Economic Development in Woolwich

 COVID-19 Updates for Businesses

As the Province begins to reopen, new information is continually being provided to assist the public and business owners.  Below is some information that may be of assistance to you.

Read Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan for a list of Federal support programs and Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19 for a list of Provincial support programs.

For the latest Provincial updates, visit Ontario's Newsroom. 

Please sign up for the Woolwich Business Newsletter to receive updates from the Economic Development and Tourism Department. 

Temporary Patio Permits 

Effective June 12, 2020 under the Province's Stage 2 reopening plan, Restaurants and Patios in the Township of Woolwich are permitted to re-open for dining in outdoor areas only, such as patios, curbside, parking lots and adjacent premises.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) will not require licensees to apply or pay a fee for temporary extensions, licensed establishments, subject to having municipal approval and meeting all other applicable requirements.

Temporary patio approvals can be sought through the completion of the 2020 Temporary Patio Application. 

Temporary patios are also subject to the Region of Waterloo's protocol for re-opening restaurants and food services.

Business and Economic Support Team of Waterloo Region (BESTWR) 

The Region of Waterloo, all seven area municipalities, Waterloo EDC (Waterloo Region Economic Development Corporation) and local partners have created the Business and Economic Support Team of Waterloo Region (BESTWR) to help all types of local businesses cope with challenges caused by COVID-19.

This group will encourage businesses to continue to reach out to their existing economic development contacts with any inquiries or needs, and common requirements will filter up through the Business and Economic Support Team. The group will also work closely with the Regional Pandemic Control Group to ensure a coordinated community response to the COVID -19 pandemic.

Woolwich Support - Financial Flexibility for Residents and Businesses

In an effort to help with potential financial pressures facing Woolwich residents and businesses, the Woolwich Council approved immediate financial flexibility for residents and businesses including:

• Waiving penalties and interest on property taxes for the months of April, May and June 2020, 
• Waiving late payment charges on utility bills and miscellaneous receivable invoices for the months of April, May and June 2020, 
• Waiving NSF (non-sufficient funds) fees charged by the Township on customer accounts for the months of April, May and June 2020, and 
• Suspend transferring Water & Wastewater accounts in arrears to Property Tax accounts until August 31, 2020.

In addition, Council approved additional relief and support for residents and businesses by developing an application-based property tax deferral program.  The new program, which launched in June, allowed residents and businesses to apply to extend 2020 Final Property Tax Bill due dates by 60 days.  Please note the deadline for applications was Friday July 31,2020. 

*Please note that current due dates will remain as is and no changes are being made to these dates unless approved through the deferral application. The approved actions are meant to give customers additional time to make payments on both their property tax and utility accounts if needed. Through these actions property owners and utility customers can still continue to pay in full or if need be, partial payments, without being penalized.

Customers can continue to make payments through a Pre-Authorized Payment Plan, online banking, by mail or by the payment box located at the Maple Street side of the Township Administration Building located at 24 Church Street West in Elmira.

For additional information, please contact:

Teresa Armstrong
Phone: 519-669-6016
Email Teresa Armstrong

View the full media press release for more information - Woolwich Township Council Approves Financial Flexibility

View the full media press release for more information - Township Extends Financial and Economic Supports in Response to COVID-19 Challenges

#TastetheCountryside dining event Sept.25 - Oct.4

Taste the Countryside 

Explore food in the Region’s Countryside.
September 25 – October 4, 2020

#TastetheCountryside is a 10-day $35 or $15 Prix Fixe menu at all participating food establishments. Take out or dine in.

Locals will be encouraged to dine their way through the Countryside for a chance to win a number of prizes. Guests can enter a ballot each time they enjoy a #TastetheCountryside meal. The more they dine, the more chances they have to win!

Why your business should participate in #TastetheCountryside:

We know there’s a lot going on in the industry right now, but we want to keep the buzz going even after the season starts to slow. This 10-day Eat Local marketing campaign will encourage locals to dine-in or take-out from the food establishments in their own back yard.
Choose to participate with either a $15 OR $35 Prix Fixe menu. We will use a mix of social media and print marketing to let people know what your menu has to offer! Create your #TastetheCountryside menu and send to Jenna Morris to be included in the marketing campaign.

So, how do I sign up?

1. Send Jenna an email indicating your interest by Thursday, September 10th at 5pm.
2. Create your #TastetheCountryside menu and send a photo of it to Jenna
3. Jenna will contact you to ensure your menu is included in the marketing (set to start September 14th)

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: What is the cost to participate?

Answer: It’s free! We can’t wait to get people supporting local for #TastetheCountryside! We would like to encourage as much participation as possible by offering a prize(s) to customers. If you would like to enter something for the prize, please let Jenna know.

Question: Now is not the time to ask small businesses to give discounts. Is #TastetheCountryside asking for discounts?

Answer: Absolutely not! This is why we have created two price points ($15 and $35), so you can offer a tasting experience that suits your menu and target market without giving a discount.

Other Resources

• Greater K-W Chamber of Commerce COVID-19 Resources
• Waterloo Small Business Centre
• Communitech COVID-19 Info
• Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA) COVID-19 Resources
• MaRS Discovery District helpful resources.
• CBC Arts Information for Canadian artists and freelancers to find help during COVID-19 shutdowns
• Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) COVID-19 Small Business Help Cent

 Economic Development Waterloo Region

The Region of Waterloo is strategically positioned as an export-driven economy because of the close proximity and access to large scale road, rail, and air transportation systems, including ready access to Canada's most important road transportation corridor (Highway 401) and three major Canadian-United States border crossings: Niagara; Windsor/Detroit; and Sarnia/Port Huron. Built on the success of entrepreneurship and innovation dating to our first settlement of Mennonite farmers, Waterloo Region is known for its hard work ethic and highly sought after talent pool. View the Region of Waterloo Township of Woolwich Incentives.

Below you will find key resources to assist you in learning more about Economic Development in Woolwich and Waterloo Region.