Restoring confidence & taking action
*** This article is adapted from the Business Council's newsletter. Stay up-to-date on our latest initiatives and key developments by subscribing here.
At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Business Council took a strong public position by calling on businesses to take action to slow down the spread of the virus.
Three months later, cases are declining and provinces and territories are starting to reopen workplaces and public spaces. But COVID-19 hasn’t gone away and we need to recognize that we will be co-existing with the virus for many months to come.
Restoring public confidence will be a key component of any successful economic restart.
That’s why this week we helped launch the POST Promise – a business-led initiative to build public confidence as COVID-19 restrictions ease and the economy reopens. At its core, the POST Promise is a visible declaration by business owners and managers that they will uphold five key steps to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.
We are grateful to the other founding sponsors who helped launch the POST Promise with us, including BOMA Canada, CFIB, the Canadian Global Cities Council, the Retail Council of Canada, Restaurants Canada, Medcan, and SALT XC. In addition, I would like to thank the federal government, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister Mary Ng, for supporting this important initiative.
But COVID-19 isn’t the only significant challenge we face. The death of George Floyd at the hands of police officers shone a painful light on the racism that far too many people in our communities experience. George Floyd’s shocking death has led to a movement and an awareness of racism that I hope once and for all leads to action to put an end to it.
As business leaders we are coming together to denounce, unequivocally, racism in all its forms. We can and must do better.
Last week, more than 140 members of the Business Council signed a joint statement denouncing racism in all its forms. It has been heartening to see so many members not only speak out, but back up their words with action. Much more needs to be done, but there is tremendous commitment within corporate Canada to make a positive change in our workplaces, boardrooms, and communities.