NVCA hopes to bring back laid-off staff with help of relief funding

The Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) is hoping it can qualify for federal COVID-19 relief funding in order to bring back its full staff complement.

Sheryl Flannagan, director of corporate services at the NVCA, told board members during a virtual board meeting held earlier today that staff have been working from home since mid-March and that the organization has had to lay off all of its part time staff related to the educational team.

“We have also made the tough decision to lay off two additional permanent full-time staff, temporarily. That is effective end of day today,” Flannagan said. “We are monitoring everything closely.”

Flannagan says the NVCA is currently taking advantage of the federal government’s 10-per-cent emergency wage subsidy, but notes that the maximum amount provided does not go very far when it comes to the NVCA budget.

“We are looking into the 75 per cent wage subsidy. We are not convinced that we qualify for it, however, we are looking into it as broadly as we can. If we get that, that would be great and allow us to bring our staff back earlier,” Flannagan said.

The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) is a federal relief program for employers whose business has been affected by COVID-19. If eligible, employers can receive 75 per cent of employee wages for up to 12 weeks.

The purpose of CEWS is to support and enable employers to re-hire workers who may have been previously laid off as a result of COVID-19.

Doug Hevenor, NVCA CAO says that one of Ontario’s 36 conservation districts has taken the initial step to discuss the possibility of how conservation districts could make use of the CEWS with the Canada Revenue Agency.

“Through that conversation, they suggested that we may be eligible,” said Hevenor during the NVCA virtual board meeting.

“Conservation Ontario’s general manager and CEOs will be meeting next week to discuss this and we are seeking a legal opinion on how we might be able to proceed. So, there is action through all 36 conservation authorities trying to discern whether or not we are indeed able to get this funding. It is not dead in the water yet.”

Flannagan also noted that a full financial report of the NVCA first quarter will be presented to the board at the upcoming May board meeting.