As The Voice of Retail™, RCC is here to help retailers navigate through this crisis.
Recent Updates
- New COVID-19 related restrictions in Nova ScotiaTo combat rising COIVD-19 numbers, effective immediately, the government has imposed travel restrictions into and out of Nova Scotia for children age 11 and … Continued
- COVID financial assistance repayment extendedThe government of Quebec is extending the moratorium for the repayment of capital and interest related to financial assistance granted to businesses in regions … Continued
- Vaccination requirements for workers in Newfoundland and LabradorAs of December 17, 2021, all employees must be vaccinated against COVID-19 if they work in a business that requires proof of vaccination from … Continued
- New COVID-19 related restrictions in Nova ScotiaTo combat rising COIVD-19 numbers, effective immediately, the government has … Continued
- COVID financial assistance repayment extendedThe government of Quebec is extending the moratorium for the … Continued
- Vaccination requirements for workers in Newfoundland and LabradorAs of December 17, 2021, all employees must be vaccinated … Continued
- Limited change anticipated in new Manitoba Health OrderWith relatively stable hospitalization and ICU rates, it is expected … Continued
- Saskatchewan’s current Public Health Order extendedThe Saskatchewan government has announced that its current Public Health … Continued
- Alberta REP Safety Training program is now liveThe Alberta Restriction Exemption (REP) safety training program is now … Continued
- RCC calls on Alberta to raise retail capacityRCC continues to meet with a range of government officials … Continued
- New Brunswick households with positive COVID-19 cases required to self-isolateWhile the circuit breaker measures in Zone 1 (Moncton area) … Continued
- $2,000 Restrictions Exemption Program implementation grant launched in AlbertaThe Alberta government has announced that their Restrictions Exemption Program … Continued
- Calgary revises vaccine passport bylawThe City of Calgary has updated its vaccine passport bylaw … Continued
- Alberta verifier app updated to validate out-of-province QR codesFor Alberta members who have implemented a COVID-19 proof of … Continued
- RCC calls on government to raise capacity limits in AlbertaAs daily COVID cases continue to fall dramatically, RCC has … Continued
- Hybrid approach to work encouraged, physical distancing reduced to one metre in QuebecIn the wake of the flexibilities recently announced by the … Continued
- Circuit breaker measures continue in New BrunswickEffective Friday, November 12, 2021 at 6pm AT, the COVID-19 … Continued
- Canadian proof of vaccination codes now accepted in Newfoundland and LabradorAll proof of vaccination QR codes from Canadian provinces will … 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: Francis Mailly, fmailly@cccd-rcc.org, 514-316-9185
- 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.