C-19 BULLETIN - April 28, 2020
Federal Government Update

Today, the House of Commons convened for a virtual sitting of the COVID-19 Special Committee comprised of all MPs. The House of Commons will be formally recalled for Wednesday, April 29 at 2:30pm to pass legislation to enact additional COVID measures, including support for students and potentially commercial rent relief.

Health Minister Patty Hajdu and Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam will be releasing new COVID-19 modelling on where Canada stands now and what steps Canada will be able to take moving forward.

The government will also be releasing a new framework agreed to by the federal government, provinces and territories on shared principles to restart the economy. This framework lays out what needs to happen before Canada can take next steps to re-open the economy, including having enough capacity to test and treat COVID-19, ensuring Canadians have access to equipment at work to keep people safe, and that hospitals are able to cope with all who need care, not just COVID-19 patients. While this is a national framework, different parts of the country will be at different stages of re-opening and these regional considerations will impact members differently.

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Additional Relief Sought for BC Hydro Commercial Ratepayers

In collaboration with the Commercial Energy Consumers Association of British Columbia (CEC) the BC Hotel Association (BCHA) and several commercial industry associations have joined forces regarding the difficulties experienced by members during COVID-19 related to energy related costs.

A letter drafted to the British Columbia Utilities Commission (BCUC) from the CEC highlighted the lack of relief available to Medium General Service and Large General Service customers. The BCHA along with TIABC, ABLE BC, BC Restaurant and Food Service Association and Landlord BC, have explicitly requested through the CEC, that the BCUC act to facilitate the potential for additional relief from BC Hydro electricity charges.
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Cruise Lines Part of Effort to Combat COVID-19

As the global tragedy regarding COVID-19 has unfolded Cruise Lines International Association – Northwest & Canada (CLIA-NWC) has been working collaboratively on behalf of their member cruise lines with tourism partners and ports on both coasts, as well as with the Government of Canada, to share the latest information and answer important questions to combat the threats posed by the virus. 

The top priority of their member cruise lines continues to be the health and safety of passengers, crew, and the communities where their ships sail. They are also concerned about the adverse economic impacts on their cruise partners, such as travel agents, longshore workers, ports, destinations, and numerous business partners. 

The majority of the more than 270 cruise ships globally were not affected by the vexing new virus, due in large part to aggressive measures adopted by CLIA oceangoing cruise lines within 48 hours of the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring a global public health emergency. On March 13, their members voluntary suspended operations - making the cruise industry one of the first to do so - to assist authorities in coming to grips with COVID-19 which has been a challenge for governments, medical experts, and industries around the world to understand.

Read the full media release here .
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Strong Airlines for a Strong Canada
National Airlines Council of Canada urges the Federal Government to address airline sector challenges in wake of COVID-19 crisis 

As countries around the world grapple with the economic fallout from COVID-19, Canada’s airline industry has supported Federal Government efforts to fight the pandemic, including operating repatriation flights for stranded Canadians, continuing to move products and people across the country, and bringing critical personal protective equipment (PPE) to Canada.  

Yet the strength and role of the Canadian airline industry is now under significant threat as Canada risks falling behind other major industrialized countries in supporting their airline industries in this unprecedented crisis.

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First Ministers’ Statement on Shared Public Health Approach to Support Re-starting the Economy

Governments in Canada have taken wide-ranging steps within their own constitutional jurisdictions to slow and contain the spread of COVID-19, including through strong and continued federal/provincial/territorial (FPT) collaboration. As the first wave of the virus’ activity passes, all governments want to safely restore economic activity, while protecting the health of Canadians. Until there is a vaccine or effective treatment for COVID-19, strong measures must be in place for this new normal phase of living with COVID-19 to contain future waves or outbreaks and protect Canadians and economies across the country. 

While there will be regional differences during this process, all governments intend to continue their present collaboration in the interest of all Canadians. Governments will make decisions suited to their jurisdictions, geography, and disease activity. These decisions will be informed by experiences in other countries in Asia, Europe, and around the world – particularly those who had outbreaks earlier than Canada and who have achieved demonstrable successes. A shared key objective is to minimize the risk of another wave of COVID-19 that forces governments to re-impose severe restrictions, further damaging the social and economic fabric of communities. 

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COVID-19 Business Resiliency Webinars

Thursday April 30 at 1:00 PM PT

The webinars will be posted on the GVBOT website and YouTube channel following the broadcast. 
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Canadian Sport Tourism Alliance Webinars

Thursday, April 30 @ 1:00 pm Eastern

Thursday, May 7 @ 1:00 pm ET

To view previous webinars, such as The Road to Recovery Starts During the Storm – Lessons Learned from Past Recoveries and Using Economic Impact Data in Your COVID-19 Recovery Strategy, visit:
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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. These 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.

Visit their website for upcoming webinars, along with the opportunity to watch any sessions you’ve missed.

To view previous webinars, visit:
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Our industry is full of innovative, caring and helpful people.
Share your stories with us and we will share them here in our daily bulletin.
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Sun Peaks Community Helps

A group of volunteers including local café owners, residents and the local Mayor, are fundraising to create a community food cupboard in the community of Sun Peaks – with over $42,000 raised so far, and a secured donation of retail space. Sun Peaks Community Helps is working closely with local food suppliers to bring food staples up to Sun Peaks on a regular basis and stocking the community food cupboard with bakery, dairy, staples (pasta, soup) and some fresh fruit and veggies.  A website  has been created for community members in need, providing links to resources and support on every level from housing to mental wellbeing: spcommunityhelps.ca
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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.