C-19 BULLETIN - May 11, 2020
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Federal Government Update

Mid and Large Sized Business Supports
The Government of Canada announced new business supports available for mid and large sized businesses:
  • an expansion of the Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) for mid-sized businesses that need more capital
  • the creation of the new Large Employer Emergency Financing Facility (LEEFF).

The expansion of the BCAP program will provide loans up to $60 million per company and guarantees of up to $80 million. 

The LEEFF program will provide bridge financing for large employers with annual revenues of $300 million or higher. To qualify, businesses must require access to funding in excess of $60 million, and must meet a number of conditions including a commitment to maintain Canadian jobs; respect collective agreements and pension obligations; provide reports on commitments to environmental sustainability and Canada’s climate change goals; full disclosure of finances to demonstrate solvency; and demonstrate that companies are not practicing tax avoidance. There will also be restrictions on using these funds for dividend payouts and executive compensation. 

Industry Strategy Council Announced
A new Industry Strategy Council was announced by the Prime Minister, focussing on assessing the scope and depth of the COVID-19 pandemic impact on industries captured under the various Economic Strategy Tables – including tourism – and providing valuable private sector advice to the federal government.  Retail and transportation were also added as other important economic strategy tables. The Council will be co-chaired by Minister Navdeep Bains and former Desjardins CEO Monique Leroux.  Members will be announced in the near future.
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Restarting Operations after COVID-19
What You Need to Know

BC’s restart plan has set the stage for a phased return to normal operations. As you prepare to ramp up operations or reopen your business, you may need to adjust your existing occupational health and safety program to make sure you are protecting both workers and guests against COVID-19.

The provincial government has tasked WorkSafeBC with developing guidelines for businesses to operate safely in the current environment. As the Health and Safety Association for BC’s tourism and hospitality industry, go2HR is liaising with WorkSafeBC, industry associations, Ministry of Tourism, Arts & Culture, RDMOs and TIABC to assist tourism industry employers with the development and implementation of appropriate COVID-19 Safety Plans for their individual businesses.

go2HR, with input from industry, has also developed a  COVID-19 Best Practices template , offering health and safety tips and sample best practices for employers and workers to follow, as you look towards business recovery. Please note that this template is intended as a guide. We recommend that you review and adapt the content to reflect the specific operating nature of your business environment, in order to protect your workers and prevent the spread of infection in your workplace.
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An Easing of Restrictions to Re-start BC

Individual businesses will not be required to submit COVID-19 mitigation plans to WorkSafeBC, but they will be required to post their plans publicly to create accountability and confidence. Compliance with these plans will be enforced by random checks and an investigation of complaints by Public Health and WorkSafeBC.

Businesses will not be required to open as of a certain date. Individual businesses will need to consider their own circumstances, as well as those of their employees and customers, and not all businesses will find that it makes sense to re-open given restrictions around physical distancing. BC restaurants are aiming to resume dine-in service beginning June 1st.

Note: WorkSafeBC "will not be reviewing or approving the (health and safety) plans of individual employers, but during a WorkSafeBC inspection, they will ask employers about the steps they have taken to protect their workers. You must ensure that workers understand the measures you are taking to reduce the risk as many will have concerns about returning to work. Involve them in the planning process as much as possible to ensure their concerns are heard and addressed." 
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Road to Recovery: Pulse Check

The third economic impacts “pulse” survey is now live:
 
Like previous ‘pulse-check’ surveys, we’re asking about impacts on BC businesses to date and the accessibility and usefulness of existing government supports. However, this third survey also focusses on  reopening BC’s economy   and the business community’s reaction to BC’s Restart Plan—which was introduced by the Premier on May 6th.
 
By  taking this 4-minute survey  you’re ensuring the voice of business doesn’t fade as we move from crisis and toward recovery.
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BC Trucking Association Survey
on Motor Coach Sector
Closes Wednesday May 13th

Their first survey in March found that COVID-19 was having an extremely negative impact on BC’s Motor Coach sector and it was expected to continue or worsen in April.

Specifically: 
  • Motor coach companies on average saw a revenue drop of 92.1% over the month of March and 100% of respondents expect their revenue to fall further in April;
  • The vast majority of motor coach companies have parked most of their fleet;
  • On average, 81% of motor coach company employees have been temporarily laid off; and
  • Three-quarters of respondents believed an economic rebound in their sector would be somewhat slow (1-2 years) or very slow (over 2 years).
 
A second survey is now out to identify the impact COVID-19 has had on their members over the month of April and is forecasted to have for the month of May. 
 
BCTA COVID-19 Survey Closes Wednesday May 13th
 
To complete the survey, please visit:
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Aviation Associations' Letter to Prime Minister

Almost all the national and regional aviation organizations came together to submit a  joint letter to the Prime Minister  Friday afternoon. A combined approach can be extremely powerful as it focuses on what all areas of the industry require to survive. The signatories on the letter outlined industry-wide actions that government can take to allow their businesses to help their passengers, customers, students and communities return to a state of economic health and normalcy as quickly as possible.

This morning a significant social media campaign was launched to back up this correspondence and widen its audience.
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State of the Industry

The latest State of the Industry weekly report from Twenty31 is   now available  . Download the Dashboard Report #4  here .

These reports are made possible through  Canadian Experiences Fund  funding.
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BC Wine Education and Virtual Tasting Series

Wines of British Columbia   welcomes wine writer, educator and Vancouver-based Sommelier, Kurtis Kolt, as he leads a virtual BC wine educational tasting. This virtual event is designed for anyone who is making, growing, selling or just drinking BC wine.

Wednesday May 13, 2020 @1:00 pm PT (30 minutes)

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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.

Wednesday May 13 @ 10:00 am PT

Friday May 22 @ 9:00 am PT

Wednesday May 27 @ 10:00 am PT

Friday June 5 @ 10:30 am PT

To view previous webinars, visit:
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Destination BC Webinars

Destination BC is hosting a series of webinars to support BC’s tourism industry on the road to recovery. This series supports response, recovery, and resilience from COVID-19.

Speaker: Conner Galway, Junction Consulting
Tuesday, May 12 @ 2:00 pm PT (60 minutes)

Speaker: Joe Veneto, Veneto Collaboratory 
Thursday, May 14 @2:00 pm PT (90 minutes)

Speaker: Eva Gutsche, Stem Consulting
Tuesday, May 19 @ 2:00 pm PT (60 minutes)

Speaker: Daniel Craig, Reknown
Thursday, May 21 @ 2:00 pm PT (60 minutes)

Speaker: Conner Galway, Junction Consulting
Tuesday, May 26 @ 2:00 pm PT (60 minutes)

Speaker: Conner Galway, Junction Consulting
Thursday, May 28 @ 2:00 pm PT (60 minutes)

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Women of Recreation, Tourism &
Hospitality (WORTH) Webinars

Worth is hosting a two-part Zoom series about navigating the heightened levels of uncertainty and change that many of us are experiencing today. You will be equipped with tangible tools and ideas to empower you to make this time work to your advantage.

Monday, May 18 at 2:00 pm PT
Making Uncertainty Work For You

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Destination Canada Webinars

Tuesday, May 12 @ 3:30 pm PT
  • Speakers: The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages; Destination Canada; and Tourism Industry Association of Canada.

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Saving Main Street Today. Reimagining it Tomorrow.

Wednesday, May 13 @ 8:00 am PT

Main Streets and commercial districts with their restaurants and shops punch far above their weight in contributing to the overall prosperity of our cities and the economy as a whole. So what can be done to put our Main Streets and commercial neighbourhoods back on their feet—and make them more resilient to changing threats in the future? In this webinar, Resonance Consultancy President Chris Fair and University of Texas Professor and Urban Lab Director Steven Pedigo will share research on why small shops and restaurants are important to our urban economies, with recommendations on how business owners, real estate developers, cities, economic developers, business improvement districts and destination marketers can work together to respond, reboot and reimagine the streets and neighbourhoods we love.

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Greater Victoria Harbour Authority Town Hall

Join Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) CEO Ian Robertson for a discussion on the status of their operations, the return of cruise to Victoria, and what’s next for their non-profit organization. Robertson will be available to answer your questions following the presentation portion of the session.

Wednesday May 20 @ 11:30 am PT (45 minutes)
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Using STR Data in Times of Crisis and Recovery

Thursday, May 21 @ 11:00 am PT

STR provides premium data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights for global hospitality sectors. STR is working to increase participation in their hotel benchmarking platform to provide organizations like the BC Hotel Association with the information they need to successfully lobby on behalf of their members and create effective marketing strategies to drive tourism. Join STR and the BCHA for their Using STR Data in Times of Crisis and Recovery webinar.
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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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Road to Recovery in Squamish

Tourism Squamish is working with the Chamber of Commerce to support local businesses in the  Road to Recovery , and ensure they are ready to operate safely, in-line with Provincial guidelines.

As businesses adapt their operations, the Road to Recovery program aims to support Squamish by:
  • Celebrating the contributions that local businesses make to our economy and community
  • Showcasing local businesses, the impact of COVID and the resilience of Squamish through a series of blogs, COVID Chronicles (see below for some links to stories from tourism providers)
  • Providing businesses with tools to operate safely and according to Provincial Health Office orders

Sea to Sky Gondola:

Britannia Mine Museum:

Canadian Outback Rafting Company:

Backcountry Brewing:


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.