Support for residents and businesses

If you need help for you or your family, or you need additional support for your business, there are a number of local, provincial, and federal health and financial resources available to you.

This page has information about: 


Resources and support for North Shore residents

Financial support from the provincial and federal governments

The provincial and federal governments have made financial assistance available during the pandemic to enable people to pay their bills, including property taxes.

Key financial assistance you may be eligible for includes:

  • After CERB: Transitioning to new benefits — The Government of Canada announced changes to the Employment Insurance (EI) program and new recovery benefits that will continue to support workers..
  • Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB) — $500 per week for 42 weeks for those who are unable to work in order to care for a child under the age of 12 or a family member who needs supervised care. The CRCB ended on May 7, 2022. Applications will be open until July 6 2022.
  • Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB) — $500 per week for up to four weeks for those who are unable to work because they are sick or need to self isolate due to COVID-19. The CRSB ended on May 7, 2022. Applications will be open until July 6 2022.

Visit Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan and BC’s Support for Individuals and Families for a complete list of federal and provincial support.

Connecting the North Shore

North Shore Emergency Management (NSEM), along with the District of North Vancouver, City of North Vancouver, and District of West Vancouver, recently launched Connect North Shore; a list of resources and information for North Shore residents who need help and want to help during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

To explore the services and supports available, learn more about current volunteer opportunities, and find out how to support local businesses, visit the NSEM website.

Counselling

Family Services of the North Shore has created free, immediate counselling support via phone or Zoom for anyone struggling with the impacts of COVID-19, including:

  • first responders
  • frontline workers
  • overwhelmed parents
  • those grieving the loss of someone they love

Master's level counsellors are available to provide immediate and confidential support by calling 236-982-9871 Monday to Friday, from 9am to 5pm.

To find out more about resources and supports offered on the North Shore, visit the Family Services website:

[ back to top ]


Resources and support for local businesses

Financial support from the provincial and federal governments

The provincial and federal governments have made financial assistance available during the pandemic to enable businesses to pay their bills, including property taxes.

Key financial assistance you may be eligible for includes:

  • Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP) — Provides a subsidy on eligible salary or wages to help hard-hit businesses hire the workers they need to recover and grow as local economies reopen. The last CRHP claim period ended on May 2, 2022. Applications are open for 180 days after the end of a claim period.
  • Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program (THRP) and Hardest-Hit Business Recovery Program (HHBRP)  – Provides a rent subsidy to businesses, non-profit organizations or charities who have seen a drop in revenue due to COVID-19 to cover part of their commercial rent or property expenses. The last THRP and HHBRP claim period ended on May 2, 2022. Applications are open for 180 days after the end of a claim period.

Visit Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan and BC’s COVID-19 Supports for Businesses for a full list of federal and provincial support.

[ back to top ]


How you can protect yourself

We advise members of our community to follow the information that Vancouver Coastal Health and the BC Centre for Disease Control are providing.

The best advice is still to:

  • wash your hands
  • stay home if you’re sick
  • engage with the elders or immunocompromised individuals in your life in different ways than face to face situations
  • avoid contact with people that are visibly ill
  • maintain a physical distance of 2 metres from others
  • wear a mask if physical distancing cannot be maintained 

If you think you may have symptoms of coronavirus, call 8-1-1 for an assessment.

BC COVID-19 symptom self-assessment tool

Developed by the Minstry of Health, this online self-assessment tool will help determine whether you may need further assessment or testing for COVID-19. You can complete this assessment for yourself, or on behalf of someone else, if they are unable to.

Access the self-assessment tool online

[ back to top ]


Where to find accurate, up-to-date information

For more information and updates related to COVID-19 – included translated information – please visit the following websites:

Phone service for non-medical information related to COVID-19

You can call or text these numbers to receive non-medical information about COVID-19.

This includes the latest information on travel recommendations and social distancing, as well as access to support and resources from the provincial and federal governments, available in over 110 languages.

  • Phone: 1-888-COVID19
  • Text: 604-630-0300

[ back to top ]

Was this page helpful?

Thanks for your input.