Update April 10, 2020
URGENT UPDATE
Please see the letter (linked below) from Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Devin Dreeshen, that confirms that all horticulture producers and retailers are essential to Albertans. Landscape Alberta and the Alberta Greenhouse Growers Association have worked closely with the Ministry over the last two weeks to secure this status.
It is important to note, even with essential status, it is required that
all public health directives be in place, including increased sanitization, enforced social distancing, and other policies and procedures. Please visit
www.landscape-alberta.com or
www.agga.ca for resources to help you adapt your business practices.
Read the Letter
In a greenhouse/garden centre setting, operators must consider all opportunities for spread of the virus.
Mitigating measures might include, but are certainly not limited to:
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- ensuring workers, patrons and volunteers maintain a physical distance of 2 metres apart wherever possible.
- Prohibiting entry to any worker, volunteer or patron who is sick or isolating.
- Limiting the number of workers, volunteers and patrons in a greenhouse at any one time.
- Limiting hours of operation.
- Pursuing options to facilitate pre-payment online, delivery of orders and curbside pick up of goods in order to support physical distancing.
- Regular cleaning and disinfection of any surfaces and equipment touched by workers, volunteers and patrons.
Greenhouses / garden centres are subject to inspection by enforcement officials. Any individual found to be in non-compliance with orders issued by the Chief Medical Officer of Health are subject to fine.
Update - March 28, 2020
Essential Services List Released
*********Update after initial list release***********
Businesses not on the list
If your business type isn’t specifically listed as prohibited to operate, or if you don’t fall within specific parameters that are stating that you are prohibited to operate according to the restrictions on gatherings and businesses, you are safe to continue operations.
Workplaces that are not otherwise restricted or ordered to close can have more than 15 workers on a work site as long as they follow all public health guidelines, including physical distancing measures.
Employers should:
- self-assess and find alternate ways to organize large group meetings
- cancel workplace gatherings of 15 or more people in a single space (such as training events)
- employ mitigation strategies to limit risk
- continue business continuity planning to prepare critical operations for any potential interruption
Landscape Alberta continues to seek clarification about the list specifically related to ornamental agricultural operations and the sale of garden plants and supplies. The above notice appears to give permission to operate under guidelines unless you are on the prohibited list. We again recommend limiting services as new health protocols can be put in place at your business and ease in to a late spring in Alberta.
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On Friday, March 27th, Premier Kenney announced the all non-essential businesses must close effective immediately. In the same announcement, the Alberta Government reduced the size of public gatherings from 50 to 15. Workplaces on the essential services list are exempt from this size restriction as long as social distancing protocols are followed.
Businesses that violate this order are subject to fines and enforcement.
Here is the link to the complete list of Essential Services. https://www.alberta.ca/essential-services.aspx
In the following we have extracted the relevant sections from the list to the landscape horticulture industry with some commentary about the ability to operate during the crisis.
IMPORTANT WARNING: Operating during the crisis involves a level of sacred trust with the public and with your employees. Limit operations that may have poor optics or could be seen by the public as non-essential. By limiting your scope to essential services through April it might lead to a more regular resumption of work in May. Ensure that all safety precautions are taken, including the modification of regular business operations to ensure safety. An outbreak or cluster of positive cases connected to a business operation is likely to cause immediate closure of your operation and perhaps the sector. Even with a case to operate, it is ultimately up to the enforcement officer and Government for final determination of what is essential.
First be good humans and employers. Really consider what part of your services are essential and low risk. We will have more information next week about the new Federal subsidy for wages (75%) and new funds for small business loans designed to maintain cash flow.
Business services deemed to be essential are not subject to public health restrictions (closure and 15 people maximum gatherings), as long as they follow all public health guidelines, including physical distancing measures.
Energy and utilities
- Workers who maintain, ensure, or restore, or are involved in the development, transportation, fuel procurement, expansion, or operation of the generation, transmission, and distribution of electric power, including call centres, control and storage facilities, suppliers, utility workers, reliability engineers and fleet maintenance technicians
- Vegetation management crews and supporting traffic workers
Maintenance or vegetation management on Energy or utility sites appears to be deemed essential.
Water
- Flood and drought control operations, including dams and irrigation operations
Irrigation operations appear to be deemed essential.
Transportation
- Businesses that provide materials and services for the operation, maintenance and safety of transportation systems (road, transit, rail, air and marine) including delivery of maintenance services such as clearing snow, response to collisions, and completing needed repairs to the transportation systems
- Services stations and mechanical repair of motor vehicles, trucks and specialized equipment for industries, including unmanned air/ground vehicles
Snow operations appear to be deemed essential. Safe access to even closed businesses is likely to be seen as required.
Industrial
- Businesses that ensure global continuity of supply of aggregates to support critical infrastructure repairs and emergency response requirements (such as gravel, cement, concrete, and asphalt)
Supply of aggregates appears to be deemed essential.
Construction
- Construction work and services, including demolition services, in the industrial, commercial, institutional and residential sectors
- Construction projects and services required to ensure safe and reliable operations of critical provincial and municipal infrastructure, including transit, transportation, energy and justice sectors beyond day-to-day maintenance
- Any other construction project that can safely abide by the CMOH Public Health guidelines/directives
All landscape construction appears to be deemed essential. Note the last bullet about safely abiding by Chief Medical Office of Health Public Health guidelines/directives.
Agricultural and horticultural
- Services or businesses that farm, harvest, process, manufacture, produce or distribute food, including beverages, crops, animal products and by-products, aquaculture, hunting and fishing
All Agriculture operations could to be deemed essential. Wording is less than clear and will require clarification for nurseries, sod farms, and greenhouses.
Retail
- Businesses engaged in the retail and wholesale sale of food, pet food and supplies, and household consumer products necessary to maintain the safety, sanitation and essential operations of residences and businesses, including grocery stores, supermarkets, convenience stores, markets and other similar retailers
- Hardware stores and stores that provide hardware products necessary to the essential operations of residences and businesses
- Businesses that supply and deliver remote or online ordering
Ability to operate appears to be deemed as partially essential. Recommend limiting of products sold. Delivery and online ordering are specifically named, and many retail garden operations appear to already be adding this option.
Gift wear, clothing, etc. sold at some garden centres and retail greenhouses is named as non-essential in other documents. Cafes or restaurants can not offer service in the facility (take out and delivery only). Educational workshops may or may not fall under the 15 people maximum gathering. Suggest either cancellation or groups smaller than 15 with physical distancing enforced.
Other essential services
- Businesses that support the safe operations of residences and essential businesses
Landscape maintenance services appear to be deemed essential.
All these descriptions and thus commentary is open to interpretation with only the Provincial Government having authority. If clarity is gained on any specific service Landscape Alberta will update industry. If you have questions about if parts of your daily operations apply or anything related to COVID-19 response, please contact the Landscape Alberta office. We are here to help you!
Update - March 25, 2020
Over the last week, many states (approximately 15), and now ON and QC have announced ‘shelter in place’ legislation that requires all businesses to close except for essential businesses.
In general terms, everyone has allowed parts of our industry to continue working. Some in very limited scopes. In an effort to insulate the Alberta members from financial disaster, we have asked the Government of Alberta to consider the industry as essential.
- The government has asked everyone to do their part in fighting the COVID virus and is urging all citizens and workplaces to curtail and modify their activities for 2 weeks or longer.
- Even if allowed to work, we must take extraordinary measures to protect our employees, customers and the general public. There is a sacred trust involved. Every precaution must be taken. If clusters of our workers start to show spread of the corona virus, we would likely be shut down immediately.
- Now may the time from a public, health and responsibility perspective to urge all members able to shut down for 2 weeks. We have had late starts to our season before because of weather. Perhaps we should treat the shut down as bad weather. Flattening the curve now might leave more opportunity for safe work later.
- Even though Landscape Alberta represents the collective, it is ultimately up to you to make this decision.
Yesterday the Board of Directors approved that a letter be sent to Premier Kenney to request consideration for essential status. Given the pattern of activity throughout the crisis we expect some variation of a ‘stay home’ order that will close non-essential business by the end of the week.
We kindly ask members to contact their MLA with a copy of the letter (download here) and tell them what being able to operate as essential service means to you and how you are being vigilant in ensuring the safety of your employees. Don’t’ know who your MLA is, visit here. https://www.assembly.ab.ca/lao/mla/mla_help.htm
We also remain committed to assisting industry through this crisis, including providing resources and working with government on meaningful financial aide for small businesses and their employees.
Joel Beatson
CEO
Landscape Alberta
App A Health Questionaire
App B Return to work declaration
App C Cleaning and sanitizing
App G COVID 19 awareness sheet
Essential Services Letter - template
