C-19 BULLETIN - June 3, 2020


You may have noticed that we skipped yesterday's C-19 Bulletin out of respect for Blackout Tuesday.

Racism has no place in our society, nor in an industry that welcomes visitors from around the globe. We hope you'll join us in participating in various initiatives throughout BC to show your support for an inclusive province that respects people from all walks of life.
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Federal Government Update

Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) Extension Survey
The Ministry of Finance is seeking public input on the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy program from Canadian employers. 
Submissions are due on Friday June 5.

TIABC encourages all industry businesses to take the time to  fill out the consultation form , and emphasize the industry’s ongoing need for wage support while businesses try to reopen their doors with fewer financial resources this year.
Industry Strategy Council Announced
Yesterday, the Honourable Navdeep Bains announced the members of the Industry Strategy Council, including Destination Canada Board chair Ben Cowan-Dewar representing the tourism sector. The Council will hold virtual meetings every two weeks over the next 90 days.

The Council provides a forum for the Government to hear from and collaborate with well-respected industry leaders to assess the scope and depth of COVID-19’s impact on industries and to understand specific sectoral pressures.
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Is There Hope for the Tourism Economy?

A message that our CEO Walt Judas wrote previously for our Bulletin was published on Monday in the Province newspaper as an op-ed.

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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 #7   here .

These reports are made possible through  Canadian Experiences Fund   funding.

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BC Hotel Association Update

BCHA Webinar: Best Practices and Protocol
BCHA and go2HR hosted a webinar last week on best practices and protocols for reopening. Working with go2HR and WorkSafeBC, the BCHA has been committed to providing support and guiding businesses through the process of operating in a COVID19 era. A recorded video of the webinar is now available along with a list of questions and answers from the open forum.
View webinar here
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Motor Coach & Motor Carrier Survey

The third version of the BC Trucking Association (BCTA) COVID-19 Survey is now available. The survey aims to track and quantify the impact COVID-19 is having on the commercial road transportation sector and its sales/service/supply companies as this crisis continues. 

The survey can be found here: Motor Carrier and Motor Coach Member Survey v3
And the summary from the last  BCTA COVID-19 survey   can be   found here .
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The BC Business Council has released a statement signed by over 220 business, community, faith-based and Indigenous leaders denouncing the recent rise in racist attacks in B.C.

TIABC has signed this pledge and invites our tourism industry colleagues to do the same.

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Pivoting Business and Helping Others

A supplier to the live events industry, staging specialist Scene Ideas is fighting to stay in business during the pandemic. Without any large-scale events on the horizon, the Richmond-based company has capitalized on its strengths as a custom manufacturer and builder by offering operational health and safety solutions, including personal protective equipment and Plexiglas barriers, to help businesses reopen.

Among its new products is a series of lawn signs bearing positive messages such as Be Kind, Be Calm, Be Safe . Signs are $20 each, with $10 from each sale going to the Connecting Kids’ Fund, an offshoot of the  CKNW Kids’ Fund .

Help Scene Ideas reach its $2,000 fundraising goal by ordering signs from the  company website , which offers free contactless delivery or shipping via Canada Post.
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COVID-19 stopped air carriers and airports in their tracks, with aviation business down over 93% in the Province. Travel and tourism are two of the most impacted economic sectors. In response, air carriers and airports are developing and implementing responses in real time. This one-hour webinar, co-hosted by the BC Aviation Council, BC Economic Development Association and TIABC, allows industry professionals responding to the crisis to discuss their responses and views looking forward.

Speakers are:
  • Quentin Smith, President, Pacific Coastal, Airlines
  • Parm Sidhu, Airport General Manager, Abbotsford International Airport
  • Brant Arnold-Smith, Director, Security and Terminal Operations, Victoria International Airport

Moderator, Rob Beynon, Founder, Operations Economics Inc.

Tuesday June 9, 2020 @ 2:00 pm PT
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Destination BC Webinars

Destination BC is hosting a series of webinars to support BC’s tourism industry in areas of response, recovery, and resilience from COVID-19. The Road to Recovery webinar series has reached over 1,700 participants since launching on May 12th.

  • June 4: ExploreBC… Virtually | Register here
  • June 9: Restart Safely: Health & Safety Essentials to Support Re-opening | Register here
  • June 11: Work Refusal & Other HR Challenges Amid the Restart | Register here
  • June 16: SEO in Uncertain Times: How it can Help Recovery Efforts | Register here
  • June 18: Adapting Customer Service & Guest Communication in a Pandemic Impacted Business Environment | Register here
  • June 25: Returning to Work: Protecting Mental Health | Register here
  • July 7: Revisiting your COVID-19 Safety Plan | Register here

Watch recordings of previous webinars:
  • May 12: Business After Re-opening: A Look at the Post-closure Traveller | View recording here
  • May 14: Essential Strategies to Innovate your Visitor Experience and Offerings | View recording here
  • May 19: Planning for Doors Open | View recording here
  • May 21: Managing Expectations and Reputation through Effective Communication | View recording here
  • May 26: Using Social Media to Support Re-opening | View recording here
  • May 28: Building a Digital Marketing Strategy for Re-opening | View recording here

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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.

Friday June 5 @ 10:30 am PT

To view previous webinars, visit:
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Montridge Advisory Group Webinar

An Experts' Panel will answer your most pressing employment law, HR and employee benefits questions. As businesses start to reopen, it's important that you're prepared for the upcoming challenges.

Featured Speakers:
  • Dan Roberts - Partner, Tax, BakerTilly WM
  • Kandy Cantwell - Managing Partner, Montridge Advisory Group
  • Mike McCormack - Director of Business Development and Risk Management Services, Westland Insurance Group
  • Ryan Anderson - Partner, Mathews Dinsdale & Clark
  • Sara Bauer - Senior HR Consultant, Chemistry Consulting Group

Wednesday June 10 @ 10:00 am PT
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Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Webinar

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade is hosting a virtual event about the Province’s restart plan with Deputy Premier and Finance Minister Carole James. Hear from the Finance Minister about the phased approach to restart and recovery in our province and participate in a Q&A.

Friday June 12 @ 12:00 pm PT
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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.