Created by RBC, Canada United is a movement to support local businesses across the country. The Canada United Small Business Relief Fund (CUSBRF) was established to help small businesses offset necessary expenses to reopen safely or adopt digital technologies to move more of their business online.

The CUSBRF will be managed by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce on behalf of the national Chamber network. Successful applicants will receive a relief grant of up to $5000.

• Program Guidelines 
• Pre-Application Checklist
• Frequently Asked Questions 

For more information and to apply, please visit the Canada United website

Want to gain problem-solving, presentation, critical thinking and entrepreneurial skills? Spark 2.0 Case Competition is back for students in grades 9-12. 

All participants will have an opportunity to gain valuable learnings with sessions in Presentation Skills and Solving Business Cases. Learn from top presenters and judges! The competition will be held virtually from 10am to 6pm ET on Saturday, November 14 and Sunday, November 15.

Register now - Registration closes tomorrow, Saturday, November 7. Sign up soon!

JUDGES:

Naqaash Pirani - Naqaash Pirani is a Principal Consultant with Adobe’s Digital Strategy Group (DSG). Prior to joining Adobe, Naqaash held senior consulting roles at Hootsuite and PwC. Naqaash completed his MBA in Management of Technology and Innovation, and is the Deputy Director for the National Entrepreneurship Portfolio of the Ismaili Council for Canada. Naqaash lives in Vancouver with his wife Natasha and their English bulldog, Kingston.

Nimira Dhalwani - Nimira Dhalwani is the Director for Infrastructure and Integration at SickKids Hospital in Toronto, overseeing Data Centre Operations, Network Services, and Collaborative Digital Services. Nimira is passionate about health system integration and addressing clinical needs with innovative IT solutions. She focuses on people first and believes that a strong, united team brings the best results! Nimira also serves on the Aga Khan Council for Ontario as the Member for Strategy, Planning, Performance and Evaluation.

Rustam Juma - Rustam Juma is General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Eckler Ltd., one of Canada’s first and largest actuarial consulting firms with offices located across Canada and the Caribbean. In this role, Rustam provides legal support on a wide range of issues including risk management, governance, and corporate social responsibility. Rustam graduated law school from Western University, obtained a bachelor of science degree from the University of Waterloo, and has worked in the United States and Afghanistan, studied abroad in India and has volunteered in Vietnam. Rustam is currently on the Board of Newcomer Women's Services Toronto and the Board Member for Monitoring and Evaluations with ITREB Ontario.

Safina Allidina - Safina Allidina works in health and social sector management, with a focus on transforming operations to drive value across the system. She previously worked in management consulting at PwC and at a startup called teaBOT. Safina has been working with the Aga Khan Health Board for several years, where she has led mental health and addictions programming at a regional and national level. She completed her Masters of Management of Innovation at the University of Toronto.

SKILLS SESSIONS PRESENTERS:

Tasmeen Fidai - Tasmeen Fidai started her professional journey as a high school teacher in the public sector, while volunteering with ITREB Canada as a teacher trainer and mentor. She earned her double Masters through the STEP program and launched the professional Secondary BUI system across Canada and Far East Asia. She has worked with multiple universities across North America, mentoring faculty on teaching strategies and curriculum design for online, hybrid and in-person teaching. Currently, Tasmeen works in corporate education with Tuesday Afternoon Media where she supports global clients such as Apple, Rogers and various banks to design learning experiences for their teams.

Shan Panjwani - Shan Panjwani currently works for the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services as a Financial Analyst. He earned his BA in Economics at McMaster University and is currently working towards post-graduate certificates in Accounting at Ryerson University. He started his professional journey working for the University of Central Asia as Director for the Summer Academic Upgrading program in Kyrgyzstan. Recently, he is the Eastern Canada lead for the eSports FIFA tournament and is serving a second term as the ITREB Board Member for Youth.

It is important to remain vigilant when someone claiming to be a Service Canada or 1 800 O-Canada employee contacts you in a way that you are not normally contacted by the federal government.

Visit the Government of Canada website for more information and to recognize fraudulent claims.

Tracking your expenses gives you a better understanding of your finances. Once you have a clear picture of how you spend your money, it’s easier to stay within budget.

A series of six videos will be made available during Financial Literacy Month starting with “How Do I Prepare A Budget.”

To access the comprehensive learning program, Module 1: Income, expenses and budget, click here.

For more budgeting tips, visit the Government of Canada website.

Visit iiCanada’s Financial Well-Being page for a comprehensive list of resources, tools, courses, and tips to build a strong and secure financial future.

Financial Literacy Month aims to help Canadians learn how to manage their finances, especially during challenging times like the current pandemic. Throughout November, tips and tools will be shared via live webinars and informational videos to promote and increase financial understanding.

• Learn more on the Government of Canada website. #FLM2020
• Visit Canada’s Financial Well-Being page for a comprehensive list of resources, tools, courses, and tips to build a strong and secure financial future.