COVID-19 Business Support

View current COVID-19 public health updates, follow our news and notices, as well as our Whitby Economic Development Twitter account for continuing information.

Provincial health and safety measures

Effective Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 12:01 a.m., the government of Ontario is issuing a province-wide Stay-at-Home order requiring everyone to remain at home except for essential purposes.

The Province is encouraging any business with questions about the impacts of the province-wide Stay-at-Home order to call 1.855.216.3090 or visit ontario.ca/covidsupport for more information.

Business restrictions in the provincial Stay-at-Home include, but are not limited to:

Supermarkets, big box and discount retailers—restricting in-person retail sales to essential items only—subject to capacity limits of 50 per cent for in-store shopping.
Majority of non-essential retailers—will be limited to curbside pick-up and delivery, via appointment only.
Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments will be permitted to operate by take out, drive through, delivery only.

The Town encourages residents to continue to shop local to support Whitby businesses during this time – order take-out, do curbside pick-up, purchase gift cards - visit the What's Open Whitby portal.

Small Business Support Grant

Small businesses required to close or restrict services under the province-wide shutdown can apply for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant. The grant provides a minimum of $10,000 and up to $20,000 to eligible small business owners. Confirmed eligible recipients of the Ontario Small Business Support Grant will automatically receive a second payment equal to the amount of their first payment, for minimum total support of $20,000 up to a maximum of $40,000.

How we are supporting local businesses

We are committed to supporting local business through COVID-19. Our goal is to ensure that businesses have the information and support they need to return to operation as quickly as possible, when it is safe to do so.

Financial assistance

We are providing financial assistance by:

Extending advertising and sponsorship contracts at Whitby facilities during closures
Temporarily cancelling payment for leases within Town facilities that are closed

Operational assistance

We are providing operational assistance by:

Temporarily eliminating parking payment requirements at all metered, on-street locations and municipal parking lots (time limits still apply)
Suspending invoicing related to advertising and sponsorship while Town facilities are closed
Allowing businesses to receive deliveries at any time of day through the temporary dismissal of the noise bylaw enforcement provisions related to commercial loading and deliveries

Patios

If you are interested in extending or establishing an outdoor patio on private or public property, review our Internal Approval Process documents below. They will provide you with information on gathering submission details and requirements to gain Town approval.

Patio on public property

Restaurants and bars in Downtown Whitby and Brooklin can request an outdoor patio over a sidewalk or on-street parking space subject to meeting certain requirements.

Public property patio application process

Contact Christy Chrus, Manager Creative Communities phone 905-444-3164 or email downtowns@whitby.ca to confirm if you are eligible for the public patio program.
Complete the Outdoor Sidewalk Patio Café Permit Application including a sketch or aerial photo showing location / size of patio.
Complete the Town’s Certificate of Insurance Form ($2 Million General Commercial Liability required).
Submit forms to downtowns@whitby.ca.

Downtown patio guidelines

Restaurants located in Downtown Whitby are eligible to participate in the Streetside Patio Project. Send us an email or give us a call at 905.444.3164 for more information.

Streetside Patio Project Guidelines

The restaurant must be located in Downtown Whitby. Restaurants along Dundas Street are not eligible in order to maintain traffic lanes required during peak morning and afternoon rush hour times.
The following guidelines will be considered as part of any location:
- Encroachment of the patio and associated pedestrian boardwalk into one or two on-street parking spaces would have minimal impact on the businesses near them;
- The temporary boardwalk could be safely installed;
- The existing sidewalk is wide enough to accommodate a patio with little or no street furniture, utilities, etc. in close proximity; and
- No impact to transit.
The restaurant owner/applicant is responsible for the costs associated with constructing their streetside patio including material, labour, installation, removal and storage.
The restaurant owner/applicant is responsible for the costs associated with constructing the pedestrian boardwalk around the patio to the Town of Whitby specifications.
The Town of Whitby is responsible for the removal/relocation of any street furniture as appropriate, including but not limited to the parking meter (not including the post) or waste receptacles.
The restaurant owner/applicant is responsible for obtaining a patio permit from the Town of Whitby and associated fees (permit fee is $200 subject to change). The permit requires a sketch showing location/size and provides further details on fencing, landscaping, and occupant load. The restaurant is required to provide the Town with a Certificate of Insurance ($5 Million), naming the Town of Whitby as an additional insured. Other permits and fees may apply (i.e. Region of Durham Health Department).
The restaurant owner/applicant is responsible for obtaining an Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) Licence (if required) and any associated fees. Please note that additional lead time may be necessary in order to obtain the permit due to processing time.
The Town of Whitby will work with the applicant to develop an appropriate site plan showing dimensions / location of the patio to be submitted with the permit application.
The streetside patio can operate from May 1 to October 31, pending approval of necessary permits, and subject to weather. Poor weather conditions may require an earlier closure and removal of the patio and pedestrians boardwalk.
The restaurant owner/applicant agrees to provide customers with a Town of Whitby survey, if requested, and provide completed surveys back to the municipality. The owner/applicant further agrees to provide the municipality with feedback on the successes or challenges so that the Town can evaluate the project.

View the requesting outdoor patio on public property guide

View the Town’s Certificate of Insurance Form

Patio on private property

Restaurants and bars are permitted to extend existing patios or establish new patios on private property during the COVID-19 recovery period.

Private property patio application process

Obtain a letter of permission from the property owner agreeing to the extension/establishment of the patio
Provide a sketch or aerial photograph of the bar/restaurant showing the proposed location of the patio/extension
Provide details about the materials that will be used for the patio/extension (e.g. traffic cones, planters, temporary fencing)
Submit these documents to the Office of the Town Clerk by email to clerk@whitby.ca.

View the requesting an outdoor patio on private property guide

View the Patio Safety Heater Guidelines

Questions about Patio Permits?

For more information about patios on private property, please contact the Office of the Town Clerk at clerk@whitby.ca.

We monitor and share important government updates that impact local businesses.

Eat, shop and support local businesses

To encourage local shopping during COVID-19, we have partnered with other community economic development organizations to promote opportunities to eat, shop and support local businesses that are open.

What's Open Whitby map

Quickly search for local businesses that are open, from restaurants to retail shops, gardening centres and more, using our What's Open Whitby map. The map showcases businesses offering in-store service, contactless delivery and curbside pick-up.

You can add your own local business to the map and get involved in the action!

Eat local

You can check out more restaurants offering dining, takeout, curbside pick-up and delivery options with the BIA.

Whitby Economic Recovery Plan

Our Economic Recovery Plan identifies five priority areas that guides the Town's local economic recovery efforts:

Retain existing businesses by providing resources and support programs
Revitalize Whitby's downtowns by managing main street impact
Foster and sustain growth in the innovation economy
Engage with post-secondary institutions and other service providers to improve workforce employability
Improve customer service processes and business experiences

View our Economic Recovery Plan

Government and partner supports

There are a wealth of additional resources available from our partners and other levels of government in Canada.

Durham Economic Task Force

We play an important role on the Durham Economic Task Force, created immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic was announced by the World Health Organization (WHO). This task force includes the Town of Whitby, Durham Region Economic Development, economic development representatives from other Durham Region municipalities, chambers of commerce, local trade boards, Business Advisory Centre Durham and BIAs.

We have been developing several initiatives and plans to support business recovery, including:

A #SupportLocal campaign to drive customers to small businesses that are still operational
Webinars and training seminars for small businesses
Developing a 'Downtowns of Durham' website and promotional campaign to drive customers to the region's downtown businesses
Advocating for local businesses at the provincial and federal levels
Developing a new Local Food Portal to promote local food producers
Developing Ritual ONE, an accessible, online method of commission-free, contactless food ordering for local restaurants and food services

Federal government

The federal government provides Canada's COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, allowing you to find information on the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS), Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), Canadian Economic Response Benefit (CERB), and Employment Insurance (EI) programs, and more. It outlines how the government can help when businesses have pressing concerns with financial need.

Provincial government

View provincial financial relief programs and grant opportunities, including tax and bill rebates, tax credits and main street grants.

Export Development Canada

Export Development Canada (EDC) helps companies dealing in global trade navigate the pandemic with support and resources.

Reopening guidelines

We encourage all Whitby businesses to review the Durham Region Community Reopening Toolkit, which includes critical information, such as:

Current business opening levels and statuses
Special instructions issued by the Durham Region Medical Officer of Health
Downloadable checklists, signage, posters and resources
Workplace safety post-pandemic playbooks and safety plans
Sector-specific guidance

Preventing COVID-19 in the workplace

The Province of Ontario also offers resources to prevent COVID-19 in the workplace, such as:

Knowing your responsibilities and rights as an employer
How to develop a workplace safety plan
Reading your sector-specific guidance
How to find personal protection equipment (PPE) and sanitization supplies
Accessing COVID-19 related signage and posters

Business reopening safety kits

You can contact us to request your own reopening safety kit for your business, which includes:

One-litre bottle of hand sanitizer, provided by Brock Street Brewery
Two floor decals
Two physical distancing posters
Mandatory masks poster
Hours of operation poster
Non-medical face masks

The Canadian Business Resilience Network also offers its own reopening toolkit, which offers guidance to help you:

Update your operations plan
Update your health and safety plan
Communicate those plans and procedures to your staff, customers and suppliers
Know how to access any required personal protective equipment
Continue to access government financial supports
Understand the social services, such as childcare, that are available to you and your staff
Be aware of the wide array of additional supports, resources and guides that are available