Is it Time to Incorporate Your Business?
At some point in time, every business owner considers whether or not his or her business should be incorporated. The structure of a business is fluid and may change with time. Often small businesses initially take the form of a sole proprietorship or partnership but, as they evolve, a corporate structure is adopted to grow […]
Possible Property Tax Break for Ottawa Small Businesses
In my last corporate blog, I discussed a new government loan program for small businesses affected by COVID-19. Unfortunately, even though vaccinations are increasing and restrictions are being lifted, COVID-19 is still having an impact on small businesses and some of these effects will be long-lasting. As a result, more programs are needed to support […]
Opening and Operating a Cannabis Retail Store
After a gradual initial rollout, the Ontario government is now aiming to approve dozens of cannabis retail stores each week, with the goal of approving 1,000 stores across the province by the fall of 2021. This blog summarizes the main requirements for opening and operating a cannabis retail store in Ontario. Retail cannabis stores in […]
Restrictions on Businesses During the Third State of Emergency (updated May 13, 2021)
On May 13, 2021, Premier Doug Ford announced that the third state of emergency and provincewide stay-at-home order will remain in effect until at least June 2, 2021. Every Ontarian must remain home, except for essential purposes, such as attending grocery stores or pharmacies, accessing health care services, exercising outdoors or for work that cannot […]
April Emergency Break Restrictions
In response to an alarming increase in COVID-19 cases and intensive care admissions reaching a record high, premier Doug Ford announced that the Ontario government will implement a 28-day “emergency break” across the province, effective at 12:01am on April 3, 2021. During the “emergency break”, some non-essential services will be required to close, including indoor […]
Update on Temporary Ban on Evictions of Commercial Tenants
Below is an update to my previous blog, Temporary Ban on Evictions of Commercial Tenants Extended, posted on October 20, 2020. The temporary ban on commercial evictions, which was originally introduced in June 2020, has been further extended. In December 2020, the Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 Act (Budget Measures), 2020 (the “Act”) received […]
New Government Loan Program for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses Affected by COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a trying time, especially for small businesses. The government at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels has implemented various measures to help small businesses, such as Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy and the COVI9 Energy Assistance Program. Recently, the “Highly Affected Sectors Credit Availability Program” (HASCAP) was introduced to provide loans […]
Lockdown without Shutdown: The New Ontario Small Business Support Grant
To prevent the province’s already-inundated hospitals from becoming further overwhelmed by the forecasted spike in COVID-19 cases due to holiday gatherings, the Ontario government has announced yet another province-wide lockdown, effective December 26, 2020 at 12:01am. Nearly all non-essential businesses in southern Ontario will be required to close their doors until January 23, 2021, and […]
Government Announces New Programs to Help Small Businesses Go Digital
On June 11, 2020, the federal and Ontario governments unveiled a $57-million investment in the Digital Main Street platform that will assist up to 22,900 Ontario businesses to create and improve their online presence. The news release can be found here. The following three programs will be offered to businesses through the Digital Main Street […]
