In Today's Update
- A Message from NOTO's President
- Ontario Tourism Resiliency Award Finalists
- NOTO Awards - Call for Nominations - Deadline October 22nd
- Ontario Enhanced COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate & Verify Ontario App Available October 15th
- Tourism SkillsNet North Announcements
- Ontario Tourism Recovery Program Info & FAQs
- Adapt 2021 Webinar: Vaccine Certificate and Workplace Vaccination Policies: Resources for Tourism Businesses
- Are you searching for francophone or bilingual employees?
- US Border to Open November 8th to Fully Vaccinated Non-essential Travellers
- Announcements from TIAO: TIAO Calls and Safe Travels Stamp Awards
- Northern Ontario Tourism Fall Training Week - Save the Date!
- Safe Travel Stamp
- Renew or Join NOTO! - Early Bird Rates Extended!
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 Message from NOTO's President
Greetings Fellow NOTO Members,
WOW ! A huge Congratulations goes out to Laurie on her Tourism Champion Award. On Friday in the Globe and Mail, TIAO announced some winners and finalists for their Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence and Ontario Tourism Resiliency Awards. I would say this is certainty well deserved and recognition of her commitment to our industry. I would also like to recognize the people who helped make her nomination happen. I want to thank Kate for pulling it all together, and the people that on short notice formulated letters supporting her nomination. Former Minister, John Yakabuski, Beth Potter (TIAC), Sue Crane (Board Member) and Abby Errington (Past President of NOTO). I appreciate the expression of their support in some eloquent letters which ultimately lead to Laurie winning this prestigious award. I would also thank the TIAO staff for all the help in completing the application process and for supporting NOTO as we have become quite a team in representing tourism in Ontario.
To the TIAO Board I know how hard selecting award winners is as there are so many deserving applicants and applaud your decisions. To Mark Bingeman, the other winner of the Tourism Champion Award, you are also well deserving and in good company. I would also congratulate all the other award winners and finalists on their achievements.
I hope we will again move forward with capacity limits being eliminated as quickly and a safely as possible. The prospect of the border opening into the US will also allow us to renew our normalized travel between our countries and support our combined quest toward normalization. We look forward to announcements and advancements in our recovery while recognizing we still have a ways to go.
Please also take the time to recognize your peers by nominating them for a NOTO Award, we are extending the nomination deadline to October 22nd. You will find more details on the awards that are available in this newsletter.
Thanks, Bob Garson
NOTO President
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We are very excited and honoured to share that two initiatives that NOTO has developed over the last year are being recognized as part of TIAO's Ontario Tourism Resiliency Awards under the collaboration categories.
NOTO, Destination Northern Ontario and Tourism Industry Association of Ontario are also named as finalists in three categories for their creation and collaborative work of the Northern Ontario Border Working Group. The work of this group has led to the development of recommendations for reopening the Canada-US border that we are seeing reflected in recent activities of the Canadian Government.
It is an honour to be recognized and we want to take the opportunity to thank our partners Destination Northern Ontario and Tourism Industry Association of Ontario as well as the individual members of the Northern Border Working Group for their time and dedication to this challenging topic.
The award winners will be announced on October 27th at the Ontario Tourism Summit Gala.
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NOTO Awards - Nominations Close Oct. 22nd
The NOTO awards were created to acknowledge the people who make Ontario's tourism industry so vibrant. The awards are presented every year to members who have gone above and beyond to improve both the natural and working environment, and/or tourism as a whole.
Please take a moment to think about someone who you feel should be acknowledged for their contributions to the tourism industry for the following awards:
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NOTO Conservation Award: Awarded to a NOTO member who has contributed substantially to conservation.
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Bob Giles Award: Awarded to a NOTO member who has shown outstanding performance in the field of Northern Ontario Tourism.
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Outfitter of the Year Award: Awarded to a NOTO member who made an outstanding contribution to tourism over the last year.
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Tourism Champion: Awarded annually to a person who supports a strong and united tourism industry. A person who sees tourism in a much larger picture than their own specific business or role they play. This award does not necessarily need to be given to a tourism business owner or a NOTO member.
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Preferred Supplier of The Year Award: Awarded to a NOTO Preferred Supplier in recognition of their dedication, support and participation in furthering the goals and objectives of NOTO and its members.
To view more details and examples of activities that would qualify for these awards, and to access the nomination forms, please click on the button below.
Nominations close October 22nd, 2021 at 4pm.
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Ontario's Enhanced COVID-19 Vaccine Certificate with QR Code and Verify Ontario App Available for Download Starting October 15
Beginning October 15, 2021, Ontario's enhanced COVID-19 vaccine certificate with QR codes for individuals and the Verify Ontario app (to scan the vaccine certificate QR codes) will be available for free download. These two new tools will be make venturing out more convenient for fully vaccinated individuals and help businesses and organizations verify vaccination status much faster.
Information for Individuals
Obtaining Your Vaccine Certificate:
The vaccine certificate will be available for download from the COVID-19 vaccination portal beginning October 15. You will need to have your green photo health card handy. To ensure the system does not get overloaded they will be limiting access by birth month over the next three days:
October 15, 12:00am to 11:59pm: all individuals born between January and April
October 16, 12:00am to 11:59pm: all individuals born between May and August
October 17, 12:00am to 11:59pm: all individuals born between September and December
Starting October 18 at 6:00am, the portal will be open for any individual to download their vaccine certificates, regardless of birth month.
People can save the electronic version of their vaccine certificate to their mobile device or print a paper copy. Businesses must accept both electronic and paper versions. Vaccine receipts will continue to be accepted, but will no longer be available for download from the COVID-19 vaccination portal as of October 15th.
The province is encouraging individuals to download their enhanced vaccine certificate with the QR code as an easier, more secure an convenient way to have their proof of vaccination verified. Individuals will still be required to show a piece of identification with their name and date of of birth along with the QR code when visiting select businesses and organizations.
Individuals with a red and white health card or who wish to have their vaccine certificate emailed or mailed to them can call the Provincial Vaccine Contact Centre at 1-833-943-3900 between 8:00am and 8:00pm, 7 days a week.
The vaccine certificate (downloadable from the COVID-19 vaccination portal) is the official QR code-based proof of vaccination issued by the Government of Ontario. Third-party QR codes will not be compatible with the Verify Ontario app and cannot be used to access prescribed settings. This vaccination certificate is built to the SMART Health Card standard which has been adopted by the federal government in collaboration with provinces and territories
Out-of-Province/Country Vaccine Doses:
If you received your first or second COVID-19 vaccine dose out-of-province or out-of-country, contact your local public health unit. They will record your information and you will receive an Ontario receipt that you can access or print from the provincial booking portal.
International travelers will continue to use the ArriveCAN App as proof of vaccination.
Using Your Vaccine Certificate:
People will need to continue to show a piece of identification with their name and date of birth along with the vaccine certificate. Businesses must accept both electronic and paper versions. People can continue to use their current vaccine receipt (along with a piece of ID) and businesses will continue to accept them.
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Information for Businesses
The Verify Ontario/VérifOntario App for Businesses and Organizations
Verify Ontario is a free QR code scanner for businesses that makes it quicker and easier to confirm that visitors have been fully vaccinated. Key features are as follows:
- Available in English and French
- Verify Ontario works on Apple and Android devices
- Can be used without an internet connection but should be connected to the internet periodically to receive updates
- Scans government-issued QR codes presented either on paper or displayed on a mobile device screen
- Compatible with other provincial QR codes – starting with British Columbia and Quebec
- Never stores personal information
When scanning the government-issued vaccine certificate QR code, the Verify Ontario app will display one of three results and appropriate prompts with next steps.
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After scanning the QR code and displaying the results, the Verify Ontario app will automatically reset to the homepage to protect personal data.
Verify Ontario is the only app that the Government of Ontario endorses for use.
It is currently available for download from the Google Play and Apple App stores.
Click the link below for more guidance for businesses from the Reopening Ontario Act.
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Tourism SkillsNet North Announcements
Attention Employers:
We still have potential employees in the following regions where there are no employers registered:
- Timmins
- Mattawa
- Atikokan
- Evansville
If you are located in these towns and have any available vacant jobs, or know of any businesses that do, please register for the Tourism SkillsNet North Program!
Sunday Instructor-Led Courses Available:
We have heard from quite a few participating businesses that had concerns about the mandatory instructor-led course only being offered during the weekdays. As a result, a one-day instructor led training will be available on the following dates from 10am to 2pm (EDT):
- Sunday, October 24 2021
- Sunday, October 31 2021
Please be aware that we need a minimum of 6 participants to be able to move forward with these Sunday courses. Your employees will only need to attend one of the two dates.
To confirm your employee's attendance, please e-mail Juan (jpirela@otec.org) or Melody (myang@otec.org) at OTEC and they will provide you with the instructions on how to login to the virtual training course.
REMINDER:
If you have hired staff after June 1st, 2021, you can register them to the Tourism SkillsNet North program to have them trained and receive a wage subsidy! We understand that you may need all hands on deck, that's why we are committed to working with you to have your employees complete the e-training near or at the end of the operating season. As long as your employees complete the online training, you will receive a 30% wage subsidy (up to $3000) per employee!
Register your business and your employees today by clicking on the button below.
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Ontario Tourism Recovery Program
The OTRP is a competitive, application-based grant program for historically successful, private sector incorporated tourism businesses that are significant drivers to their regional tourism economies.
Program funding will help successful applicants:
- prepare to re-open safely
- develop adaptive and innovative tourism products
- retain and create tourism jobs
- support tourism recovery in their region and throughout Ontario.
Successful applicants can use funding for expenditures, such as:
- reopening and operating expenses, including staff salaries and maintenance
- health and safety measures to support the safety of visitors and workers
- attracting visitors through tourism product and experience improvements and marketing.
We encourage interested applicants to carefully review all eligibility criteria and application requirements. Full program guidelines and information about how to apply to the program are now available on the Ontario Tourism Recovery Program application page: https://www.app.grants.gov.on.ca/otrp
The deadline to apply to the Ontario Tourism Recovery Program is November 10, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT).
If you have any questions or feedback regarding this program email OTRP@ontario.ca
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Tourism Recovery Program FAQs
Q. I have concerns about the competitive process. How will our applications be graded? Do we stand a chance against large tourism corporations?
NOTO is seeking more details on how the applications will be graded.
Q. If we've received other COVID-19 funding (CEBA, CEWS, RRRF, NORP, Ontario Small Business/Tourism and Travel Grants), will they be held against us when it comes to calculating the funding?
If you have received a grant through the Ontario Small Business Support Grant or the Ontario Tourism and Travel Small Business Support Grant, those amounts will be considered and they will impact the total amount of funding you will be eligible for through the Ontario Tourism Recovery Program. All other funding will not impact your application.
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US border will open November 8th to fully vaccinated non-essential travellers
Beginning November 8th, the US will allow fully vaccinated foreign nationals to enter the country for non-essential reasons, such as tourism.
Travellers entering the US by vehicle, rail and ferry will, at officers' discretion, have their proof of vaccination verified in a secondary screening process.
There will be no testing required to enter the US by land or sea, provided the travellers meet the vaccination requirement. However, a negative COVID-19 test remains required for air travel to enter the US.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US will accept travellers who have been fully vaccinated with any of the vaccines approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization. As such, the AstraZeneca vaccine, widely used in Canada, will be accepted. The CDC is still formalizing procedures for admitting those who have received doses of two different vaccines.
For returning to Canada, travellers will need to follow testing requirements and have a COVID-19 negative test result 72 hours prior to crossing. For short trips, Canadian citizens, people registered under the Indian Act, and permanent residents are permitted to take their test before they leave Canada. however if the test is more than 72 hours as they re-enter Canada they will need to have another test in the United States.
For more details on the current measures in place for travellers entering or returning to Canada visit:
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Announcements from TIAO
This week TIAO will provide an overview on Ontario's vaccine verification app and QR code system that launched yesterday.
We will also be joined by special guest, Hassel Aviles, Executive Director at Not 9 to 5. Hassel will share resources and guidance to ensure workplace & mental health safety.
Not 9 to 5 is a non-profit global leader in mental health advocacy for the foodservice sector. Through practical education and meaningful community-building, they are reimagining the industry by breaking stigmas and fueling hope.
Their vision is a safe, supportive workplace for all in consideration of both physical and mental health.
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Tuesday October 19
COVID-19 Northern Ontario Tourism Update Call
Tue, Oct 19, 2021 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM (EDT)
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 611-429-261
Tuesday October 19
COVID-19 Ontario Tourism Update Call
Tue, Oct 19, 2021 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (EDT)
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.
You can also dial in using your phone.
Access Code: 174-296-973
Last chance! There is only one week left to purchase your virtual tickets for the Ontario Tourism Summit. This year's summit is about RESPECT, COLLABORATION and REBUILDING our future. Join us as we recognize all the innovation, re-embrace the foundation and collaborate together - Google, Deloitte, Canadian Live Music Association, Global Payments are just some highlights of speakers lined up for this year's event.
Tickets can be purchased here.
Thank you,
The TIAO team.
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SAVE THE DATE! Join us virtually for our
Northern Ontario Tourism Fall Training Week!
Destination Northern Ontario and Nature and Outdoor Tourism Ontario are pleased to bring you a free virtual Northern Ontario Fall Training Week, this November. COVID-19 has created challenges for tourism businesses and operators around the province. Our four-day training week is set to provide resources, tools, action plans, strategies, and connections for both today and the future. We will be welcoming tourism professionals from around the province to gather, share, and collaborate as we rebuild northern Ontario's tourism industry.
Details on sessions and registration will be made available shortly! Stay tuned!
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Safe Travels Stamp
The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) created the Safe Travels Stamp which is an international symbol designed to allow travellers to recognize governments and companies around the world, which have adopted health and hygiene, standardized protocols – so consumers can experience ‘Safe Travels’.
In Ontario, the Safe Travels Stamp are administered by TIAO. NOTO's health and safety protocols, which have been vetted by the Government of Ontario have been recognized as standardized protocols for this purpose.
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Renew Your Membership or Join NOTO!
NOTO has extended the early bird membership pricing for the remainder of 2021!
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Entry Level: $452.00
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Bronze:
$621.50 NOW: $593.25
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Silver:
$734.50 NOW: $706.25
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Basic:
$621.50 NOW: $593.25
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Bronze:
$779.70 NOW: $734.50
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Silver:
$1,367.30 NOW: $1,299.50
Prices listed above include HST. To renew your membership or to join NOTO, please click on the appropriate category link above to access the membership form. Completed forms can be printed and mailed to the NOTO office, or scanned and emailed to kate@noto.net or laurie@noto.net.
Thank you for your support!
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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 rely on annual memberships from tourism businesses, organizations, product and service suppliers, and partners to continue our work. For more information about membership with NOTO visit noto.ca
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