In this time of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for all organizations to adjust their operations to meet the recommendations of public health officials, Cosmetics Alliance Canada wishes to advise of the following changes in our operations now in effect:
Staffing & Office Operations (Until Further Notice)
Although our office at 420 Britannia Road East in Mississauga will remain open with minimal staff, we are now effectively operating remotely with most of our team working from home.
We would request that you avoid visiting our offices in person during this critical period but rather contact us by telephone or e-mail. Our main switchboard at (905) 890-5161 (press “0” for reception) will still be operational and can assist you in directing your call to the right member of the team. Our general e-mail account at CA@cosmeticsalliance.ca will also be checked regularly if you do not know who to contact directly.
During this period, the CA office will continue to receive courier deliveries.
ALL of our CA team remain available to you at either their regular e-mail address, cell phone, or by contacting our general switchboard as noted above.
Export Certificates Program
CA’s Export Certificates Program will continue to offer our full array of services. Deb Kwinter, Program Manager, can be reached by email at dkwinter@cosmeticsalliance.ca , by cell phone at (905) 580-1400, or through the general switchboard as noted above.
It should be noted that closures or the reduced operation of government, consulate, board of trade or embassy offices could result in delays in processing. Exporters are advised to contact Deb should they wish to be updated on any changes to processing times.
Cosmetics Alliance Events
To meet the recommendations of public health officials as to public events, Cosmetics Alliance has undertaken the following:
- The Executive Briefings & Networking Events scheduled in Montreal and Toronto for March 24 and April 2 have been postponed. They will be rescheduled if possible once the public health emergency has passed. As the March 24 event in Montreal involved an important workshop on assessing the skills and training needs of our industry in Quebec in support of obtaining financial assistance from the Quebec government, we are currently working on options as to how and when to proceed with this workshop. We will provide an update once a suitable option is determined.
- The Webinar “On Trend with NPD: Canadian Beauty in Review” scheduled for March 26 will proceed. Please register for what is sure to be an interesting presentation as our member companies contemplate market trends for the post COVID-19 market. You can register here.
- Regulatory Committees, the Cannabis Task Force and other Cosmetics Alliance meetings are expected to continue via remote methods for the immediate future.
- Cosmetics Alliance Week (May 5 to 7) which includes the Spring Regulatory Workshop, Canadian Beauty Awards, CA’s Annual General Meeting, and the Board of Directors Meeting are currently being reviewed and we will be providing a further update on these events soon.
Cosmetics Alliance will continue to monitor the situation closely and follow the advice of public health officials which may include rescheduling, cancelling or developing “remote alternatives”. We will keep you updated on developments.
Working with Health Canada to Ensure the Sufficient Supply of Critical Personal Care Products (Including Hand Sanitizers)
Cosmetics Alliance has been in communication with Health Canada regarding the expediting of regulatory processes and approvals to ensure a sufficient and timely supply of critical personal care products such as hand sanitizers. We will provide an update on these developments once we have more information from Health Canada.
Should you have questions or have information to offer, please contact Beta Montemayor at bmontemayor@cosmeticsalliance.ca or (519) 400-1907.
Travel Restrictions for Your Company’s Employees
The Government of Canada has recently announced significant restrictions on travel which could affect your company’s operations. Please refer to the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 website .
Government of Canada Request for Information on Impact of COVID-19 – CA Survey
As previously reported, the Government of Canada reached out to CA seeking information on the current impact of COVID-19 to our industry as part of their overall planning to manage the economic effects of this pandemic. If you haven’t done so already, please click here to complete the short survey. Any information provided will be held in the strictest of confidence and will only be used in aggregate to assist the Federal Government in its planning.
All of us at CA send our regards to anyone affected by COVID-19 and look forward to seeing everyone in person again soon. In the meantime, we remain committed to serving our members and keeping you informed as we move through this difficult time.
