A Message from BCHA President & CEO Ingrid Jarrett |
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Good Afternoon Accommodation Community,
Being part of British Columbia's hospitality community, we are accustomed to inviting people from all over the world to experience the beauty and splendor of the province. And while the natural beauty of British Columbia is undeniable, our province has a dark and horrific history — it is a history that is all too recent and is equally indisputable.
Like so many of you, we were profoundly saddened to learn of the discovery of 215 Indigenous children's bodies found in the area around the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. On behalf of our entire BCHA Board of Directors and team, we extend our deepest sympathies to every member of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc community and to Indigenous peoples across Canada.
This unthinkable tragedy results in trauma that will echo across generations and spotlights the extraordinary injustices our Indigenous communities face. We join Indigenous communities across Canada in remembering the lives that have been lost and extend our support on this journey toward healing.
I was once fortunate enough to be welcomed by the Tahltan Nation and Chief Carmen McPhee to attend a community hosted a Truth and Reconciliation Commission event in Telegraph Creek. There, I listened to unimaginable stories from survivors who recounted the devastation they faced at the hands of the residential school system and its roots in colonialism. These are roots that run deep, and as such, they require significant work to remove.
A tragedy such as this forces us to collectively ask "how can we do better". And as we reflect on how to move forward with this information, I would like to share this statement from Indigenous Tourism BC:
May we have the courage to face the truth, learn from it, demand accountability, and take action.
Thank you,
Ingrid Jarrett
President and CEO
BC Hotel Association
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Today's update includes:
- Miscellaneous Group Meetings Added to Gatherings and Events PHO
- Circuit Breaker Grant Deadline Friday, June 4th | Apply Now
- Reminder | go2HR Career Portal
- Destination Canada | Industry's Key Messages
- BCHA's Buy, Sell, & Exchange Program | Connect with Us
- Celebrating National Accessibility Week
- BC's Restaurants Need Sector-Specific Survival Package to Bring Back 45,300 Jobs
- Mark Your Calendars
- June is Free Education Month at Small Business BC
- New B SAFE Training for BC's Tourism and Hospitality Industry
- Free Webinar: What does BC's No-Fault Auto Regime mean for Liquor Liability?
- Canadian Hotel Investment Conference
- Tourism Vancouver AGM
- Congratulations! Tipping Our Hat to Industry
- Hotelier Mandy Farmer Becomes Restauranteur | Roar Tofino Opens at Hotel Zed Tofino
- In the News
- CTV News | B.C.'s minimum wage increases to $15.20 an hour on June 1
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Morning with Simi | How are hotels getting ready for life back to normal?
- HRReporter | B.C. launches COVID certificate program for tourism, hospitality workers
- Global BC | B.C.'s tourism restart plan (Interview with DBC's Maya Lange)
- CTV News | Canada won't rush reopening border with United States, Trudeau says
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Miscellaneous Group Meetings Added to Gatherings and Events PHO |
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Please note, that as of Friday, May 28th the Public Health Order on Gatherings and Events was updated to include miscellaneous group meetings.
Currently, operators are able to accommodate seated indoor business meetings of up to 10 people now and up to 50 after June 15th. Operators must have a safety plan in place and abide by COVID-19 safety protocols and procedures.
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Circuit Breaker Grant Deadline
Friday, June 4th | Apply Now
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Please note that deadlines for the Circuit Breaker Grant is this Friday, June 4th.
If you have not done so already, apply as soon as possible. See below for further details on provincial relief measures.
Circuit Breaker Grant
Who it's for:
- BC majority owned for-profit business that partially or fully closed to comply with March 31 PHO order or April 23 EPA order
Deadline:
- June 4th, 2021, or until funds are fully committed
Contact:
- circuitbreakerreliefgrant@gov.bc.ca
- 1-833-254-4357
Business Recovery Grant
Who it's for:
- BC owned for-profit business with 149 staff or less (we encourage you to still apply even if you do not meet this criteria)
Deadline:
- August 31st, 2021, or until funds are fully committed
Contact:
- businessrecoverygrantprogram@gov.bc.ca
- 1-833-254-4357
Please reach out to our BCHA team should you have any further questions or require additional support.
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Reminder | go2HR Career Portal |
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Looking to attract candidates who are eager to pursue a career in hospitality? Looking for new opportunity within the travel and tourism sector? A friendly reminder of the various human resources tools offered through our partners at go2HR.
Get information on the opportunities across BC and view:
- current job openings
- job descriptions
- career profiles
- tourism training
- job search tips
- or post your company's job posting
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Destination Canada | Industry's Key Messages |
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Tourism’s recovery is a national challenge that calls for deep collaboration to fully realize its future potential.
Destination Canada has developed key messages and supporting proof points that aimed to support our national tourism community. Whether they support marketing efforts, industry presentations, or media relations efforts, these messages tell an important story of our sector.
- The key messages are broader statements that demonstrate key areas of focus.
- The proof points are key data points that reinforce core messages.
Key messages include:
- Tourism is the hardest hit sector of economic activities
- Canadians are key to supporting the recovery of the tourism sector
- Canadians can feel confident in making travel plans as tourism businesses throughout Canada have made huge investments in new hygiene protocols. The health and wellbeing of tourism employees and guests is paramount
- Tourism improves the quality of life for all Canadians
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BCHA's Buy, Sell, & Exchange
Program | Connect with Us
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The BCHA is pleased to introduce the Buy, Sell, Exchange program which offers accommodators the ability to list their items or purchase items directly from other operators across British Columbia.
Have furnishings, fixtures, or equipment you are looking to get rid of or are in search of? Contact kelsey@bcha.com and we will help connect you with the rest of the hotel community in BC.
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CURRENTLY FOR SALE:
Prestige Hotels and Resorts has a selection of furnishings, fixtures & equipment available for sale from their acquisition in Kamloops.
Details:
- Prefer to sell in volume counts and/or packages of room.
- Items have not yet been priced so please make an offer.
- Pickup and moving not included
- Items ready to be picked up as of June 2nd in Kamloops
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If interested please contact Karoline Huber at:
250-860-5858 ext. 117
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Celebrating National Accessibility Week |
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The BCHA is proud to celebrate National Accessibility Week! Join us from May 30 to June 5, 2021 to celebrate:
- the valuable contributions of Canadians with disabilities
- the accomplishments of individuals, communities and workplaces to remove barriers to accessibility and inclusion, and
- the ongoing work we all have to do to counter discrimination against persons with disabilities and promote a culture of inclusion.
When barriers are removed, Canadians with disabilities are able to participate fully in society and workplaces. This helps our communities thrive and our economy prosper, so all Canadians benefit.
This year’s theme is “Disability Inclusion 2021: Leaving No One Behind” and is a central pillar as we look at recovery. I
It is only by working together that we will achieve a truly accessible and inclusive industry, province and country that leaves no one behind.
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On June 2nd, help raise awareness and promote dialogue about accessibility and inclusion by wearing a Red Shirt! By participating in Red Shirt Day, you can help create a visible display of solidarity to show support for persons and families who are living with disabilities, celebrate their achievements, and pledge your commitment to help create a fully accessible and inclusive society that values the contributions of people of all abilities.
The BCHA joins DBC in the active support of the development and improvement of accessible tourism products, services and activities to ensure every person can participate in BC’s transformative experiences. Committed to building a province that is inclusive and welcoming to all travelers, DBC has encapsulated this vow through “Toward an Inclusive and Accessible British Columbia Tourism Industry”, a three-year strategic framework and action plan that aims to build capacity within the industry and champion meaningful tourism employment opportunities for people with disabilities. Click here to learn more and commit to help champion change.
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BC's Restaurants Need Sector-Specific Survival Package to Bring Back 45,300 Jobs |
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Restaurants Canada is calling for a sector-specific support package to recover more than 400,000 foodservice jobs — including 45,300 jobs still missing from British Columbia’s restaurant sector. Restaurants account for most of Canada’s pandemic employment gap
According to the April Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada, more than two thirds (70.9%) of the 503,000 jobs still missing from the Canadian economy in the wake of COVID-19 are from the foodservice sector.
According to the latest survey data from Restaurants Canada:
- 8 out of 10 foodservice businesses have been operating at a loss or barely scraping by throughout the entire pandemic, with 45% consistently losing money for more than a year.
- 7 out of 10 restaurant operators continuing to lose money expect they’ll need at least a year to return to profitability.
Restaurants Canada is calling on the federal government to immediately introduce a sector-specific Restaurant Survival Support Package containing the following measures:
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- An exemption from the scheduled scale-back of the rent and wage subsidies for the highly affected foodservice sector, and an extension of these vital programs for restaurants until at least April 2022.
- The option for any restaurants eligible for the wage subsidy to also apply for added funding through the Canada Recovery Hiring Program.
- Partial forgiveness for all government-backed loans and an extension of application deadlines for existing programs.
- Tax credits to defray costs of COVID-19 health and safety expenditures.
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June is Free Education Month at Small Business BC
Start your summer off on the right foot with a month of free education at Small Business BC.
Delivered in partnership with WorkSafeBC, June’s FREE Education Month delivers over 25 webinars and Talk to an Expert sessions, offering plenty of opportunities to upskill. Whether you’re looking to start or grow your business, our educational calendar for the month is stacked with informative and practical sessions that will put your business on the road to success.
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New B SAFE Training for BC's Tourism and Hospitality Industry
To help rebuild confidence in travel and hospitality, B SAFE is a new 90-minute, online course oriented toward staff in BC’s tourism and hospitality industry.
The training aims to provide staff with a strong foundation in COVID-19 health and safety protocols, and to assist them in understanding ever-evolving best practices. Upon successful completion of the course, participants (and properties with over 75% of staff completion) are awarded a certificate and decal that demonstrates their knowledge of and commitment to COVID-19 health and safety.
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go2HR's objective is for B SAFE to become an industry standard: a recognizable indicator of the extent to which health and safety is a priority for BC’s tourism and hospitality employers. B SAFE stands for BC Safety Assured For Everyone Supported by the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, B SAFE aims to build community and staff confidence in the health and safety protocols of BC’s tourism and hospitality industry as the province navigates and emerges from the COVID-19 era.
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Free Webinar: What does BC's No-Fault Auto Regime mean for Liquor Liability?
ABLEBC invites you to join us for a free webinar on Wednesday, June 16 at 10:00 am PST
BC's new no-fault auto regime creates a "disincentive" for a patron to sue you. Does that mean insurance should be cheaper and easier to get? Join Lorne Folick (Dolden Wallace Folick LLP) to discuss the impact of of the no-fault auto regime on your liquor business.
To learn more about the application of BC's no-fault auto regime to commercial liquor licensees, download this article by Lorne Folick and Ouran Li.
If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact Danielle Leroux (Director of Membership and Communications): danielle@ablebc.ca
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Save the date!
Registration will open next week where we will announce our keynote speakers and sessions.
Are you interested in sponsoring? Please contact Stephanie for further details.
This is a milestone event you will not want to miss!
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Tourism Vancouver | Notice of 2021 Annual General Meeting
Tourism Vancouver Members: take notice that the 118th Annual General Meeting of the Metro Vancouver Convention & Visitors Bureau, doing business as Tourism Vancouver will be held:
- Date: Thursday, June 24, 2021
- Time: 3:30PM - 5:30PM
- Location: BC Place Stadium (Hybrid Virtual)
The following formal business will be considered at this meeting:
- Presentation and approval of the agenda and minutes from the October 29, 2020 AGM
- Presentation and approval of the audited 2020 financial statements & appointment of auditors
- Presentation of the 2021-2022 Board of Directors
- Reports from the Board of Directors and CEO
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Congratulations! Tipping Our Hat to Industry
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Hotelier Mandy Farmer Becomes Restauranteur | Roar Tofino Opens at Hotel Zed Tofino
Congratulations to the entire Hotel Zed and Accent Inns family for the launch of Roar Tofino, a new delicious culinary experience!
From the outdoor fire pits, wood-fire grill and charcoal grill, Roar takes food back to its simplest form – fresh, local ingredients, cooked over live fire. A nod to Tofino’s geography, Roar harnesses the roar of the ocean and the roar of the fire in an out-of-the-ordinary restaurant space.
Visit roartofino.com for more information and to book your reservation.
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B.C.'s minimum wage increases to $15.20 an hour on June 1
Over the last four years, the province's minimum wage has steadily gone up from $11.35 an hour in 2017 to $15.20 on June 1, 2021. B.C.'s minimum wage is set to surpass $15 an hour on June 1, the highest of any province in Canada.
Read more
vancouversun.com
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Where did it come from?, Prosecuting gangsters & Getting ...
Chapter 1: U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday said the U.S. intelligence community is divided on the question of where COVID-19 emerged from, including whether it came from human contact with an infected animal or a laboratory accident.
Read more
omny.fm
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B.C. launches COVID certificate program for tourism,...
BSAFE course participants will be trained to: understand COVID-19 primary modes of transmission, high-risk areas/activities and the importance of consistent application of controls and measures be able to resolve conflict situations arising from...
Read more
www.hrreporter.com
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B.C.'s tourism restart plan | Watch News Videos Online
Watch B.C.'s tourism restart plan Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca
Read more
globalnews.ca
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Canada won't rush reopening border with United States,...
Canada won't be rushed into reopening its border with the United States to non-essential travel, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Monday, as new COVID-19 case counts continued to drop in much of the country.
Read more
www.ctvnews.ca
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