- Note to our members
- Phase 2 Begins - Seasonal campgrounds and trailer parks open as of 12:01am Friday June 12th!
- More information for US Camp operators
- NOTO's health and safety protocols
- TIAO calls this week
- Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines Survey
- Tele-townhall with Minister MacLeod Wednesday
- Resources from WSPS
- Adapt 2020: Resource-Based Tourism: How to Provide a Safe Environment Amidst COVID
- REMINDER: Northwest Operators Peaceful Rally to Demand Government Support!
We will continue to strive to bring forward pertinent information to the tourism industry as it becomes available. We will also do our best to find answers to your questions. Do not hesitate to contact us. We are here for you.
NOTO Contact Emails:
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A Note to Our Members
If you are a regular NOTO member, you will have received your invoice via email for your 2020 membership today. Preferred Suppliers and Associate members will also receive their invoices shortly. We understand that COVID-19 has created some very uncertain times within the resource-based tourism industry. We want you to know that we will continue working hard to advocate for additional financial support from Government as well as continue our information services to industry during these unprecedented times.
As an organization which operates solely on membership funds, your membership is important to us. We are committed to working with you to find a payment strategy that will best suit your needs. As a result we've done the following:
- Extend the payment due date from June 30th to July 31st, 2020
- Committed to working with members on a case-by-case basis to extend the payment deadline further and develop a split payment or interval payment strategy.
- Allow members to change their membership level for 2020 without loss of benefits associated with their original levels for 2020.
We were very pleased to see the announcement surrounding the reopening of short term rentals as well as the announcement from CBSA allowing US camp operators to come into Canada. We've also heard today that seasonal campgrounds and trailer parks will be able to open as of Friday June 12th at 12:01am. As these announcements prove, we are stronger together.
We urge our members to help build our membership by talking with your industry colleagues and encouraging them to join NOTO.
If you are a non-member and you are interested in joining NOTO, membership details can be found at
http://noto.ca/outfitter_membership all are welcome. Help us to continue our work to get meaningful support from Government to ensure the survival of this industry.
NOTO is proud to represent such a strong, unified industry! If you have any questions regarding membership, please do not hesitate to contact Laurie, our Executive Director (
laurie@noto.net
) or Kate (
kate@noto.net
). The NOTO staff is always glad to help!
Take care!
The NOTO Team
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Government of Ontario Announcement
Regional Reopening and Stage 2 begins Friday June 12th at 12:01am!
The Government of Ontario is now officially moving forward with the regional reopening of the province as well as implementing Stage 2 starting Friday June 12th at 12:01am. All the public health units who can proceed with Stage 2
have been listed here
.
The gathering restrictions will move from 5 to 10 with social distancing on Friday as well. The Government is currently trying to figure out how they will allow individuals from various households to gather without social distancing requirements and hope to have details available by the end of the week. Based on today's press conference, it appears that the Province is aiming for the "double bubble" method implemented by other provinces. The double bubble method allows individuals from two separate households to intermingle without needing to socially distance.
In the health unit districts permitted to move to phase 2, the following businesses and restrictions will now will be able to reopen with proper health and safety measures in place:
- Outdoor dine-in services at restaurants, bars and other establishments, including patios, curbside, parking lots and adjacent properties;
- Tour and guide services, such as bike and walking, bus and boat tours
- Water recreational facilities such as outdoor splash pads and wading pools, and all swimming pools;
- Beach access and additional camping at Ontario Parks;
- Camping at seasonal campgrounds and trailer parks;
- Weddings and funerals, with limits on social gatherings to 10 people.
The complete list of the businesses which are permitted to open as of Friday
can be seen here.
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US Camp Owners Will Now be Permitted to Enter Canada!
As a result of the information that was circulated from the CBSA on Friday, we followed up with a number of US camp operators to learn more about the process they will be provided to cross into Canada. It appears that the process is clear which should make things smooth at time of crossing.
We did confirm today that for fly-in operators that use an air charter service, they will have to do their 14-day quarantine prior to flying into their lodges. We are not sure how many US camp owners this will impact but we wanted to share this prior to their arrival at the border.
We encourage US camp owners to call your border crossing at your earliest convenience to learn more and ask your questions.
Here is the information we shared with you late last week again.
First reported on Friday, June 5, 2020
This just in from Canada Border Services Agency. Please read through it carefully and follow the recommendations for proceeding. We can't wait to welcome all of our US camp owners back.
To our Valued Partners in Tourism,
As you may have heard, the province of Ontario has allowed lodges, camps and cabin rentals to start reopening subject to safe protocols and restrictions. This only applies to Canadian guests as the border restrictions continue until June 21, 2020.
Foreign Nationals who own a Canadian lodge/camp will be allowed to apply for a LMIA exempt work permit at the Ports of Entry, so long as their business qualifies to open and their intent is to operate for the summer of 2020.
Once a work permit is issued, the Foreign National would be allowed to enter as an authorized worker, but will need to be able to self-isolate for 14 days at a designated address subject to public health quarantine rules. (Information will be provided when you arrive at the border)
To facilitate a large influx of people seeking work permits we would like to have you contact the Port of Entry where you normally cross and they will direct you as to any changes in the process. In Fort Frances, where we issue the majority of camp owner work permits, we will be implementing a pre-screening process and be issuing the permits by appointment to handle the volume. I hope that by mutual respect and cooperation we can meet the needs of this large group of foreign workers and keep our backlogs to a minimum. We are also working to ensure the health and safety or our Officers and all of our clients in this challenging time.
As a group of business owners you have been patient with the inability to attend to your place of business and I would ask for your patience over the weekend as we ready our processes to prepare for your arrival. We will be in a better position to accept your work permit applications next week and will start the scheduling of appointments after we review the information that you will be asked to provide.
Thanks for your anticipated cooperation.
Telephone number for our Ports of Entry are as follows:
- Rainy River POE – 807-852-3341
- Fort Frances POE – 807-274-3655
- Pigeon River POE – 807-964-3000
- Sault Ste Marie POE – 705-941-3063
Kevin Begin
Superintendent/Surintendant
Canada Border Services Agency/Agence des services frontaliers du Canada
Northern Ontario Region/Région du Nord de l'Ontario
Fort Frances Port of Entry/Point d'Entrée Fort Frances
101 Church Street/101 rue Church
Fort Frances, Ontario
P9A 3X8
(807) -274-5426
cell (807) 275-6068
fax (807) 274-8416
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NOTO's Health and Safety Protocols Now Ready!
With support from Destination Northern Ontario, NOTO has worked closely with our industry-led task force to develop health and safety protocols which cover all aspects of tourism from check-in, accommodations ranging from cabins to outposts and houseboats, and services related to hunting and fishing. These protocols have been reviewed by Workplace Safety and Prevention Services and will be vetted shortly!
We urge all operators to implement enhanced health and safety protocols prior to opening their businesses and ensure you comply with all other emergency orders! Please note, these health and safety protocols are subject to change as the emergency orders change and additional information on COVID-19 becomes available. We will advice you if we make any modifications to this document as we continue to face this pandemic.
Please see below for the details on the ADAPT 2020 webinar on these protocols that will take place Tuesday!
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TIAO Calls This Week
Tuesday 9th June
Northern Ontario Call
Call Time: 2pm
Access Code: 499-053-517
Tourism Operators and Educator Call
Call Time: 4pm
Access Code: 418-780-469
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Ministry of Energy, Northern Development and Mines Survey
To support the work of Ontario’s Jobs and Recovery Committee and, more specifically, response and recovery efforts of the Northern Ontario economy, we have developed a feedback form to better understand COVID-19 related challenges and opportunities with respect to Northern businesses and industries.
We kindly requested that the Business Survey be distributed to your business on behalf of our Ministry. Please
return the survey using the following email:
We are requesting that these surveys be returned
no later than June 22, 2020
to allow for feedback to be incorporated into the work of Ontario’s Jobs and Recovery Committee.
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Telephone Town Hall With Minister MacLeod
Wednesday, June 10, 2020 - 11 AM (EST)
The Honourable Lisa MacLeod, Ontario's Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries will be hosting a sixth telephone town hall to discuss the government's response to COVID-19.
Note: This call will be a dial-out call. You must provide a number you can be reached at in your registration to be able to join the call.
Click on the button below to register. Registration closes on June 9 at 9 pm (EST).
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Resources From WSPS
When provincial restrictions are lifted, WSPS wants Ontario employers and workers to get back to work, safely. To help educate customers and friends on how to do this and how we can help, WSPS has created a series of
Get Back to Work, Safely
videos.
Conversational and upbeat to signal a future focused return to “normal”, these videos provide advice to a diverse audience.
1.
“Smart, Safe and Supportive”:
A two-minute animated video targeting employers. The video focuses on five key considerations for returning to work:
- Preparing the physical space (e.g. physical distancing, sanitization/cleaning)
- Adjusting work practices (e.g. smart scheduling, handwashing/hygiene practices)
- Addressing employee needs (e.g. flexible work schedules)
- Protecting/supporting employee mental health
- Providing re-entry training on the new “normal”
2.
“Mask Safety Basics”
:
A 1-minute animated video educating people on the World Health Organization’s protocol for donning, wearing and doffing non-medical face masks.
3.
“Food Processing”:
A 3-4 minute video using industry footage, which focuses on compliance solutions for the meat processing industry; reinforcing different ways they can protect their workers and other contacts, from COVID-19.
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You can now view recordings of completed webinars by either signing in or creating a TEN account and
clicking here!
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Resource-Based Tourism: How to Provide a Safe Environment Amidst COVID
Presented by: Laurie Marcil, Executive Director, Nature and Outdoor Tourism in Ontario (NOTO) and Margaret Palmer, Commercial Account Executive & Certified Risk Advisor, Gougeon Insurance Brokers
June 9th, 2020 - 11:00 am EDT
Join this informative webinar for a discussion on the ways you can protect your staff, your guests and yourself while operating amidst COVID.
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D'aujourd'hui à demain - Les opérateurs du Nord partagent leur chemin vers la reprise / Northern Operators Share Their Path
Moderated by: Marla Tremblay, Destination Northern Ontario and TEN Specialist
Industry Panelists:
- Pat Dubreuil, Owner/Operator, Relais Magpie Relay
- Renee Vezeau, General Manager, Best Western Cochrane
- Melanie Ann Veilleux, Owner/Operator, Hearst Air Service & Brunswick Lake Lodge
- Mitch Deschatelets, Owner/Operator, Leisure Farm
June 10th, 2020 - 11:00 am EDT
Cette table ronde est centrée sur la crise COVID-19, et sur la façon dont les entreprises touristiques du Nord gèrent aujourd'hui, planifient l'avenir et s'attendent à résoudre les problèmes de main-d'œuvre lorsque le tourisme reprendra.
This panel discussion is centered around the COVID-19 crisis and how tourism businesses across the North are managing today, how they're planning for the future, and how they expect to address workforce issues once tourism opens back up - which it will!
*Webinar will be delivered in French. Questions can be posed in English.
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The Five Crucial Actions Destination Development Organizations Must Take to Succeed in Recovery
Presented by: Joe Veneto, Chief Experience Offier, Veneto Collaboratory
June 11th, 2020 - 11:00 am EDT
Given the current crisis, Destination Management Organizations must be the catalysts for their communities to get tourism and local businesses back on their feet. This is important for not only the tourism economy but also protecting and preserving the fabric of their community.
This webinar will cover:
- Operate in start-up mode
- Build a destination platform for the hyper-local market
- Source Market Intelligence to navigate recovery efforts
- Facilitate new products and experiences with operators and attractions
- Build, market and promote destination packages and partnerships to generate hyper-local demand
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Northwestern Ontario Tourism Operators Planning A Peaceful Rally
June 13 at Fort Vermilion in Vermilion Bay, ON
10am-1pm
Hello fellow tourism operators!
Thank you to NOTO for allowing us to use their newsletter to reach out to Northwestern operators. We felt this was one of the best ways to get the word out.
A movement is underway to organize a peaceful rally/protest to draw attention to the fact
we need meaningful support from the government for tourism that we have not yet received.
Anyone with a stake in tourism is welcome to join us. Just to make it clear, we will not tolerate profanity, violence, or any talk about the border opening or the virus.
Our mission and goal is clear – we need meaningful help and clear communication from the government to save our businesses since they won’t allow us to even open to Canadian tourism. We also need the government to allow USA business owners across the border so they can protect their investments.
We have a code of conduct to sign at the rally upon entering that basically states the above message. This will show anyone in authority our intention to protest peacefully and follow all social distancing guidelines.
If you want to get involved, you can email or call or Facebook. We have a group called
Tourism Matters NWO Rally
that you can go to and ask to join. If you cannot make it because you are stateside, let us know your lodge name and we will make sure you are represented!
Please join us!
Thank you.
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NOTO's COVID-19 Page
This page was created to keep you informed on the latest developments that may impact/help your businesses. This page features links to our COVID-19 newsletters, Government resources, information that may be useful to tourism operators and links to supports for tourism operators as they become available. This page will be updated regularly during this pandemic.There are FAQ's with answers and tips from NOTO. FAQs will be regularly updated as well.
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Federal & Provincial Government Information
The Ontario and Federal Governments are regularly updating COVID-19 information, travel information, Minister statements, Government initiatives and statistics on their websites. For additional information from the Ontario or Federal Government, please click on the buttons below.
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NOTO is a membership based organization that works hard to support the outdoor tourism industry through advocacy and information services. We do not receive Government funding for operating and rely on annual memberships from tourism businesses, organizations, product and service suppliers, and partners. For more information about membership with NOTO visit
noto.ca
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