Other organizations: Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates—May 15, 2020
Document navigation for "Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates: May 15, 2020"
On this page
Canada Post Corporation: Response to COVID-19
Key messages
- Canada Post is closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic, and taking steps to help keep its employees and the communities it serves safe, while following the guidance of the Public Health Agency of Canada
- Public Services and Procurement Canada is working closely with Canada Post, and Canada Post is working closely with its unions, in order to ensure employees and the public are protected
- As the situation with the coronavirus evolves, the health and safety of employees and the Canadians they serve takes the highest priority while Canada Post takes steps to continue delivering the service Canadians rely on
If pressed on health and safety:
- Canada Post is taking action to protect employees and customers, including
- enhanced cleaning in all of its facilities and extra personal protective equipment for employees
- reduced hours of service to clean, restock and provide some relief to employees
- priority service to those at a higher risk, such as seniors, during the first hour of each day
- installing signage and floor decals to encourage social distancing, limiting the number of customers in smaller offices, and installing clear barriers at the counter to increase safety
- suspending its normal 15-day hold period and asking that customers who are ill or self-isolating delay their visit and pick up their parcel only when it's safe to do so
Amazon, Purolator and Canada Post
Key messages
- We have entered into an agreement with Amazon, providing us with an access to its technology interface where supplies will be catalogued to allow provincial and territorial health authorities to order personal protection equipment (PPE) purchased by the federal government
- Canada Post and Purolator are delivering the personal protective equipment and supplies ordered
- This agreement enhances the logistics and distribution capabilities of the federal government to help ensure that supplies make it into the hands of healthcare workers across the country as quickly as possible
Health and safety
- Our government believes that every Canadian has the right to a safe and healthy workplace
- we fully expect Amazon to follow the guidelines put forward by Canada's public health organizations and protect their workers during this crisis
- Canada Post is also following federal-provincial and municipal public health recommendations
- for example, employees across the country who are over 70 are being asked to stay home and facilities are undergoing rigorous cleaning processes
Pandemic's impact on Canada Post business
- The pandemic is causing unprecedented impacts on Canada Post's business
- With many Canadians isolating at home and shopping more online, Canada Post is now processing and delivering parcels at levels only experienced during the busiest weeks of the Christmas season
- Heavy parcel volumes, combined with important safety measures (physical distancing) implemented in processing facilities have led to some delays, but Canada Post continues to operate across the country while delivering in record numbers
- To date, the financial uplift from the growth in parcels has not made up for the reduction in the direct marketing and letter mail lines of business which have declined significantly
- Canada Post and the government is continuing to monitor this closely
National Capital Commission: Response to COVID-19
Since the onset of COVID-19, the National Capital Commission (NCC) has worked to provide public access to its assets while respecting public health directives. To date, this has meant avoiding non-essential travel and exercising close to home.
As the governments of Ontario and Quebec have recently outlined plans to gradually reopen, the NCC has also developed a Framework for Public Use of Assets to ease toward greater public access.
In doing so, the NCC will stay responsive to public health directives and measures by provincial authorities, as they happen, and will continue consultations with local municipalities.
Planning framework
The NCC has developed the following planning framework to guide its actions moving forward. It provides clear guidance about how the NCC will align increased access to its assets with the broader provincial re-openings, as they occur.
The NCC will remain responsive to external factors such as public health directives and measures by provincial authorities, and will continue consultations with local municipalities.
Overview of the 3-phase approach:
- phase 1: local use only with the introduction of partial closure to motor vehicles on NCC parkways to facilitate greater physical distancing
- phase 2: broader public access to assets for both local and other users
- phase 3: regular use of assets
In all cases, physical distancing will need to be practised by all users. On-site signage will continue to remind the public of this directive.
Dogs are permitted on most NCC trails and in most NCC parks, but they must be kept on leash at all times. This applies to areas normally identified as off-leash dog areas and parks.
Gatineau Park
- As part of phase 1 of the framework to increase local public access to NCC assets, Gatineau Park is now accessible to users living in the Outaouais region who can access it on foot or by bike. Recreational amenities such as day shelters and picnic areas, as well as parking lots, remain closed
- Parking on roadways within Gatineau Park and on neighbouring roadways is prohibited
- local authorities will be enforcing this restriction
- The opening of the Gatineau Park campground is postponed
- all reservations for stays between May 8 and June 11, 2020, have been cancelled
Greenbelt
- Local access to the Greenbelt for users who can access it on foot or by bike is permitted, for limited activities only
- Recreational amenities such as outhouses, benches and picnic areas, as well as parking lots, remain closed
- Parking on roadways within the Greenbelt is prohibited
- local authorities will be enforcing this restriction
- Bruce Pit off-leash dog park remains closed
National Capital Commission urban parks and lands
- Local access to all NCC parks and lands for users who can access them on foot or by bike is permitted, for limited activities only
- Recreational amenities such as outhouses, benches, picnic areas and play structures, as well as parking lots, remain closed
Parkways
- As part of phase 1 of the framework to increase local public access to NCC assets, the Queen Elizabeth Driveway is closed to motor vehicle traffic between Laurier Avenue and Fifth Avenue, daily, from 8 am to 8 pm, until Sunday, May 24, 2020
- This offers residents who live in denser urban areas the ability to get outdoors and enjoy their neighbourhoods while practicing safe physical distancing
- Only local residents living in adjacent neighbourhoods should access the driveway
Challenges enforcing new rules
The NCC is working closely with local authorities to enforce closures and ensure social distancing rules are respected.
Festivals and events
The Canadian Tulip Festival is moving online, including performances and programming. The tulips will still bloom in NCC parks, however, the NCC is asking people to respect the calls for physical distancing and thus, the NCC will not be providing the services it usually provides in its parks during the tulip bloom, such as portable toilets, food concessions, extra waste pick-up, road closures during the weekends, first aid and site management.
The Jazz festival and the festival Franco-Ontarien have been cancelled. The Ottawa Race Weekend has also been cancelled. The NCC continues to monitor the situation.
Bridge crossings
Any police checkpoints are a provincial decision and not something the NCC plays a role in
Harrington Lake renovations
- The NCC is an independent Crown Corporation and is responsible for year-round maintenance and operations for the 6 official residences in Canada's Capital Region
- The NCC recognizes the significance of these official residences and are committed to working with their partners to ensure that issues related to security, heritage preservation, sustainability, and accessibility are addressed
- The NCC's work at Harrington Lake is part of a broader program to preserve, maintain and restore all official residences under NCC management
- PSPC will continue to support the NCC in their important work
Canada Lands Company: Response to COVID-19
In this section
Closures
- CN Tower, Toronto, Ontario
- Montréal Science Centre
- Old Port of Montréal programming
- Downsview Park programming, Toronto, Ontario
Rent relief
Canada Lands Company (CLC) is offering rent relief to most of its commercial and all of its residential tenants. The relief is retroactive to March 1, 2020 and is provided to the earlier of government declarations that businesses may resume on June 30, 2020. The CLC continues to monitor the situation and will consider extending its rent relief beyond June 30, 2020 if appropriate.
Protecting the health of workers
Buildings normally open to the public and administrative offices are closed. Only operations deemed essential are carried out on site by skeleton crews who are afforded special considerations to protect their health and safety. All CLC employees will continue to be paid until September 2020, at which time a review of business operations and needs will be conducted. Most employees are working from home and some, while on full pay, are "relieved of duties" at this time.
The CLC amended a number of its human resources policies in response to COVID-19, removing waiting period before employees can access paid sick leave and removing the doctor's note requirement. Leave for family obligations that would normally not have been paid are now considered paid leaves. Planned vacation can be cancelled and the carry over maximums are being reviewed at this time.
Once provincial governments and health authorities provide their support and reopening guidelines, operations will only resume once CLC feels it has appropriate measures and procedures in place to ensure the health and well-being of staff and guests.
Financial impact
The CLC has been, and will continue to be significantly financially impacted by the closures of its attractions sites, cost of rent relief provided to tenants, cost of carrying full payroll obligations with significantly reduced revenues, the cooling of the real estate markets across the country, and additional, incremental health and safety measures incurred in responding to COVID-19. CLC assesses significant cost implications to restart the businesses at the Old Port of Montréal and CN Tower that will most likely extend into the 2021 to 2022 fiscal year.
Facts and figures about Canada Lands Company
- 943 employees across its Real Estate, Attractions and Corporate divisions
- Operates regional and head offices in 7 cities across the country
- Owns approximately 1,300 acres of real estate
- Has 5 active real estate projects in 5 provinces
- Almost 4 million visitors visited Canada Lands' attractions in Toronto and Montréal in 2019 to 2020
Document navigation for "Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates: May 15, 2020"
- Date modified: