Trudeau Announces Changes and Updates to Wage Subsidy Program

On Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed Canadians from Rideau Cottage and unveiled changes to Canada's wage subsidy program and more help is coming for students.

Under the new changes, Canadian businesses will only need to show a loss of revenue of 15% for March, rather than the previously announced 30% mark, to qualify the federal government's Emergency Wage Subsidy program. This update would allow the many businesses that were forced to shut down midway through last month as a result of COVID-19 to qualify.

Canada Emergency Response Benefit Applications Open Today

Businesses will also have the option of comparing March revenue to those in January and February 2020, rather than last year, which will help start-ups and other businesses qualify.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also announced temporary changes to the Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program. Trudeau said the government will now offer subsidies to pay 100% of the wages for students hired by employers through the CSJ program, helping create up to 70,000 jobs for Canadians between the ages of 15 and 30.

Trudeau said the time frame for the job placements is also being extended until the winter, given that some jobs will “start later than usual.” Student hires can also be employed part-time, given many businesses have had to scale back their operations, Trudeau said.

The Prime Minister also said he's calling on the opposition to recall parliament to pass the legislation needed to enact the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.

Trudeau added that the government is working on a solution to help gig workers, those who work in home care, or work 10 hours or less a week. "I want to be clear, we will be doing more," said Trudeau.

The government previously announced the Emergency Wage Subsidy last month, which would provide a 75% wage subsidy to eligible employers for up to 12 weeks (March 15 to June 6). Eligible employers include individuals, taxable corporations, and partnerships, as well as nonprofits and registered charities.

The subsidy amount for a given employee would be 75% the amount of remuneration paid during the period, up to a maximum benefit of $847 per week. There is no limit on the number of employees per employer.

This comes as a total of 18,477 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed in Canada and 401 people have died.

Finance

Trudeau Announces Changes and Updates to Wage Subsidy Program

On Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unveiled changes to Canada's wage subsidy program and more help is coming for students.

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For your information, reference, and networking needs, here are the moves, hires, and promotions the real estate and development industry saw in August 2026.

​The ReStays and ReResidences at 101 Queen St. and 108-116 Sparks St. in Ottawa was developed by Ashcroft Homes and was placed under receivership last year.

If you're of the belief that summer should last forever, this might be the move for you.

​In a market where rental projects routinely spend years in rezoning, moving from purchase to shovels in under five months is the point.

​“We found a clear relationship between homelessness rates and rent prices for lowest-quartile units,” said the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness.

​Selling after garnering three competing offers, 211 Dunvegan Road is the highest-value sale in the neighbourhood’s history, and the most expensive in Toronto in nearly five years.

​BILD's July numbers show single-family sales riding the HST rebate wave, while condos wait on the sidelines.

Build Canada Homes is providing $310 million towards 9 projects on City-owned land, while CMHC is providing $1.8 billion in financing towards 9 other projects.​

​The 11-storey mixed-use project is set for 315 Main Street (172 East Cordova Street) in Vancouver, and will be owned by the MAC Development and Housing Society.

The mass timber project on a former City parking lot marks the first groundbreaking under Toronto's new public developer model.​

​The project is backed by funding from CMHC's Apartment Construction Loan Program, the Region of Durham's Regional Revitalization Program and a grant agreement with the City of Oshawa.

​“A home isn’t just a thing you buy and you’re done with. You need it to constantly evolve as your life changes,” says ReHousing Co-Founder Michael Piper.

Valour Group was planning around 1,500 units at 361 Taunton Road West in Ajax, including condos, seniors living condos, and townhomes, but the project was placed under receivership on July 16.

The proposal includes social housing units, commercial space, and strata units, and is set for 1394 Robson Street, adjacent to the Landmark On Robson towers.

​"The people still waiting tend to want certainty as much as a deal. They are already watching stocks, bonds, oil, inflation, jobs, population growth, and a trade war. Housing could help by becoming the boring chart."

​New listings fell for a third straight month in July, tightening the national sales-to-new listings ratio to 51.3%, within the range CREA considers balanced.

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The ReStays and ReResidences at 101 Queen St. and 108-116 Sparks St. in Ottawa was developed by Ashcroft Homes and was placed under receivership last year.

In a market where rental projects routinely spend years in rezoning, moving from purchase to shovels in under five months is the point.

“We found a clear relationship between homelessness rates and rent prices for lowest-quartile units,” said the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness.

Selling after garnering three competing offers, 211 Dunvegan Road is the highest-value sale in the neighbourhood’s history, and the most expensive in Toronto in nearly five years.

BILD's July numbers show single-family sales riding the HST rebate wave, while condos wait on the sidelines.

Build Canada Homes is providing $310 million towards 9 projects on City-owned land, while CMHC is providing $1.8 billion in financing towards 9 other projects.

The 11-storey mixed-use project is set for 315 Main Street (172 East Cordova Street) in Vancouver, and will be owned by the MAC Development and Housing Society.

The mass timber project on a former City parking lot marks the first groundbreaking under Toronto's new public developer model.

The project is backed by funding from CMHC's Apartment Construction Loan Program, the Region of Durham's Regional Revitalization Program and a grant agreement with the City of Oshawa.

“A home isn’t just a thing you buy and you’re done with. You need it to constantly evolve as your life changes,” says ReHousing Co-Founder Michael Piper.

"The people still waiting tend to want certainty as much as a deal. They are already watching stocks, bonds, oil, inflation, jobs, population growth, and a trade war. Housing could help by becoming the boring chart."

New listings fell for a third straight month in July, tightening the national sales-to-new listings ratio to 51.3%, within the range CREA considers balanced.