January 19, 2021
The City of Spruce Grove
ECONOMIC & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Keeping you informed!
Our Economic & Business Development Department's newsletter keeps you informed about new development, new business, and other interesting happenings in our City. We make every effort to update our COVID-19 Resource Page and ensure that the information is current and relevant.

Stay in the 'know' - Sign-up below!
ALBERTA'S RELAUNCH STRATEGY: STAGE 2
BEND THE CURVE

As a result of high case numbers, Alberta declared stronger public health measures in efforts to protect the health system from being overwhelmed and to slow the spread of COVID-19. It is expected these measures will be in effect until at least January 21, 2021.

Effective January 18, outdoor gatherings with up to 10 people are permitted, personal and wellness services are allowed to open by appointment only, and funeral ceremonies can allow up to 20 people for attendance.

For more detailed information on the application of Alberta COVID-19 protocols for businesses, this can be found at alberta.ca/bizconnect. More information can be found at www.alberta.ca/enhanced-public-health-measures.aspx.
Our business community has been significantly impacted by the most recent measures implemented by the Province of Alberta. The City of Spruce Grove has compiled relevant information as well as COVID-19 FAQs for businesses.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS

New developments in Spruce Grove will be featured in each newsletter.
⚙ INNOVATOR INDUSTRIAL SERVICES 🛠
Welcome, Innovators Industrial Services to Spruce Grove! Primarily serving the oil, gas & energy sector, Innovator is an industrial maintenance company that inspects, repairs, and modifies pressurized systems. They are also active in the utilities, mining, and pulp & paper industries. 
 
Requiring a larger facility to accommodate the growth of their business, the Innovator team recently moved into a modern 9,600 SF facility on a 2.6 AC lot, located at 375 Saskatchewan Avenue. This new Spruce Grove facility acts as their Head Office and, when at full capacity, employs 30 people. Innovator now has 4 locations across Canada, including Spruce Grove and Fort McMurray in Alberta and Hamilton and Sarnia in Ontario.

"I'm proud to say that as of the end of 2020, Innovator has upgraded it's headquarters to a larger, more user-friendly facility in Spruce Grove. This move benefits the business by providing more room for our operations teams while serving as an improved environment for the Innovator family to work from." - Don Cooper CEO, Innovator
 
Serving Canada for over a decade, and with a core focus on safety and innovation, Innovator is always searching for new technologies to improve industrial processes and better serve clients.
COVID-19 SUPPORT PROGRAMS
NEW: Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) - Provides commercial rent and mortgage support to qualifying organizations affected by the pandemic. The lockdown support allows organizations affected by the mandatory public health order to receive an additional 25% of support. Qualifying renters and property owners will receive payment without requiring the participation of landlords. Applications for claim period 4 (December 20, 202 to January 16, 2021) are now open. The last day you can apply for this claim period is Thursday, July 15, 2021.

NEW: Innovation Employment Grant - To promote investment and diversification, Alberta launched this grant as part of Alberta's Recovery Plan. Companies can receive up to a 20% tax credit towards qualifying research and development expenditures. The grant will be phased out for firms with $10M-$50M in taxable capital and will provide benefits up to $4M in annual R&D spending.

➡ Changes to the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) - The application process is closed. Eligible individuals will transition to one of the following:

  • Employment Insurance (EI) - Individuals have transitioned from CERB to EI to provide support to those who remain unable to work while introducing a new suite of temporary and taxable recovery benefits.

  • Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) - Individuals not eligible for EI, can apply for income support through the CRB program. Individuals can receive $1,000 for a 2-week period and may apply up to 13 periods between September 27, 2020 - September 25, 2021. Applications for claim period 7 are open.

EXPANDED: Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) - In addition to the $40,000 interest-free loan, businesses and non-profits impacted by COVID-19 will now be able to access an additional interest-free loan of up to $20,000. Applicants have until March 31, 2021 to apply for the $60,000 loan or the $20,000 expansion.

EXPANDED: Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) - An employer who has seen a drop in revenue due to COVID-19 may be eligible for a subsidy to cover part of employee wages, retroactive to March 15. Applications for claim period 11 are now open. Changes to CEWS as of January 6, 2021 involve claim periods 11-13 (December 20, 2020 to March 13, 2021) having a maximum top-up subsidy rate of 35% and a maximum subsidy amount of $595 for employees on leave with pay. The base revenue rate of 40% will remain in place.

EXTENDED: Work Sharing Program - This program has been extended from 38 weeks to 76 weeks for employers. The mandatory cooling off period has been waived, and eligible employers may immediately enter into a new agreement. Eligibility has been expanded to include businesses who have been in business for 1 year and staff who are essential to recovery.

EXPANDED: Regional Relief and Recovery Fund (RRRF) - The RRRF has expanded to provide additional interest-free repayable funding of up to $1,000,000 for more Western small and medium-sized businesses.

This grant allows up to a maximum of $20,000 for businesses, cooperatives, and non-profit organizations that experienced a revenue reduction of at least 30% due to COVID-19. Applications will remain open until March 31, 2021. As of February 4, 2021, businesses that started operations between March 1 and October 31, 2020 can apply. New businesses impacted by public health orders may receive a payment that is 15% of their monthly revenue, for a maximum of $15,000 in funding.
SUPPORT LOCAL
The City of Spruce Grove's Support Local campaign continues to encourage individuals to help businesses during this time of recovery, where all COVID-19 safety protocols and public health orders will be followed.
Welcome to our new Spruce Grove businesses!
Elements Health now has 2 locations in Spruce Grove. The clinics remain open at this time for chiropractic, physiotherapy, psychology, and massage therapy. 🌿  
Grove Camera & Pawn is Spruce Grove's first and only pawn shop. Stop by King Street to expand your collection of coins, cameras, pictures, games, and more! 🎲
Thank you to our existing businesses!
Laberge Engraving & Gifts preserves memories with personalized engravings. Support them on King Street to design a perfect keepsake for any event. 🎁
Sokanne's continues to offer an eye-catching selection of jewelry and giftware. Visit them on King Street for your sparkling needs! 💎
OTHER NEWS
The Greater Parkland Regional Chamber of Commerce is calling for nominations for their Board of Directors. Nominations close February 3rd, 2021 at 12:00 PM.
Businesses are encouraged to complete this survey on how they are dealing with COVID-19. You do not need to be a member in order to complete the survey.
This program helps businesses reach their global potential by providing access to industry experts to develop and execute a personalized market-entry export plan. Companies from Spruce Grove are encouraged to apply today as registration closes on January 22, 2021.
This program provides up to $55 million for Alberta businesses to improve efficiency, reduce emissions, decrease operating costs, grow their operations and become more competitive, while creating skilled jobs and boosting economic recovery. Applications are now open.
Spruce Grove Building Permit Summaries Year to Date - The City of Spruce Grove has released its latest permit activity reports for December 2020.

Annexation Approved - The Alberta Government recently approved Spruce Grove's annexation application for additional lands from Parkland County to accommodate future growth of the City. See the map below. This was effective January 1, 2021.
To learn more about economic and business development in Spruce Grove, visit our website at InvestSpruceGrove.ca. If you have any questions, please email a team member at [email protected].

Thank you for your engagement.
Together, we play an important role in keeping our community healthy and safe.

From our team to yours,
Dave, Karla, Jamie-Lynn, & Anika
SHARE OUR NEWSLETTER THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA: