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COVID Economic Response

HomeHow We HelpCOVID Economic Response
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Working as part of the Windsor Essex COVID-19 Economic Task Force, Invest WindsorEssex is here to help you and your business navigate this pandemic.

Follow our news and notices as well as our Invest WindsorEssex Twitter account and Facebook account for continuing information.

Control level and public health measures

View the latest public health control level update for our area, detailing information on gatherings, openings, closures, face coverings, ceremonies, workplaces, restaurants, meeting spaces and more.

Learn about the Province of Ontario's COVID-19 Response Framework, detailing the various levels of restrictive measures for each re-opening category.

Financial support programs

The Small Business and Entrepreneurship Centre offers a comprehensive outline and listing of support programs for businesses in our region, including information on wages, workers, employers, income tax, GST and HST, credits, commercial rent, mortgages, industrial and commercial electricity, and local municipal programs.

Find more information on municipal support programs, you can visit:

  • City of Windsor - businesses
  • City of Windsor - individuals and families
  • County of Essex

Federal support

You can find business support programs and individual support programs with the Government of Canada for financial help during the pandemic. View Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan for a full list of support programs available for your unique situation.

Workplace safety

View the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit's (WECHU) general information for workplaces, including:

  • Risk factors
  • Safe Return to Business: A Public Health Toolkit (guidelines, best practices and resources)
  • Fact sheets
  • Resources and printable posters
  • Safety plan requirements
  • Risk assessments

Farms and temporary workers

The WECHU also offers pandemic response information for farms and temporary workers in the region, including:

  • Procedures for newly arriving temporary foreign workers
  • Infection prevention and control measures
  • Important memos for all growers
  • Isolation requirements
  • Instructions for managing a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19
  • Additional resources

Preventing COVID-19 in the workplace

The Province of Ontario offers resources to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace, such as:

  • Knowing your responsibilities and rights as an employer
  • How to develop a workplace safety plan
  • Reading your sector-specific guidance
  • How to find personal protection equipment (PPE) and sanitization supplies
  • Accessing COVID-19 related signage and posters

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce also provides a Canadian Business Resilience reopening toolkit, which offers guidance to help you:

  • Update your operations plan
  • Update your health and safety plan
  • Communicate those plans and procedures to your staff, customers and suppliers
  • Know how to access any required personal protective equipment
  • Continue to access government financial supports
  • Understand the social services, such as childcare, that are available to you and your staff
  • Be aware of the wide array of additional supports, resources and guides that are available

Sector impacts and resources

Windsor-Essex has many economic sectors with data, sources of information and response resources available.

View the WindsorEssex COVID-19 Economic Task Force's Business Impact Survey Results for information on specific municipalities and industries, with survey data collected from March 22 to April 8, 2020. View more information on the survey's data collection methodologies.

Manufacturing

Find resources, best practices and information to help keep your workers safe and healthy, and your business in operation with the Province of Ontario's manufacturing resources.

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters' COVID-19 resources detail self-isolation exemptions to inter-jurisdictional travel, continuity planning, best practices for manufacturing workplaces, employee re-integration best practices and more.

View Cross-border tips for the manufacturing sector employees during COVID-19.

Economic impact

View the Canadian Association of Mold Makers' (CAMM) and Automate Canada's summary of their recent economic impacts financial study.

Agriculture and agri-food

The Government of Canada offers COVID-19 information for those in the agriculture industry:

  • Producers
  • Processors
  • Agri-food businesses

The Ontario Federation of Agriculture also offers up-to-date free resources and information for businesses.

View the Canadian Federation of Agriculture's COVID-19 resources and FCC's response to the pandemic. Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers offers response information as well.

View Food and Beverage Ontario's Guidance for Employers of Temporary Foreign Workers During COVID-19

Logistics and transportation

Visit the Canadian Truck Alliance for additional resources and information.

Retail, professional services, charities and nonprofit organizations

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce offers COVID-19 tools, preparedness toolkits and resources for retail and professional services.

View supports and resources for charities and nonprofit organizations, including Imagine Canada and Ontario Nonprofit Network.

Hospitality and tourism

View COVID-19 support resources from the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario and the Ontario Hotel and Motel Association.

Supporting local businesses

Learn how you can find and support local businesses during the pandemic by shopping and dining at locations in our region.

About the WindsorEssex COVID-19 Economic Task Force

The WindsorEssex COVID-19 Economic Task Force was established March 18, 2020 and is made up of 40 members who represent a broad cross-section of industries in Windsor-Essex. The task force is subdivided into six separate committees, each with upwards of 15 members.

The mission of the task force is to collect, coordinate and disseminate information on strategies, programs and other remedies that are available to mitigate the effects that the COVID-19 pandemic is having on the economic well-being of workers, entrepreneurs, businesses and the Windsor-Essex regional economy. We continue to strategize and formalize re-ignition plans for the area's industries in the context of the overall Windsor-Essex, provincial and national economies.

Objectives

The WindsorEssex COVID-19 Economic Task Force will:

  • Aim to support the economic interests of the Windsor-Essex region through a coordinated and responsive manner.
  • Work together by seeking local input, providing information via webinars and websites, making submissions to governments highlighting the impact of local members of the community and recommending supportive measures.
  • Assist in the development of scenario-based recovery models and their subsequent recovery efforts.

Contact

For more information on the task force, contact us.

Composition

The task force has 6 committees and are lead by:

  • Task force chair - Invest WindsorEssex
  • Business Impact Survey - Workforce WindsorEssex
  • Manufacturing - Canadian Association of Mold Makers
  • Agriculture and Agri-food - Ontario Greenhouse Vegetable Growers
  • Logistics, Transportation and Cross Border Issues - Institute for Border Logistics and Security
  • Hospitality and Tourism - Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island
  • Professional Services and Retail - Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce

Task force members and organization

  • Nicole Anderson, SBC
  • Lynnette Bain, TWEPI
  • Daniel Biafore, Biafore Consulting
  • Mike Bilton, CAMM/Windsor Mold
  • Anne Cascadden, Detroit Consulate
  • Onorio Colucci, City of Windsor
  • Joseph Comartin, Detroit Consulate
  • Holly Connelly, WE EDC
  • Nancy Creighton, MEDJCT
  • Sabrina DeMarco, SBC
  • Joeanna DeMarco-Bolce, MEDJCT
  • Diane Deslippe, CAMM
  • Justin Falconer, WFWE
  • Marion Fantetti, WE EDC
  • Shelley Fellows, Automate Canada/AIS
  • Vlad Franjo, NRC-IRAP
  • Richard Janik, JC Tool and Die/CTMA
  • Matthew Johnson, WE EDC
  • Jessica Lienhardt, Detroit Consulate
  • Jim Lyons, Windsor Construction Association
  • Stephen MacKenzie (Chair), WE EDC
  • Robert Maisonville, County of Essex
  • James Maitland, Dainty Foods
  • Diane Malenfant, Business Resource Centre
  • Lee McGrath, WE EDC
  • Rakesh Naidu, Chamber
  • David Offenbacher, EDC
  • Celso Oliveira, BDC
  • Gordon Orr, TWEPO
  • Wendy Parsons, Leamington Chamber
  • Dharmesh Patel, OHRMA
  • Bryce Phillips, WDBA
  • Yvonne Pilon, WEtech Alliance
  • Jeff Robillard, Tango
  • Sebastien Roy, Detroit Consulate
  • Steve Salmons, Port Windsor
  • Wendy Stark, WE EDC
  • Michelle Suchiu, WFWE
  • Justine Taylor, OGVG
  • Milan Vujanovic, City of Windsor
  • Robert Whent, NRC
  • Virginia Wilkinson, Detroit Economic Growth Corporation

Research Committee

  • Justin Falconer (Chair), WFWE
  • Natasha Marar, SBC

Manufacturing Committee

  • Gail Robertson, GailNow
  • Mike Bilton, Windsor Mold Group
  • Wendy Stark, WE EDC
  • Diane Delippe (Chair), CAMM
  • Tim Galbraith, Cavalier Tool and Mold
  • Lee McGrath, WE EDC
  • Shelly Fellows, Automate Canada

Agriculture and Agri-food Committee

  • Justine Taylor (Chair), OGVG
  • Wendy Parsons, Leamington COC
  • Marion Fantetti, WE EDC
  • Jason Crawford, Food and Beverage Ontario
  • Nicole Anderson, SBC
  • Matthew Johnson, WE EDC
  • James Maitland, Dainty Foods

Logistics, Transportation and Cross Border Issues Committee

  • Carolyn Brown, Windsor Detroit Tunnel Corp.
  • Ed Dawson, IBLS
  • Mark Galvin, Windsor International Airport
  • Aaron Hanka, Canadian Group
  • Gina Meret-Dybenko, WE EDC
  • Denise Myers, Myers Towing
  • Mike Parent, Carrier Centres
  • Adam Pernasilici, Laser Transport Inc
  • Bryce Phillips, WDBA
  • Jason Primeau, Ives Insurance
  • Na Qu, WE EDC
  • Elton Robinson, 401 Source
  • Steve Salmons, Port Windsor
  • Ginny Wilkinson, Detroit Economic Growth Corp.
  • Matthew Zarzycki, SK Cornerstone

Hospitality and Tourism Committee

  • Lynnette Bain, TWEPI
  • Sabrina DeMarco, SBC
  • Diane Malenfant, Business Resource Centre
  • Gordon Orr (Chair), TWEPI
  • Dharmesh Patel, OHMRA
  • Mark Baker, Encore Productions
  • Bronson Goodfellow, BREW Microbrewery
  • Luis Rivero, Holiday Inn Express Windsor Waterfront
  • Jordan Goure, BREW Microbrewery
  • Scott Jenkins, Caesars Windsor
  • Laura Artale, Viewpoint Estate Winery
  • Corrine Ross, Parks Canada
  • Danielle Stuebing, Essex Region Conservation
  • Lori Hunter, FRANK Brewing Co.
  • Chris Savard, Devonshire Mall
  • Nancy Campana, Nouveau Event Planning
  • Cathy Miller, The Wandering Dog Inn
  • Dave DeLellis, Township of Pelee
  • Tom O'Brien, Cooper's Hawk Vineyards
  • Christian Komsa, DWKND Entertainment Group
  • Michael Mahklouf, Freddy's
  • Benjamin Leblanc-Beaudoin, Iron Kettle Bed & Breakfast
  • Moe Razak, Farhi Holdings Corporation
  • Pina Ciotoli, WindsorEats
  • Melissa Muscedere, EPIC Wineries
  • Natalie Lepine, Caesars Windsor

Professional Services and Retail Committee

  • Lee McGrath, WE EDC
  • Keith Chinnery (Chair), WERCC
  • Rakesh Naidu (Chair), WERCC
  • Wendy Parsons, Leamington Chamber of Commerce
  • Brian Yeomans, Best Western/DWBIA
  • Chris Savard, Devonshire Mall
  • Jim Lyons, WECA
  • Maureen Lucas, EPICentre
  • Josh Cheifetz, Strosberg Sasso Sutts LLP
  • Adam Castle, WETech Alliance
  • Allison Hawkins, Hawkins and Co Accounting
  • John Newland, WERCC
  • Adriano Ciotoli, Windsor Eats

Call for COVID-19 suppliers

Learn how you can supply goods and services in support of Canada's response to COVID-19 or sell medical supplies, find personal protective equipment (PPE), solve problems or volunteer to help protect against the virus with the Province of Ontario.

The Ontario Centres of Excellence also provides a COVID-19 Collaboration Platform where you can provide your innovative products, services or expertise to support the needs and reduce barriers for access.

The CSA Group offers COVID-19 Response Standards and Handbooks.

Learn more about 3D printing and other manufacturing of PPE with the Province of Ontario.

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Main Office:

119 Chatham St. W, Unit 100
Windsor, ON N9A 5M7

Phone: 519.255.9200
Toll Free: 1.888.255.9332
Fax: 519.255.9987
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