NEW - Important information and useful resources for managing COVID-19

The CPA has put together important information and useful resources to support your efforts during this COVID-19 period:

• Information on essential services for Québec and Ontario
• Financial Support
• Federal - Transport Canada: Essential Freight Transport Exemption

We hope this material will help support your business operations.

QUÉBEC AND ONTARIO: ESSENTIAL SERVICES

On March 24, the provinces of Québec and Ontario released their initial list of essential operations. These lists can seem broad, and will understandably cause many businesses to seek clarification. Please visit our website for the complete lists (click on the provincial tab for province-specific information).

In Québec and Ontario, propane is an essential service – from production to delivery.

We will continue to work with other provinces as they adopt similar emergency shutdowns.

How will this all be enforced?

Québec and Ontario governments have indicated that there will be fines for businesses who defy orders to close and the sanctions could be severe.

There is also the potential that, soon enough, Canadians will need to present a permit to leave their homes. We have seen this in Europe and California.

If this becomes the case, the CPA will work to make this as simple as possible for the industry.

A few facts to know:

1. Can you or your employees work from home?

It appears that teleworking is an approved exception and the question of “essential” does not apply to you.

2. Do you or your employees have to leave your home to go to work?

If yes: is your work essential to the basics of human life and the supply chain that supports it?

It is this principle that has driven the development of the definition of essential.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT
You think you may require financial support: View a list of all the resources available, updated as of March 23, 2020.

FEDERAL - TRANSPORT CANADA 
Extra-provincial Transport – Essential Freight Transport Exemption

Transport Canada, the Provinces and Territories, through the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), have approved an hours of service exemption for federally regulated carriers related to the fight against COVID-19.

The purpose of this exemption is to support efforts by extra-provincial truck undertakings and their drivers to transport essential supplies and equipment, in direct assistance to emergency relief efforts during the response to COVID-19. 

The definition of “direct assistance to the emergency relief efforts” includes fuel. Click here to see the details.

SOCIAL MEDIA
You can also support our social media campaign and amplify these important messages by liking, sharing and tweeting them on your own social media accounts as well as posting your own message, using the #EssentialService and #HereForYou hashtags.