As The Voice of Retail™, RCC is here to help retailers navigate through this crisis.
Recent Updates
- Ontario extends stay-at-home order until June 2, 2021This means that all public health and workplace safety measures under the province-wide emergency shutdown will remain in effect. For retail, this specifically means … Continued
- Three-hours paid time for COVID-19 vaccinations announced in ManitobaThe province has announced intended amendments to the Employment Standards Code that will allow Manitoba workers to take up to three-hour paid leave to receive their … Continued
- Nova Scotia retailers reminded to request that customers wear masksIn light of the current spread of COVID-19 in the province, Nova Scotia retailers are reminded that they need to ask customers to wear … Continued
- Ontario extends stay-at-home order until June 2, 2021This means that all public health and workplace safety measures … Continued
- Three-hours paid time for COVID-19 vaccinations announced in ManitobaThe province has announced intended amendments to the Employment Standards … Continued
- Nova Scotia retailers reminded to request that customers wear masksIn light of the current spread of COVID-19 in the … Continued
- Nova Scotia to offer sick leave reimbursement for those without sick leave benefitsBeginning May 26, 2021, Nova Scotians will be able to … Continued
- Nova Scotia to offer reimbursement for those without sick leave benefitsAs of May 26, 2021, Nova Scotians will be able … Continued
- Special emergency measures in Quebec for the Outaouais and Rimouski to end MondayAt a press conference on May 11, the government announced … Continued
- BC introduces legislation providing employer-paid sick daysBritish Columbia has introduced amendments to the Employment Standards Act … Continued
- Further COVID-19 restrictions for Nova Scotia: Retail limited to one shopper per householdEffective at 8:00am on May 8, 2021 the government of … Continued
- Manitoba announces new COVID-19 sick leave programIn advance of new restrictions anticipated to be announced later … Continued
- Manitoba announced new restrictions, including retail capacity lowered to 10% – effective Sunday, May 9, 2021The Manitoba government has announced strict new public health orders to close … Continued
- Ontario to open vaccinations to include frontline retail workersUPDATE MAY 10, 2021: Booking for vaccines is expected to … Continued
- BC public health authorities ask employers to inform employees about vaccinationEmployers in BC are asked to remind their employees of … Continued
- Saskatchewan provides predictability for retailers with Re-Opening RoadmapThe Government of Saskatchewan has released their “Re-Opening Roadmap“, a … Continued
- Alberta announces new restrictions including retail capacity lowered to 10% effective May 5, 2021The Alberta government has announced a number of new mandatory … Continued
- Quebec special emergency measures in Estrie and flexibility in the Outaouais, Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Capitale-NationaleWith COVID-19 cases on the rise in the Granit region, … 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@retailcouncil.org, 604-730-5254
- Prairies: John Graham, jgraham@retailcouncil.org, 204-926-8624
- Ontario: Sebastian Prins, sprins@retailcouncil.org, 416-467-3759
- Quebec: Jean-Francois Belleau, jfbelleau@cccd-rcc.org, 514-316-7659
- Atlantic: Jim Cormier, jcormier@retailcouncil.org, 902-818-7738
- Public Affairs: Karl Littler, klittler@retailcouncil.org, 416-906-0040
- Grocery Division & Regulatory Affairs: Jason McLinton, jmclinton@retailcouncil.org, 613-656-7903
- GR and Regulatory Affairs: Cory Anderson, canderson@retailcouncil.org, 613-656-7901
- Media: Michelle Wasylyshen, mwasylyshen@retailcouncil.org
- President & CEO: Diane J. Brisebois, djbrisebois@retailcouncil.org, 416-801-3793
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.