Rural Rebound

• Co-ops helping co-ops: 37 co-ops in Ontario received  funds from the Ontario Co-operative Association, to help them adapt and rebuild from COVID-19.
• Chippewas of Nawash Unceded First Nation donates fish to food banks
• Chatham-Kent comes together to perform a miracle. May 16 Miracle food drive
• Rainbow connects downtown shops in Arthur, ON
• Community organizations get together for distributing fresh food  to First Nations in Manitoulin Island
• The Middlesex Federation of Agriculture and the Grain Farmers of Ontario sent donations to five area Food Banks 
• Prince Edward farm groups donate $2,300 to local food banks
• Rural Community-Building Grants for non-profit organizations in rural Ottawa
• Campbellford/Seymour Community Foundation - Covid-19 Community Response Grants awarded
• The Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) is sharing a series of Q&A to showcase how OAC Alumni are coping with uncertainty 
• COVID-19 Resources for Nonprofits

• Beamsville, ON-based company received a $2 million investment from the Ontario Together Fund to manufacture a device that sanitizes PPE.
• Artists from the Matilda Swanson Gallery are painting storefront windows in Clarksburg, ON (video)
• Supporting Oxford: An online platform to support small local bussinesses. 
• Kilmarnock Enterprise responds to COVID-19 with support from FedDev Ontario and the Community Futures Program
• Small farms in Northern Ontario have turned to direct-marketing through social media as farmers' markets close due to the impacts of COVID 19
• Farmers Markets Ontario provides a directoy of Farmer Markets and MyPick Farms offering online shopping
• A new high-quality delivery service is connecting local farmers with discerning home cooks
• Guelph company shifts focus and creates a 60-minute COVID-19 test
• U of G Research behind Surface Coating That Kills COVID-19 Virus
• Family business switches gears to make plexiglass shields for cashiers
• OPINION: In a COVID-19 world, is local better?
• Feeding Your Future: Connecting Ontario’s Agri-Food Workforce
  • Employers Toolkit
  • Job Seekers Toolkit
• Digital Main Street ShopHERE program helps small businesses to sell online. The ShopHERE program is free for participants to sign up and have a Shopify store built. Businesses will be responsible for the monthly Shopify fee after the initial 90-day trial. **Possible users should assess for themselves the usefulness and appropriateness of this program**
• Learn how to request a temporary rule or regulation change to help your business respond to COVID-19  
• AgriStability enrollment an option for farm businesses anticipating financial hardship

• The Town of Minto is launching a campaign to encourage loyalty to local merchants and promote the community as a safe shopping destination
• The Stratford Tourism Alteration Transformation Project: Grants of $7,500 - $20,000 to support the recovery of Stratford Businesses in the Tourism sector
• The Clarington Board of Trade produced the “Shop Clarington with Confidence” video series to capture what safety measures businesses are putting in place for a safe experience
• The Rural Oxford E-Business Grant Program helps business owners adapt/enhance their online sales process
• Selwyn COVID-19 Economic Recovery Strategy
• Middlesex County Plan for COVID-19 Economic Resiliency 
• COVID-19 Business Recover Resources. Town of Collingwood
• COVID-19 Resources For Businesses. Grey County
• COVID-19 Resources and Funding. Municipality of Kincardine
• Stouffville reopens 
• Northumberland Economic Recovery Task Force
• Windsor-Essex Covid-19 Economic Task Force
• Perth County Paramedics Launch Community Outreach Program
• SCOR EDC - Local Farmers Need Workers! Apply Today!
• Rural internet issues put in sharper focus during pandemic

Click on the Federal or Provincial programs listed below to learn more on eligibility and how to apply:

Businesses and industries

• Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS)
  • Changes to CEWS as of claim period 5
• What is the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA)
• Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) 
• Agri-Food Open for E-Business - Targeted Intake
• Regional Relief and Recovery Fund: COVID-19
• Ontario Together Fund: $50 million to support proposals submitted through the Ontario Together Platform. Not all submissions will be considered for funding.
• Ontario supporting Indigenous-owned businesses during COVID-19 
• Mandatory Isolation Support for Temporary Foreign Workers Program
• The Emergency Processing Fund (EPF) helps companies implement changes to safeguard the health and safety of workers due to the impacts of the COVID-19
• Ontario Agri-Food Workplace Protection Program 
• The Digital Service Squad Grant Program supports Service Squads that provide one-on-one assistance to main street small businesses across Ontario 

• The Digital Transformation Grant program provides funding to main street small businesses to support their digital transformation.

Non-for-profits and charitable organizations

• Emergency Community Support Fund
• Supporting food banks and other food rescues organizations

• Surplus Food Rescue Program

Families and individuals

• Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB)
• Support for students and new grads affected by COVID-19
• Ontario Guaranteed Annual Income System payments for seniors
• Ontario one-time financial sssistance during school and child care closures

• Employment in rural and small town areas in the months before Covid-19 era and in the months of Covid-19 era.
  • Selected charts up to August 2020
  • Selected charts up to July 2020
  • Selected charts up to June 2020
  • Selected charts up to May 2020
  • Selected charts up to April 2020
• Non-metro employment in the months before Covid-19 era and in the months of Covid-19 era.
  • Selected charts up to May 2020
  • Selected charts up to April 2020
• Prof. Wayne Caldwell (University of Guelph) discusses the implications of COVID-19 on rural communities with Ray Bollman, author of the Focus on Rural Ontario Factsheets (video)
• Infographic: How has Covid-19 impacted employment in rural and small towns in Canada?
• CRRF Rural Insights Series
• The StrategyCorp Institute of Public Policy and Economy’s white paper, The Future of Ontario’s Workers, examines the impact of the future of work and COVID-19 on Ontario’s labour force.
• FARE Share special issue: Covid-19 Impact in Canada’s Food and Agriculture Sectors
• OECD Policy Implications of Coronavirus Crisis for Rural Development
• U of G research shows rural areas have unique needs during pandemic recovery
• Rural Studies Expert Warns Against Cottaging During Pandemic
• U of G research used in new quick, inexpensive COVID-19 test  
• COVID-19 A data perspective. Statistics Canada

• Take Action can help organizations to support symptom screening, clearing and logging to protect employees, workplace and clients through the COVID-19 Pandemic.  All plans include communication and delivery of education to employees and clients. Check out the free plans for small businesses (up to 10 employees) and Non-profits. **Possible users should assess for themselves the usefulness and appropriateness of this software**

• Resources on Gender-Based Violence and the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Canadian Economic Dashboard and COVID-19 
• Supporting mental health and wellness during COVID-19 

• OFA recorded webinars to support farm employers during COVID-19
• ONN webinars to spark discussion on issues affecting nonprofits and charities in Ontario
• The Ontario Chamber of Commerce COVID-19 webinars
• Landscape Ontario COVID-19 webinars and online learning
• Arrell Food Institute Webinar Series
• Bdc free webinars for Canadian entrepreneurs

• CFIB weekly webinars aimed at helping businesses cope with Covid-19