Kate Boissonneault - kate@noto.net

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

The shift from summer anglers and vacationers to fall hunters and weekend getaways is well underway and we are glad to hear that some guests are still visiting. We have heard from many that while numbers are not at full capacity they are getting enough guests to extend their traditional seasons to keep revenue coming in during their normally quiet shoulder season. It is a relief to see trends finally moving in the right direction.

This week I wanted to take a moment to let you all know how much I admire all of the small business owners in the tourism sector and say thank you. Working with so many of you to develop NOTO's action plans over the last 18 months has allowed NOTO to speak confidently and knowledgably to our political leaders and policy makers.

I completely understand that you all have challenges that you would prefer to work out on your own and answering numerous surveys and reaching out to talk about your individual situations is difficult and hard to find time to do. I appreciate and acknowledge all of these challenges, but I need you to continue to take that time to keep us informed. In order to for our organization to be most effective, it is critical that we have relevant and current data.

This week some of the issues that we have been focused on are as follows:

NOTO will continue with our advocacy on these and numerous other issues for the resource-based tourism industry as we have since 1929. Since March 16th of 2020, NOTO's Board and staff have agreed to share our weekly newsletters with over 1400 RBT businesses to ensure they have the support they need to get through this pandemic regardless of their membership in NOTO. We thank our paying members for supporting this plan and for continuing to support us financially. We have seen good growth in membership and a solid increase in engagement from non-members. The emails of support for our work are confirming for us that we are doing work that you need us to do.

Our operating dollars come from voluntary memberships. We do not receive operational funding from any level of Government. As the organization that supports your specific sector, we have accomplished a great deal over the last two years and we have much more to do to support your business.

While my primary focus in my job as Executive Director is to advocate and represent my industry. Another critical function is to ensure we have the resources to cover this important work. I ask those who have not yet joined NOTO but have appreciated our information and advocacy work to consider joining NOTO now at the Entry level of $452.00. If you are not sure whether you are a member or not visit Our Members to see our current membership list.

I know its corny but its true, there IS strength in numbers.

Be well,

This week, the Government of Ontario announced and shared some details on the new Ontario Tourism Recovery Program. Applications for this new program will open October 13th, 2021.

The Ontario Tourism Recovery Program (OTRP) will support eligible tourism businesses that have been hardest hit by COVID-19. OTRP will be a competitive, application-based program supporting private-sector tourism businesses that are significant drivers for their regional tourism economies.

PLEASE NOTE: NOTO is aware that similarly to the Federal Government's Tourism Relief Fund, the incorporated requirement will make several operators ineligible for this program. NOTO is bringing this concern forward to the Provincial Government in hopes to have this requirement changed by the launch date of October 13th.

Detailed instructions on how to register are here.

Effective October 1st, 2021, Ontario's minimum hourly wage will increase by ten cents — from $14.25 to $14.35.

For more information on these changes, please visit the Government of Ontario's website by clicking on the button below.

The Federal Government's temporary changes to EI as a result of COVID-19 have come to an end. The following change remain in place: Until September 2022, You only need to have accumulated 420 hours of insurable employment during your qualifying period to qualify for EI benefits. The qualifying period is the shorter of: the 52-week period immediately before the start date of your claim, or the period from the start of a previous benefit period to the start of your new benefit period, if you applied for benefits earlier and your application was approved in the last 52 weeks

If you’ve exhausted your Employment Insurance (EI) benefits and are no longer eligible for EI, you may be eligible for the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB) if you meet the eligibility criteria. However, if you worked while on your EI claim, you may be able to establish a new EI claim. To determine your EI eligibility, you should make an EI claim before applying for the CRB.

We will continue to look for solutions and develop recommendations to bring forward to Government to support our tourism workforce.

Detailed instructions on how to register can be found here.

Eligibility: Most of the eligibility criteria for the CRHP and CEWS are the same, including payroll account requirements and required revenue drops. Most types of employers who are eligible for the CEWS will also be eligible for the CRHP. However, for-profit corporations may be eligible for the CRHP only if they are:

Revenue drop: Your revenue drop only needs to be calculated once each claim period, whether you claim the CEWS or CRHP.

The online calculator will calculate both subsidies (CEWS and CRHP) for claim periods 17 to 21. It will show you both results, so you can see the higher amount for your situation. If you apply for the CRHP, you will be asked to enter the amount of CEWS you would be eligible for at line 300 in the application.

What time periods the subsidies cover: The CRHP and CEWS are both based on four-week claim periods. Currently, the two subsidies overlap for five of these claim periods, from June 6 to October 23, 2021 (periods 17 to 21). For these claim periods, if you are eligible for both subsidies, you can apply for either the CRHP or CEWS, whichever gives you the higher amount. From October 24 to November 20, 2021, only the CRHP will be available.

To view more information on the CRHP, please click on the button below.

SAVE THE DATE! Join us virtually for our

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. 

Have questions? Reach out to us at communications@destinationnorthernontario.ca.

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.

To apply for your stamp, please click here.

Associate Membership: $423.75

Public Membership: $73.45 

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.

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