Protecting Manitobans
 

Federal Programs

The Government of Canada has introduced support programs for Canadian businesses facing financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Employment Insurance Work-Sharing Program
The federal government is enhancing the work-sharing program to help support employers and workers who are impacted by a downturn in business due to the coronavirus, and making tax payment arrangements more flexible. For more information:

Changes to Immigration Services for Your Skilled Workers
International students, skilled workers, and entrepreneurs from all over the world are making Manitoba their new home. Visit the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website for information on federal special measures to help temporary and permanent residents and applicants affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Government of Canada Call to Action for Manufacturers
If you are a Canadian manufacturer or business that is prepared to rapidly scale up production or re-tool your manufacturing lines to develop products made in Canada to help in the fight against COVID-19, please contact the Government of Canada.

Canada's Agricultural Sector
The federal government has announced a number of programs to support Canada's agricultural sector, including helping producers with additional costs, helping redistribute existing and unsold inventories, increasing interim AgriStabilty payments and expanding AgriInsurance to include labour shortages. In addition, Farm Credit Canada has new supports in place, including loan deferrals and increased lending capacity for producers, agribusinesses and food processors.

Temporary Wage Subsidy
The Temporary Wage Subsidy for Employers is a three-month measure that will allow eligible employers to reduce the amount of payroll deductions required to be remitted to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy provides a 75 per cent wage subsidy to eligible employers for up to 12 weeks, retroactive to March 15, 2020. This wage subsidy aims to prevent further job losses, encourage employers to re-hire workers previously laid off as a result of COVID-19, and help better position Canadian companies and other employers to more easily resume normal operations following the crisis.

Corporate Income Tax Return and Payment Deferral
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has announced additional measures on March 26, 2020 in regard to the extension of tax reporting deadlines.

Deferral of Sales Tax Remittance and Customs Duty Payments
The Government of Canada is deferring Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST) remittances and customs duty payments to June 30, 2020.

Deferral of Customs Duty and Sales Tax for Importers
Payment deadlines for statements of accounts for March, April, and May are being deferred to June 30, 2020.

New Loan Programs for Businesses
The Government of Canada is announcing the launch of the new Canada Emergency Business Account to ensure small businesses have access to the capital they need to see them through the current challenges.

Canada Revenue Agency’s Additional Measures for Individuals and Businesses
The Government of Canada has introduced other measures including administrative tax measures, extending deadlines for trusts, partnerships and NR4 information returns, continuing to process objections, extending deadlines for filing objections, filing appeals for Canada Pension Plan and Employment Insurance, extending deadlines for charities, suspending audit activities and suspending collections on new debt.

Canada's Energy Sector
The federal government has announced more than $2 billion in support for Canada's energy sector.

Cultural, Heritage and Sport Organizations
The federal government has established a $500 million COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for cultural, heritage and sport organizations that will help address the financial needs of affected organizations so they can continue to support artists and athletes.

Business Credit Availability Program
A new COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund for cultural, heritage and sport organizations will provide $500 million to help address the financial needs of affected organizations.

Bridge Funding Support for Business
The government will provide $675 million to support the work of Canada's regional development agencies (RDAs) to provide equivalent bridge financing support to businesses unable to access the government's broader support measures.

Assistance for Entrepreneurs
To support ongoing lending to young entrepreneurs, the government is also injecting $20.1 million through Futurpreneur Canada and $250 million through the Industrial Research Assistance Program.

Non-Profits and Charitable Organizations
The federal government is investing $350 million to deliver essential services to those in need.

Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) Program
This program for small businesses will seek to provide loans and/or forgivable loans to commercial property owners who in turn will lower or forgo the rent of small businesses for the months of April (retroactive), May, and June.