C-19 BULLETIN -
June 1, 2020
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New Emergency Program Act Protects Against Commercial Evictions
B.C. businesses eligible for rent support from the federal government will be protected from evictions as the Province issues a new order under the Emergency Program Act (EPA).
Eligible businesses whose landlords choose not to apply for the federal CECRA program will be protected from evictions due to unpaid rent payments through to the end of June, as determined by the federal program timelines. The EPA order restricts the termination of lease agreements and the repossession of goods and property.
The CECRA program provides relief for small businesses experiencing severe financial hardship due to COVID-19. It offers forgivable loans to eligible commercial property owners to reduce the rent owed by their impacted small business tenants, and to meet operating expenses on commercial properties.
Property owners must offer a minimum of a 75% rent reduction for the months of April, May and June. The CECRA loans to landlords will be forgiven if the landlord complies with program terms and conditions, including an agreement to not recover forgiven rent amounts when the program is over.
The emergency order restricting evictions is effective immediately.
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Financial Support Announced for Indigenous Tourism BC and BC's Tourism Resiliency Program
The Government of Canada, through Western Economic Diversification Canada (WED), is intensifying its efforts to support the recovery and growth of this strategic sector of the western Canadian economy. The two BC projects announced are:
Indigenous Tourism Association of British Columbia (Indigenous Tourism BC)
Project Description: Support the resiliency of BC Indigenous tourism businesses
Funding = $500,000
Project Description: Support the British Columbia Tourism Resiliency Program
Funding = $1,000,000
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Destination Canada Investing $30M With Provincial & Territorial DMOs
To mark National Tourism Week, Destination Canada – the country’s national tourism marketing organization, announced a new partnership with the provinces and territories to deliver locally led marketing programs encouraging Canadians to discover their own back yard.
Over the next 18 months, Destination Canada will invest $30 million with Provincial and Territorial Marketing Organizations to support the recovery of communities.
The return to travel will look different across the country – community by community - including Canada’s unique and culturally vibrant Indigenous and rural communities. Each province, at their own time, will assess the best distribution of funds, taking into account local and regional COVID-19 circumstances, infrastructure in place to safely host visitors, and the willingness of communities to welcome travellers back, among other factors. While timing and details may differ – all efforts will adopt a theme, which supports Destination Canada’s national brand – Canada. For Glowing Hearts.
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Yukon Aims to Lift Restrictions on Travel to and From BC Starting July 1
Yukon is looking to again allow the free flow of people between the territory and British Columbia, starting in July.
Easing the border restrictions means that anybody arriving in Yukon from B.C. will no longer need to self-isolate for 14 days. Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brendan Hanley said it makes sense to "intentionally partner" with B.C., but he also acknowledged the ongoing risk associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yukon has seen 11 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and all of the affected people have recovered. It's been more than a month since the last confirmed cases were announced.
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Businesses Reliant on International Visitors Seek Further Assistance
TIABC received a copy of a letter from BCA Tours (TIABC's newest member), that outlines five key points about his business situation and the specific area of the tourism industry he operates in. BCA Tours offers high-end, multi-day, seasonal, all-inclusive, adventure based, guided tourism experiences. With international visitation at a standstill and government programs that don't quite meet their needs, they are falling through the cracks.
Read the full letter
here
.
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Sonja Gaudet
2020-21 Canadian Sports Hall of Fame Inductee
It is with great pleasure that the Board of Directors, management, and staff at Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association would like to recognize one of our own, Sonja Gaudet, TOTA's Accessible Tourism Specialist, on her latest accomplishment for being inducted into the Canadian Sports Hall of Fame!
Sonja's journey is an inspiring one. A horseback riding accident left her paralyzed from the chest down at the young age of 31, it was her resilient nature that refused to stop her from aspiring to new heights. With the help of her family, friends, and her strong disposition and iron will, Sonja not only adapted to life in a wheelchair but went on to accomplish many remarkable achievements. Paramount of which was becoming a three-time gold medal Paralympian in curling (Turin 2006, Vancouver 2010, Sochi 2014) and being selected as the Canadian flag bearer for the opening ceremonies in 2014 at the Sochi Paralympic Winter Games.
Even more admirably, Sonja is constantly giving back to her region, her province, and her country, acting as an accessibility advocate, inspirational speaker, and Peer Support Specialist, among many other distinguished roles.
Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association is more than grateful to have Sonja contributing to our organization and industry as the Accessibility Tourism Specialist. Every member of our organization feels motivated to reach new heights thanks to her path of commitment, achievement, and inspiration.
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Oceans Week June 7-14
Oceans Week Victoria is a new volunteer collaboration among businesses, non-profits, scientists, educators, artists, and others on southern Vancouver Island to engage and educate the public about ocean issues through building partnerships and supporting ocean-inspired events around World Oceans Day on June 8th.
This year the event is expanding to eight days, and due to COVID-19, it is going virtual. Everyone is invited to get involved! As always, the focus is on education, conservation and fun!
Explore the variety of informative activities and “live online” events in the calendar at
www.oceansweekvictoria.ca
Each day of Oceans Week Victoria has its own theme—connections, impact, technology, watersheds, under the sea, fun facts, sustainability, and the Salish Sea—all with an emphasis on why the ocean is so important to us and actions we can take to reduce our impact on it.
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Industry Raises a Glass to Tourism Businesses
As #TourismWeek 2020 came to a close, many in the industry raised a glass to the tourism businesses in BC who need our support more than ever. Below is a sample of the some of the images found on social media this past weekend.
#BCTourismMatters #TourismStrong
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Join Global Public Affairs and Leger on June 3rd at noon PT, for a panel-style webinar moderated by iconic broadcast journalist and Chair of Global Public Affairs, Tom Clark. The discussion will include topics such as labour mobility, border issues, taxation and infrastructure.
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Destination BC Webinars
Destination BC is hosting a series of webinars to support BC’s tourism industry in areas of response, recovery, and resilience from COVID-19.
The
Road to Recovery
webinar series has reached over 1,700 participants since launching on May 12th.
Virtual experiences bring the sights and sounds of your experience, attraction, or destination to your visitors so that they can enjoy what you have to offer from the comforts of their home.
Thursday June 4 @ 2:00 pm PT (90 minutes)
Watch recordings of previous webinars:
- May 12: Business After Re-opening: A Look at the Post-closure Traveller | View recording here
- May 14: Essential Strategies to Innovate your Visitor Experience and Offerings | View recording here
- May 19: Planning for Doors Open | View recording here
- May 21: Managing Expectations and Reputation through Effective Communication | View recording here
- May 26: Using Social Media to Support Re-opening | View recording here
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Small Business BC Webinars
Small Business BC are hosting a series of specialized free webinars to tackle the challenges faced by COVID-19. The webinars are geared at equipping businesses in our province with the skills and knowledge they need to survive the new realities of our COVID economy.
Friday June 5 @ 10:30 am PT
To view previous webinars, visit:
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Feel free to send us your ideas on what information would be valuable for TIABC to share through our COVID-19 Bulletin going forward. Drop us a line at info@tiabc.ca.
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