NOTO Update

COVID-19 Update

In Today's Update

A Message from NOTO's President
Potential Federal Election
Tourism Relief Fund Eligibility Poll: Participation Requested!
Canada-US Border FAQs
When Are We Leaving Step 3?
Messages from TIAO
Tourism SkillsNet North - Hired new employees? Get them trained for free & receive a subsidy!
Northwestern Ontario Fires: Implementation Order Notices
Forestry Notices
Safe Travels 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:

Kate Boissonneault - kate@noto.net

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

A Message from NOTO's President

Bob Garson - Garson's Fly-in Outposts

Hello fellow NOTO members,

Well, persistence finally pays off! The border opened and the guests flooded in just as we knew they would. The requirements may have caused some guests to wait until next year but when they come, we'll be even happier to welcome them back.

I credit the loyalty and resilience of the guests that did whatever it took to get here this year. Changing their holidays time and time again, getting vaccinated, getting the PCR test and filling in the ArriveCan app 72 hours before arrival. Going through all of this shows that they truly are avid anglers! So look out you unsuspecting fish, your holiday is over.

Operators: I hope you can have enough guests to get you by this winter and into the normal season we anticipate for next year. The hunting season should be possible, and once again we hope that can go as planned.

Wow! It's hard to believe we have made it this far! We realize that it is not done, but the tip of the fishing rod is twitching and all we have to do is set the hook.

A much happier NOTO President!

Bob Garson

Potential Federal Election

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is expected to meet with the Governor General on Sunday to request the dissolution of Parliament. If approved, the Prime Minister is expected to then announce a 36-day election campaign early next week with voting taking place near the end of September.

If an election does take place, we need to ensure that the tourism industry remains one of the top issues at the forefront. We need to continue to reinforce that reopening does not mean recovery, and that our industry continues to face uncertainties and the need for additional support as we begin to enter the 4th wave of the pandemic.

Tourism Relief Fund Eligibility Poll: Participation Requested!

NOTO continues to communicate your concerns regularly with the Federal Government. To help us understand the full impact of eligibility criteria, we would like to know how many businesses have been impacted by the "incorporated" requirement.

If you haven't already done so, please take 30 seconds to answer this quick poll.

Thank you for participating! Your input greatly helps us in our advocacy efforts.

Complete Quick Poll

FAQs About the Border

Here are some of the latest questions we've been receiving regarding the reopening of the border for fully-vaccinated Americans. You can view the remainder of the FAQs by clicking here. You can view all the details that the Canadian Government expects from fully-vaccinated travellers here.

Q. Where can I find the border wait times?

You can find the border wait times on CBSA's website by clicking here.

Q. Have you received any additional information on the random testing?

Individuals may be selected for random testing at the border. If selected, they will be given a test which needs to be taken on Day 1 while on camera with a Public Health official. Please make sure that your guests follow all the instructions given to them with the test. You will then need to drop off the test at a Purolator location or request a pick-up. Switch Health can assist for those requiring 3rd party courier services. No Day 8 tests will be given to fully-vaccinated travelers.

Children under the age of 12 will still be subject to Day 1 and Day 8 testing. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated children between the ages of 12 and 18 will be subject to Day 1 and Day 8 testing, and will be required to quarantine for 14 days.

We know this is not ideal for many operators, especially those in the Northwest and we continue to advocate on this front.

A Quick Note:

NOTO will be sending out a survey focusing on the reopening of the border for fully vaccinated American's shortly. We want to know what requirements have caused guests to cancel/move their bookings, how many new bookings you may have gotten, how crossing the border went, if you've encountered issues with random testing, and so forth.

Keep an eye on your inbox! We hope to have this survey out next week.

When Are We Leaving Step 3?

One question we continue to hear is: "When will we leave Step 3?". Both Minister Elliott and Premier Ford continue to say that we must meet the following criteria to move beyond Step 3:

80% of those 12+ received their 1st dose
75% of those 12+ received their 2nd dose
No Public Health unit has less than 70% of their 12+ population fully vaccinated
Other key indicators remain stable

To date, 82% of Ontarian's over 18+ have received at least one dose, 74% of Ontarian's 18+ are fully vaccinated, however, many health units are lagging behind the 70% fully-vaccinated requirement. To view data on the vaccination rates in Ontario, click here.

Messages From TIAO

TIAO Calls:

Please note: There will be no TIAO calls on August 17th.

Award Nominations:

This is a reminder that the nominations for Tourism Champion of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement Awards close on August 20th. Also, the nominations for the Tourism Resiliency Awards close on August 31st. For more details, please click here.

TIAO Survey:

If you haven't already done so, please complete TIAO's survey focusing on the Step 3 and beyond. The information gathered will help demonstrate the tourism industry's continued need for government support. This survey will also help gather information on staffing challenges, insurance rates, and challenges to recovery. Complete the survey here.

Thank you,

The TIAO team.

Have You Hired New, or Re-Hired Employees?

Tourism SkillsNet North will help train both new and re-hires, and also provide operators with a 30% wage subsidy of up to $3,000 per employee.

If you are using this program to re-hire employees, please ensure that both you and the employee are registered to participate in the program and let NOTO know the name of the employee so that we match them to your business right away. NOTO will then send you a placement confirmation form that will need to be completed.

If you are seeking to fill vacant positions, NOTO will send you a list of potential trained candidates which you can then interview and choose from. Once you and the employee have confirmed the placement, you will receive a placement confirmation form from NOTO.

Once the placement period is near completion, NOTO will then send you the steps to claim the wage subsidy. We will need pay stubs and additional information at that time.

Tourism SkillsNet North (TSNN) was designed to identify specific workforce labour gaps, train up to 300 potential employees and match them with available job opportunities within Northern Ontario’s tourism sector.

To register for this program, please click on the button below.

Employee Registration

Business Registration

Keep Your Eyes Open!

Tourism SkillsNet North will be sending you all a survey in the next week or so to help guide future training programs as we move into the fall and winter seasons. Your participation is encouraged and is greatly appreciated! Stay tuned!

Northwestern Ontario Fires: Implementation Order Notices

A Message from the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry:

Hello Industry Partners,

As committed, ministry experts have been and continue to closely monitor fire activity, weather patterns and availability of firefighting resources. This work continues to be conducted daily to determine the safety of easing restrictions on industrial operations.

While this fire season has been historic in terms of fire intensity and hectares burned, scattered rain has fallen in some areas in the Northwest Region which has provided temporary relief. However, as we are quickly realizing, the 2021 fire season is a marathon, not a sprint and we need significant amounts of sustained rainfall over several days to return us from drought to normal conditions.

Across the region, we are seeing varying levels of risk based on existing fires and the potential for new ones, and in many cases the fire hazard can quickly rebound due to the drought conditions.

In the west, areas like Kenora, Fort Frances, Red Lake and Dryden continue to experience high fire risk, requiring that industrial restrictions to very high, high, and some moderate-risk operations remain in place, along with mandatory mitigation measures for permitted activities such as limiting operations to overnight hours, dedicated patrols, and a requirement to have trained workers to suppress wildland fires.

Central areas of the region, including Thunder Bay and areas north of it, have moderate risk levels enabling a conditional return to operations using the same mandatory mitigation measures as mentioned above.

In the east, where risks are lowest, restrictions will be lifted, and normal operations can resume.

Please see the attached maps and orders for detailed information on updated restrictions by clicking on the button below.

I know this will be welcome news for some and disappointing for others. For those with activities still under restrictions, please be assured the ministry will continue daily assessments with an eye to safely resume operations as quickly as possible. We recognize the important role your business plays in the economy and in our local communities. We appreciate the fact that you and your employees are eager to resume full-scale operations.

We will continue to be in touch and to provide updates as weather and risk levels change.

Thank you for your continued patience.

For questions, please contact:

Amy Bryant

Emergency Management and Security Coordinator

HR Business Branch

Corporate Management Division

Northern Development and Mines

Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry

Phone: 807-707-1434

Email: amy.bryant@ontario.ca

View Implementation Orders

Forestry Notices

NOTO would like to take this opportunity to remind operators of the importance of staying up-to-date on the forestry activities happening in your region. We encourage all operators to take some time to review Forest Management Plans (FMP) and to participate in the consultations to ensure your business values are respected in the development of an FMP.

The latest notices NOTO has received are listed below:

Bancroft-Minden Forest - 3-Month Extension of FMP (closes Oct.1st)
Lac Seul Forest - Review of Draft Contingency Plan (closes Oct. 5th)
Lake Nipigon Forest - Approved Aerial Herbicide Project (closes Sept. 24th)
Mazinaw-Lanark Forest - 3-Month Extension of FMP (closes Oct.. 1st)
Nipissing Forest - Approved Aerial Herbicide Project (closes Aug. 20th)
North Shore Forest - Approved Aerial Herbicide Project (closes Aug 18th)
Ottawa Valley Forest - 3-Month Extension of FMP (closes Oct. 1st)
Pic Forest - Approved Aerial Herbicide Project (closes Aug. 20th)
Romeo Malette Forest - Approved Aerial Herbicide Project (closes Aug. 15th)
White River Forest - Approved Aerial Herbicide Project (closes Aug. 15th)
Whitefeather Forest - Review of Draft FMP (closes Sept. 22nd)

To view the notices and to participate in the consultation, please click on the button below. To receive notices for your Forest Management Unit directly in your inbox, register an account on the ministry's forestry website by clicking the button below as well.

Ministry's Forestry Website

Get Your Safe Travel 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.

The application process is now online for easier delivery.

Apply Now!

Renew Your Membership or Join NOTO!

NOTO has extended the early bird membership pricing for the remainder of 2021!

Tourism Operator (Regular) Membership Levels

Entry Level: $452.00
Bronze: ~~$621.50~~ NOW: $593.25
Silver: ~~$734.50~~ NOW: $706.25

Preferred Suppliers Membership Levels

Basic: ~~$621.50~~ NOW: $593.25
Bronze: ~~$779.70~~ NOW: $734.50
Silver: ~~$1,367.30~~ NOW: $1,299.50

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.

Thank you for your support!

NOTO's COVID-19 Page

This page was created to keep you informed on the latest developments that may impact/help your businesses. This page features links to Government resources, information that may be useful to tourism operators and links to supports for tourism operators as they become available. This page will be updated regularly during this pandemic.

NOTO's COVID-19 Page

Federal & Provincial Government Information

The Ontario and Federal Governments are regularly updating COVID-19 information, travel information, Minister statements, Government initiatives and statistics on their websites. For additional information from the Ontario or Federal Government, please click on the buttons below.

Ontario Government

Federal Government

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