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MLA report December 24

22 Dec 2020

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone! We are learning to celebrate in new and innovative ways as we work together for the best Christmas Miracle ever, the end of this horrific virus. With COVID taking the lives of our loved ones, separating us from friends and family, and keeping Grandparents from visiting their grandchildren, there is a collective lump in our throats.

For all who are sacrificing so much to try to bend the curve, thank you. I have not seen many of my family members, since the summer. For those of you who know me, I am a huge hugger, and love to be with people. The small sacrifice I am making is nothing compared to that of our Doctors, nurses, caregivers, first responders and others who are trying to keep us safe. Many of these folks are and have been isolating on and off from their families for 10 months because they are constantly exposed to this horrible virus. I often think about the sacrifices of families separated from loved ones who may be spending their last holiday. This is an unimaginable pain and my heart goes out to them.

This virus moves fast, and only our personal actions and following health protocols can prevent the spread. I am asking everyone to wear a mask, wash your hands, and follow all public health restrictions so we can come out of this faster, better and stronger. I will continue to wear my mask, wash my hands, keep my distance, and I will definitely get the vaccination when it becomes available to the public at large. I will do my part to help my community, province, country and world regain its strength and resilience.

For those of you who believe this is a hoax, I have had two family members pass away in India from COVID with no complications, or comorbidities. We need to get this under control so our businesses can flourish, our lives can return to normal, and so we can come out as the strong province that we all know and love. It takes work, and it takes common sense to do the right thing, so please do the right thing. This is hard on all of us, and we have the solution if we all work together. The success of beating this virus is the responsibility of every Albertan. I realize there are many regions that show very few cases. It is hard when you are not seeing the direct impacts of the virus, but we have a responsibility to look out for each other. That is what Albertans do. We do the right thing. 

Christmas is about giving to the needy and vulnerable with no intention of receiving anything in return. Right now, the most selfless thing any of us can do is to love from a distance, and save our embraces for when our population is healthy, safe and ready to bounce back, and we will bounce back. Speaking of bouncing back, I cannot believe the gems I have found for gifts from our local businesses who are doing an amazing job of curbside pick-up and drop offs to their customers. For businesses that are struggling or have been closed due to the pandemic, the Chestermere Chamber did a fantastic job of putting together all of the available help during this difficult time. The following information is from their website regarding both our provincial site and the federal programs.  Thank you to the Chestermere chamber for giving our businesses this very helpful information to help them survive the second wave. 

Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant (SMERG): This grant provides up to $20,000 to Alberta businesses, cooperatives, and non-profit organizations that were ordered to close or reduce operations, and that experienced a revenue reduction of at least 30% due to public health orders.
 
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS): Depending on your revenue, you may be eligible for a subsidy of up to 75% of employee wages retroactive from March 15, 2020, to June 2021.
 
Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS): Businesses, non-profit organizations, or charities with lost revenue due to the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for a direct subsidy to up to 65% of their commercial rent or property expenses from September 27, 2020, until June 2021. Applicants eligible for the base subsidy may also be eligible for an additional 25% in lockdown support for up to 90% of expenses if your business is forced to close as a result of Alberta’s new public health orders.
 
Canada Emergency Bank Account (CEBA): Through financial institutions, this program provides interest-free loans of up to $60,000, $20,000 of which is forgivable, to small businesses and not-for-profits to help cover their operating costs.
 
And let's not forget the individual benefits and support programs that may be available for your affected employees: Employment Insurance, Canada Recovery Benefit, Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit, and Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit:
 
The Chestermere Chamber of Commerce will be updating information on its website as it becomes available.
 
Finally, your government keeping its commitment to increase funding to our Civil Society partners to harness the power of civil society in addressing social challenges facing Albertans. We are providing $20 million over three years to expand civil society capacity, with $7 million budgeted for 2020/21 to support civil society’s recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We are committed to supporting an effective, lasting recovery of the sector. An effective recovery for civil society will contribute to Alberta’s overall recovery. Civil society organizations, such as charities, not-for-profits and volunteer organizations, can effectively address social challenges because they know best what their communities need and include not-for-profits, charities, as well as First Nations and Metis Settlements.  The fund guidelines and application form, can be found at https://www.alberta.ca/civil-society-fund.aspx.
 



As always, we love to hear from you.
Leela Sharon Aheer, MLA Chestermere-Strathmore
Minister of Culture, Multiculturalism and Status of Women. 

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