C-19 BULLETIN - April 9, 2020

The other day I noticed a yard maintenance crew from Alberta mowing and raking a neighbour’s lawn. As I ran by, I mumbled to myself  go home  followed by  what are you doing here ? I was somewhat surprised by my reaction because normally I would welcome visitors whose vehicles were adorned with Alberta plates. But not this time. As I continued my run, I wondered, 'did these guys not get the message about staying away?'
 
To be fair, the crew may have moved here well before COVID-19 took hold. Or, for all I knew they were part of the homeowner’s immediate family. Regardless, part of what really bothered me was this whole notion of telling people not to visit British Columbia, especially our good friends from other parts of the country.
 
When you’ve spent the better part of your career encouraging people of all nationalities to visit and enjoy this incredible province, you almost feel like a turncoat by posting a giant no vacancy sign at the borders. It simply goes against every fibre in your body.
 
Similarly, it’s hard to get your head around the messaging from Destination British Columbia and virtually all of the community and regional destination marketing/management organizations effectively telling visitors to stay away (for the time being). Yet, as unconventional as it is, it’s the message all of us need to drive home in spite of the fact our industry is hurting in the worst way.
 
Every time I see Dr. Bonnie Henry’s news conference, I am reminded of the expression,  short-term pain for long-term gain,  which applies to all kinds of scenarios including this one. Abiding by the directives from the provincial chief medical health officer now could help the visitor economy bounce back a little more quickly than anyone anticipates.
 
Recognizing that it’s incredibly hard to keep the doors closed, stop marketing, welcoming visitors and pursuing recreational activities, it behoves all of us in tourism to set the tone and go against our natural bent. If that means avoiding parks, trails, beaches, and other public areas where many people tend to congregate, then so be it.
 
Even introverts like me can’t stand being away from all the amazing places and people that make up this province. And as tempted as I am to enjoy our super natural environment this long weekend, I will endeavour to heed the call by Dr. Henry and our DMO friends and stay close to home or away from public areas where social distancing is impossible.
 
Forgive me for lecturing. Usually it’s none of my business what others do. However, this time it is everyone’s business to ensure individually and collectively we’re doing our part to flatten the curve. And if that means telling others to stay away or go home, then that’s what we need to do.
 
I’m really hoping that by the next long weekend in May, I’ll be excited to see cars with Alberta plates once again even if they have Oilers stickers on their bumpers.

Walt Judas
CEO, TIABC
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House of Commons Will Sit Saturday to Debate Wage Subsidy Bill

The House of Commons will reconvene Saturday to debate the government's wage subsidy legislation — a bill designed to send tens of billions of dollars to businesses disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A small contingent of MPs will be in the Commons for a 2:15 pm. ET start. A Saturday sitting is an exceedingly rare occurrence, but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said today there's an urgent need to get the legislation passed so that bureaucrats can start paying the subsidy to eligible businesses to prevent further layoffs.

The legislation implementing the emergency wage subsidy was drafted last weekend and shared with the opposition parties on Monday.

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All BC Parks Closing

BC Parks is immediately closing all provincial parks in response to the widespread call for increased action to address COVID-19.

The closure responds to both the federal and provincial directives that people should stay close to home to reduce COVID-19 transmission risk. This temporary measure means people should not be going to provincial parks until further notice.

Adrian Dix, Minister of Health for British Columbia
and Tyler Shandro, Minister of Health for Alberta
Issue Joint Statement Re: Easter Long Weekend Travel

Albertans and British Columbians have deep and historic ties. Many of us have family and friends on both sides of the border and enjoy visiting each other’s province.

A typical long weekend is something we look forward to throughout the year. It’s a chance to spend a little extra time with our loved ones, often in gatherings or on trips out of town.

This long weekend is different. These are extraordinary times. A global pandemic puts us all at risk – and we all must stay home, stay in our communities and stay at a safe physical distance from others when outside.

Spending a holiday away from people we care about is difficult – but what we are doing matters. Together, we are helping slow the spread of COVID-19.

Let us be clear: Staying home means no travelling – especially across our borders. Instead, we encourage everyone to find ways to connect virtually this long weekend, including by video chat or with phone calls.

Thank you all for doing your part, and a special thanks to the many faith leaders who have found innovative ways to virtually celebrate important holidays like Passover, Easter and Ramadan with their congregants. 

Please continue to make every effort to protect loved ones, our Elders and our health-care workers.

“Now, more than ever, we need you to keep it up.”

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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.



Easter Bunny
Deemed Essential Worker

Premier John Horgan authorized a special essential service eggs-emption for the Easter Bunny.

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Campbell River Distillery Producing Sanitizers for Frontline Workers

Shelter Point Distillery is supporting the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. It temporarily stopped its distilling operations and is now making medical-grade sanitizer.

The distillery revamped itself, going from single malt to sanitizer in just days. The sanitizer is being put into 750-ml bottles and 20-litre containers.

Distillers from Shelter Point will be working double shifts over the weeks and months ahead to make enough sanitizer to supply as many health authorities, hospitals, medical centres, municipal and provincial services as possible. 

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TIABC member, Seekers Media, has introduced a 40-Day Challenge
 to help individuals through this crisis period:
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 [email protected].