COVID-19 Business Support

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Business Information & Support During COVID-19 ​​

This page helps businesses access information about the various business support programs and services that are being introduced from all levels of government. It is updated regularly with information and resources that support businesses in responding to the economic impact of COVI​D-19:

The Town of Tillsonburg is continuing to work with the Tillsonburg District Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Business Improvement Area to help support business owners through these challenging months. The Town is also collaborating with economic developers across Oxford County, as well as the Western Ontario Wardens' Caucus.   

 Local Support

Tillsonburg BIA
The Tillsonburg Business Improvement Association (BIA) is comprised of more than 230 businesses in the Downtown Core Area (Central Commercial zone) in Tillsonburg. The BIA is responsible for the promotion and beautification of Downtown Tillsonburg, and offers a variety of support services and resources to member businesses. Contact m.renaud@tillsonburgbia.ca to discuss your situation.
Tillsonburg Outdoor Patio Program

In 2021, Town Council approved a pilot program for outdoor patios located on municipal property.

The Town of Tillsonburg allowed downtown eating establishments or coffee shops to establish temporary seasonal patios by using on-street parking spaces along municipal streets which have curb side on street parking as well as in municipal parking lots.

The 2021 outdoor patio season was established between April 15th to November 1st.
 

Learn more

 

Federal & Provincial Financial Assistance

A variety of assistance programs including funding, grants and loans are available to businesses. These programs are designed to help mitigate the impacts of COVID-19. 


Small Businesses

Support programs are available for small businesses. 

Small Business Recovery Resources | Ontario Government 


All Businesses

Resources including financial support, loans and access to credit are available for businesses, their employees and self‑employed individuals. Visit the following resource pages for current information.

Managing your business during COVID-19 | Government of Canada   

Help for Businesses in Ontario | Ontario Government


Ontario Together helps businesses provide innovative solutions or retool their operations in order to manufacture essential medical supplies and equipment, including gowns, coveralls, masks, face shields, testing equipment and ventilators. Check your eligibility for the Ontario Together Fund.

Learn how your organization can help fight the spread of COVID. Get free rapid tests for your organization, sell supplies to government, search for PPE suppliers and testing services or apply for funding. 

The Ontario Store Capacity Calculator is a handy online tool is available from the Retail Council of Canada (RCC) to help businesses determine their reduced store capacity during Ontario's COVID-19 reopening phases.

 
Employment Programs

Work Sharing Program

The Work-Sharing program is offered to workers who agree to reduce their normal working hours because of developments beyond the control of their employers. 

Learn more
WSIB Health and Safety Excellence Program
Financial supports for businesses include the Workplace Safety Insurance Board’s (WSIB) Health and Safety Excellence Program, which offer rebates to safe employers. 


Support for Employees

COVID-19 Workplace Safety

Reopening Safely
  • Provincial Employment Standards Call Centre (webes@ontario.ca) and Occupational Health and Safety Contact Centre (webohs@ontario.ca) to answer small business health and safety questions.

For more information on these tools, visit covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-help-businesses-ontario
Workplace Safety During COVID-19
  • Corporations can be fined $1,000 for failing to comply with the orders under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act and the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. Individuals, including employees and patrons, can also be fined $750 for failing to comply with orders under the Acts.

  • For more serious offences, a person can be charged under Part III of the Provincial Offences Act. If convicted, the court can impose fines as high as $100,000 for individuals, and up to up to $500,000 for directors and officers of a corporation. Both could also receive terms of imprisonment of up to one year.

Learn more

Additional COVID-19 Employer Resources

 

Business Support Centres 

Community Futures Oxford
This is your federally-funded small business support centre serving Oxford County. If you need to talk through how you can adjust your business or what to do next, contact:

Lindsay Wilson - lwilson@cfoxford.ca
Oxford Connection
The Economic Development Offices of Oxford County (Ingersoll, Tillsonburg, Woodstock and Rural Oxford) are working together to help businesses respond to the challenges created by the global COVID 19 pandemic and have launched a collaborative website at www.OxfordConnection.ca. 
The Small Business Centre
The Small Business Centre is an on-going economic development partnership between the Province of Ontario, the City of Woodstock and Oxford County. The Small Business Centre has been approved as the delivery agent for the re-launched Digital Main Street program, which has the following components: 
  • Digital Main Street
    • ishopHERE powered by Google will help small businesses that did not previously have online stores to launch one
    • Available to all small businesses, including home based businesses
  • The Digital Main Street Grant will help main street small businesses improve the efficiency of their digital operations by providing grants, administered by the Ontario BIA Association, to adopt new technologies and embrace digital marketing
  • Future-Proofing Main Street will help existing main-street firms adapt to changes by providing specialized and in-depth digital transformation services and support. By leveraging teams of digital marketing professionals and students, these firms will be able to create new online business models, develop and implement digital and e-commerce marketing strategies, and maximize digital tools, platforms, and content,

For more information about the Digital Main Street and related programs, please contact Ramona Gallagher at info@thesmallbusinesscentre.ca. 
Tourism Oxford

If you’re a tourism-related business, Tourism Oxford and Oxford Fresh will be doing their best to help you promote your business. The team will also keep you informed about regional, provincial and national conversations that support tourism moving forward.

To discuss unique opportunities to promote your business in partnership with Tourism Oxford, please contact:

Meredith Maywood- mmaywood@oxfordcounty.ca

Gabrielle Mueller- gmueller@oxfordcounty.ca

 

 Learn more about:

Contact(s)