By now you've likely heard the good news that the province is working with BC Ferries to find a suitable vessel and restore the direct summer service between Port Hardy and Bella Coola by 2018 at the latest.

 

You may recall that when the route was cancelled in 2014, TIABC and its then-CEO, Ian Robertson, spoke out against the move, as did Aboriginal Tourism BC and other stakeholders throughout B.C.

 

TIABC's current CEO Walt Judas picked up the torch some 15 months ago and worked as part of a unique coalition of 15 First Nations, tourism and community stakeholders to develop an Aboriginal-focussed, mid-coast tourism strategy that incorporated suitable access for residents and visitors. In fact, a new ferry and more frequent direct service was really the catalyst to implementing the new plan.

 

Participants at mid-coast ferry announcement

I commend not only the coalition, led by Keith Henry and Pat Corbett, but Premier Clark, Minister Bond and Minister Stone for recognizing the First Nations tourism potential for the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast region and responding accordingly with impending investment in transportation infrastructure, product development and marketing.

 

I'm also pleased that TIABC was able to lend its efforts and voice to this historic initiative that clearly demonstrates the value and need for tourism advocacy in British Columbia.

 

Speaking of advocacy, we need your help to enlist your local mayor, councillors and other civic influencers in the process to convince the province that legislation is necessary to manage the growing problems associated with short-term room rentals (STRs) throughout B.C.

 

At its core, the issue is about affordable housing for workers, particularly in resort communities where lack of available accommodation compounds the difficulty of attracting employees needed to deliver services and experiences to visitors.

At the upcoming UBCM convention, TIABC has coordinated a session on STRs that is expected to be engaging, lively and well attended by both civic and provincial government representatives.  However, prior to the workshop, delegates will debate a resolution that calls for government to examine the issues around STRs and work with UBCM to establish regulations for short term accommodation that address taxation fairness and compliance to permit an equitable competitive environment between all short term accommodation providers.

TIABC's policy position suggests that MRDT and the hotel tax be collected at source as merely one tool to manage this growing business activity. Taxation is by no means the panacea to solve the issue (which is better handled by local government) but offers some form of legitimacy and accountability to a largely unregulated sector.

As always, we appreciate your feedback.  If you're planning to attend UBCM, I look forward to seeing you there.