COVID-19 Update

In Today's Update

A message from our Executive Director
NOTO Survey Results Now Available
Extensions to Federal Financial Assistance Programs
Provincial Government Programs
Canada United Small Business Relief Fund
TIAC survey to push for CEWS extension
Employment Standards Act Amendments to remain until Jan 2, 2020
Safetravel Stamp details
WSPS 2020 Health and Safety Fall Virtual Conference - Oct 21st, 2020

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:

Kate Racicot - kate@noto.net

Laurie Marcil - laurie@noto.net or 705-499-7556

A Message from our Executive Director

Laurie Marcil

I want to take the opportunity to thank all of the camp operators across the Province who continue to share with us their thoughts, concerns and experiences. Hearing directly from you help us to build on the progress that we have made to date and ensure our asks of Government are on the right track.

I know that many in our industry feel locked away from those in other regions so I thought today I would share with you a little of what we are seeing from a bird's eye view. We know through our direct discussions and survey responses, some regions and even some experience types are being impacted much differently.

Many operators in the Northeast and South have been able to open and have had success in attracting the domestic market. Their proximity to the larger populated areas in Southern Ontario has facilitated this. Most of these businesses have however been asked to provide "COVID discounts" and some have accommodated this request. Some have reported that while they are receiving guests they are facing numerous challenges (staff shortage, more work to meet protocols, shorter stays, higher costs). So being open and having a full camp does not equate to recovery. Something else we have heard is that businesses that offer remote fly-in experiences have not been nearly successful in attracting domestic clients.

As we move further west into North Central Ontario, we are seeing less reports of success in attracting the domestic market. The fly-in and train-in operators are not only dealing with the challenge of finding enough clients that would balance the operational costs versus the revenue they might generate but the train-in operations are dealing with very limited train schedules this year due to COVID-19 (of course).

Once we reach the Northwest, the stories become even more devastating. Tourism in the Northwest is so dependent on the US market and their lack of proximity to larger populated cities have left many operations closed or operating at a very limited capacity. While some have tried to market to the domestic market and have some success, it is clear that the domestic market will never replace the US market. In several discussions with operators in the Northwest that have successfully attracted Canadians to their facilities, they have been working on the domestic market for anywhere from 10 to 30 years. This switch is not something that can be expected to take place in part of one season.

Based on all of the feedback that we have received from operators, NOTO has taken the following recommendations to all levels of Government regarding the border and financial assistance:

Re-opening the Border

That the Government of Canada commit to developing a plan to re-open the US/Canada border safely in 2021 that can be communicated to the world before the end of 2020. That a gradual re-opening be considered with a goal of beginning in January 2021 with all leisure travel being permitted by April 2021. Methods of testing, and other safety precautions must be communicated in advance so as to build the confidence of Canadians as well as our US consumers.

Financial Assistance

That the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario work together to provide immediate direct non-repayable financial assistance to the tourism businesses in Ontario that continue to face a severe loss in revenues as a result of COVID-19. We recommend that funding be provided based on a percentage of gross sales reported in 2019 on HST returns. Based on data collected directly from industry we recommend that the percentage be between 40% and 70%. Future tax credits are also recommended to assist this vital economic driver in Northern Ontario to recover from the long term impacts of this pandemic.

These are high level summaries of the details in our recommendations. We have not had any outright "No's" in our discussions to date and we will continue to share these recommendations broadly. We encourage operators to echo these recommendations in their communications with politicians in their regions.

We are also continuing our efforts to get flexibility for the upcoming hunting seasons and pushing for the CEWS program to allow operators to continue to get this important subsidy during the off-season to retain staff.

We are continuing to work with other regional, provincial, and national organizations like Destination Northern Ontario, TIAO, Canadian Federation of Outfitter Association and TIAC to elevate our voice and ensure that your interests are being included.

I know that my message is a little long winded today but I thought by sharing the overview of what we at NOTO are hearing across the regions it might help to retain our sense of community as well as for you to understand the challenges that this organization is facing as we continue to press for better supports. COVID-19 is a complicated virus that has created an even more complicated crisis for the tourism industry and we must work together to get through it.

I encourage you to continue sharing your thoughts, stories and suggestions with us. We are here for you.

Take care,

Laurie

NOTO Survey Results Now Available

NOTO's survey results are now ready! As this survey has proven, Resource-based tourism businesses continue to struggle as a result of the pandemic. Some regions have been able to fare better than others with regard to attracting domestic travelers. The uncertainty of what will take place in the coming months and in particular for the 2021 season is taking its toll on all of you.

Results have shown, operators in Northwestern Ontario have been particularly hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. While many operators in Northeastern and North Central Ontario have been able to tap into the domestic market, those in the Northwest have not. However, just because some businesses have seen an increase in domestic guests, this doesn't mean they are in recovery.

All operators continue to feel a significant loss of cash flow, all have lost regular US clientele due to the Canada-US border closure, and many businesses are at risk of permanent closure if the border does not open in time for the 2021 season. Some operators have already been reporting losses and cancellations for 2021 as a result of the uncertainty surrounding the border.

Millions of dollars have been lost by the resource-based tourism industry as a result of the pandemic and this does not include the fall season losses that will surely be felt soon enough.

The resource-based tourism industry needs financial support that won't lead to additional debt! We need the Canada-US border to open safely by 2021. The Government can not afford to loose a significant portion of a $1.4 billion tourism industry.

NOTO will be sharing this data along with a letter specifying the urgent need for financial assistance, as well as the urgent need for a proper, communicated plan on how the border will safely re-open to ensure we don't lose the 2021 season as well. The data and the letters will be shared with specific Ministers as well as all northern MPs and MPPs prior to the new Throne Speech to ensure tourism is top of mind when the Federal Government resumes.

View Survey Results

Extensions for CEBA, BCAP & Commercial Rent Programs

The Department of Finance Canada announced the extension of the application deadline for the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) to October 31, 2020. More flexibility is being provided for those businesses that have not previously been able to apply due to not operating from a business banking account. A call centre to support businesses who have questions about the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) was also launched and can be reached at 1-888-324-4201.

The Business Credit Availability Program (BCAP) is also being extended to June 2021.

The Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) will be extended by one month to help eligible small businesses pay rent for September.

Provincial Government Update

The Province is implementing a 4-week pause on their re-opening strategy as a result of an uptick in COVID-19 cases. The current hot spots include Toronto, Brampton and Ottawa.

Every region will need to continue following Stage 3 restrictions during this time. All gathering restrictions continue to apply. If any areas see significant spikes, Premier Doug Ford stated that he won't hesitate to drop regions back to earlier stages.

The Government also launched a program to help small businesses catch up on hydro bills. The COVID-19 Energy Assistance Program for Small Business (CEAP-SB) provides a one time, on-bill credit to eligible small business to help them catch up on their energy bills and resume regular payments. Small business may be eligible for up to $850 in support towards their electricity bill if they primarily use electricity for heating, or up to $425 otherwise. Small business could also be eligible for up to $425 in support towards their natural gas bill.

Small business are eligible for CEAP-SB if they meet all of the following criteria:

The customer has an active account with an electricity distributor, a USMP or a natural gas distributor.
The customer’s account falls within the following class:
For customers of an electricity distributor, the General Service less than 50 kW rate class
For customers of a USMP, the relevant commercial class that uses less than 150,000 kWh of electricity annually
For customers of a natural gas distributor, is a non-residential customer that uses less than 50,000 cubic meters of gas annually
The customer has a registered business number.
The customer’s account was in good standing on March 17, 2020, and the customer was not enrolled in an arrears payment agreement for amount owing prior to March 17, 2020. However, customers that enrolled in an arrears payment agreement for amounts that became owing after March 17, 2020 are eligible for CEAP-SB.
The customer failed to make complete payment for the electricity and/or natural gas charges (as applicable) on at least two bills issued since March 17, 2020, and has an overdue balance on the date of their application for CEAP-SB.
The customer’s small business was required to close* to the public for regular operations for at least 15 days as a result of a government order or inability to comply with public health recommendations.

The Canada United Small Business Relief Fund

The Canada United Small Business Relief Fund will be managed by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce to help small Canadian businesses with their recovery efforts as a result of COVID-19.

If awarded, a relief grant can be used for any of the following activities:

Purchasing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) such as masks, face shields, and latex gloves.
Renovating physical space to adhere to local, Provincial or Federal reopening guidelines.
Developing or improving e-commerce capabilities for your business.

Successful applicants will receive a relief grant of up to $5,000.

View Details

TIAC Survey To Push For CEWS Extension

TIAC is asking for an extension of the Canadian Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) to be extended to Spring/Summer 2021 with support for those hardest hit by the pandemic.

Please take a moment to fill out the attached 1-minute survey to help TIAC make the case to federal government officials.

Complete Survey

Amendments to Employment Standards Act Will Remain Until January 2nd, 2021

The Employment Standards Act, 2000 (ESA) sets out minimum standards of employment for most employees in Ontario workplaces. Due to emergency orders previously issued under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, and continuing under the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, 2020 (ROA), the minimum standards under the ESA may apply differently to certain employees.

Various amendments to the ESA include infectious disease emergency leave which provides job protection for employees who are not performing the duties of their position because of various circumstances as a result of COVID-19, declared emergency leave in which employees had the right to take an unpaid, job-protected leave if certain circumstances applied, a few changes with regards to vacations, and having employees be deemed to be on a job-protected infectious disease emergency leave if their hours have been significantly reduced or eliminated (temporary layoff) due to COVID-19.