At the BCLCA Annual General Meeting on October 18th a full slate for the Board of Directors was elected by the membership.

On November 24^th the new board of nine (9) directors met and elected amongst themselves the following officers to represent BC Lodging and Campgrounds Association for the coming year – sincere congratulations to:

This fund is a targeted investment to advance the priorities in the Strategic Framework for Tourism 2022-2024 and regional destination development plans.

The Ministry is seeking Expressions of Interest from November 9 - December 7, 2022. Successful EOI's will be invited to submit a full application. For detailed information, visit the link below or contact program staff at [email protected]

In 2020, the BC Water & Waste Association and the Government of British Columbia partnered to build a mechanism that supports small water systems, defined as serving more than one household up to 500 individuals in 24 hours. The project was created in response to conversations with small water purveyors and their teams expressing the need for connection and knowledge sharing through regional peer networks. Feedback as well as continued communication with Small Water Systems led to the BC Small Water Systems Community Network.

The Community Network is a free, online platform for Small Water Systems to find and connect with their peers as well as the vast array of supporters who have resources, expertise, programs or services to share with the small water systems community. A key foundation of the Community Network is the recognition that all members of the community, water systems teams and supporters alike, contribute to the overall success of the platform.

Areas of the Community Network are designed to meet the needs of Small Water Systems while allowing for connection opportunities and knowledge to be sourced from within the community itself. The member and organization Directory allow individuals to find each other. The Technical Discussions forums and Articles provide opportunities to discuss relevant issues and questions, as well as for members to share and demonstrate expertise in their subject areas. The Owners Lounge is designed for small water purveyors and their teams to meet their peers and hold private discussions.

With over fifty unique resources on the Community Network, there are opportunities for both Small Water Systems and supporters to deepen their knowledge and understanding related to the small water systems community. The Community News area allows for member-submitted content to three unique areas; classified ads, upcoming events and opportunities to become involved.

For individuals who are new to small systems, a great resource to begin with is the So Apparently I Have a Small Water System … Now What? free online course, which provides a 75-minute overview of the responsibilities of a small water system owner. This course is a great primer and a good jumping off point to have deeper, more meaningful conversations about running a sustainable system.

When gaps are seen in the small water system community, the Community Network can be leveraged to build awareness and promote activities using the Articles and Resources as well as the Weekly Digest email that is distributed to Community Network members on Fridays.

We are excited about the potential of the Community Network towards realizing the vision of our communities having safe water and a healthy water environment. If you would like to explore the platform, you can create a free profile at www.smallwaternetwork.org. For any questions on this project, please reach out to [email protected]

A member contacted the Association to ask how they handle tips and what should be their tip policy.

go2HR has published an article which outlines information on Direct and Controlled Tips and payroll taxes. Read More at https://www.go2hr.ca/compensation-benefits/understanding-tips-and-gratuities

In the article it states “When developing a Tip Policy, you need to take into account both the Employment Standards Act (ESA) and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) guidelines. Note that substantive amendments were made to the ESA in 2019 that affect how employers may handle gratuities.

Generally speaking, there are two approaches to handling tips: direct tips and controlled tips.

The article also includes a FAQ section.

More information on tips can be sourced from CRA’s policy https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/tax/canada-pension-plan-cpp-employment-insurance-ei-rulings/cpp-ei-explained/tips-gratuities.html

Canadian Industry Statistics (CIS) analyses industry data on many economic indicators using the most recent data from Statistics Canada. CIS looks at industry trends and financial information, such as GDP, Labour Productivity, Manufacturing and Trade data. The data for Recreational vehicle (RV) parks and recreational camps – 72121 for 2021 can be viewed at https://www.ic.gc.ca/app/scr/app/cis/performance/rev/72121

The report shows the total number of campgrounds, the revenue range and key revenues and expenses. For instance, the average revenue for the 3,827 businesses in the category was $349,900 and profitable was 65.8% of the businesses. The revenues ranged from $30,000 to $5,000,000.

Other categories can be viewed under Accommodation and food services - https://www.ic.gc.ca/app/scr/app/cis/search-recherche such as hotels, other traveller accommodation and food services.