVID-19 updates and attend our weekly Member Town Hall Briefings. We are your voice during this crisis and beyond.
COVID-19 Recovery Tools
RCC BCG Retail Recovery Dashboard
Mission-critical metrics to help the Canadian retail sector navigate COVID-19.
Vaccine Timing and Status
Current information available on vaccinations applicable for retail employees.
Requirements for Retailers by Region
View all regulations and safety guidelines retailers must follow to be open by region.
Relief Measures by Region
Financial aid, grants and other relief measures specifically applicable to retailers.
Questions & Answers on COVID-19
Frequently asked questions from our members on working through COVID-19 and its operational challenges.
Retail Supplier Directory
Find suppliers of masks, hand sanitizer, signage and more in the new PPE section of the Retail Supplier Directory.
Videos and Podcasts
Employer vaccine policies – Your FAQs answered and more
Joseph Cohen Lyons, Senior Associate with Norton Rose Fulbright Canada answered the most frequently asked questions by our retail members around vaccination policies, vaccination incentivizing and more.
The Voice of Retail Podcast
Each and every week TVOR interviews top retailers and industry thought leaders coving topics including the ongoing response and impact to their business and the retail sector of the COVID-19 crisis.
Financial support and payroll resources
- Federal support:
- RCC’s guide to Federal relief measures (see Federal relief measures section)
- New rules for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)
- Government of Canada Work-Share overview
- Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA)
- Loans for small & medium businesses: Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP)
- Canada Small Business Financing Program
- Government’s overview of federal government Services for Small Business
- Provincial support: RCC’s guide to relief measures and updates (see interactive table to view your region)
- Municipal support: RCC’s database of utility payment extensions, municipal relief and more
- Rent support for small businesses: Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) for small
- Payroll: Canadian Payroll Association on ROE coding
- Workers’ compensation: 2020 provincial workers’ compensation updates for retailers
- Stewardship programs: Stewardship Programs Offering COVID-19 Deadline Extensions
Maintaining your business
- HR recovery planning: Managing return to work anxiety
- Impact on consumer behaviour: Tracking the impact of FMCG, retail and media (Neilson)
- Consumers surveys: Tracking surveys (Leger)
- Consumer education: #ShopSmart campaign – Guidelines shoppers should follow during COVID-19 (RCC)
- Statistics: Info on COVID-19 (Statistics Canada)
- Pandemic planning for retailers: COVID-19 planning checklist for retailers (RCC)
- Business continuity: A guide to robust business continuity planning (KPMG)
- Impact on Canadian retailers: COVID-19 Voice of Canadians and impact to retailers (Deloitte)
- Guide for senior executives: The heart of resilient leadership: Responding to COVID-19 (Deloitte)
- Resources for retailers: Retail Industry Leaders Association
- Fraud Prevention: Tips to protect yourself from COVID-19 related payment scams (Interac)
- Cyber Security: Helpful advice for small and medium organizations to protect against COVID-19-related threats
- Interactive dashboard: Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Situational Awareness Dashboard
If you have questions specific to your area, please contact RCC’s Regional Directors directly:
- Pacific: Greg Wilson, gwilson@onceuponatimewithbipolar.com,
- Prairies: John Graham, jgraham@onceuponatimewithbipolar.com,
- Ontario: Sebastian Prins, sprins@onceuponatimewithbipolar.com,
- Quebec: Francis Mailly, fmailly@cccd-rcc.org,
- Atlantic: Jim Cormier, jcormier@onceuponatimewithbipolar.com,
- Public Affairs: Karl Littler, klittler@onceuponatimewithbipolar.com,
- Grocery Division & Regulatory Affairs: Jason McLinton, jmclinton@onceuponatimewithbipolar.com,
- GR and Regulatory Affairs: Cory Anderson, canderson@onceuponatimewithbipolar.com,
- Media: Michelle Wasylyshen, mwasylyshen@onceuponatimewithbipolar.com
- President & CEO: Diane J. Brisebois, djbrisebois@onceuponatimewithbipolar.com,
Thank you to the retailers, vendors and suppliers who have extended financial support to Retail Council of Canada to help us continue to advocate for you 24/7 during these difficult times.