Message From President & CEO, Ingrid Jarrett |
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Dear Accommodation Community and Stakeholders,
Today marks one week since we moved into Step 3 of the BC Restart Plan. Over the course of this past week, we have worked closely with Public Health to seek clarity on the questions our industry posed. In particular, many of you reached out with questions surrounding Gatherings & Events, with a focus on weddings.
Following our conversations with the Ministry of Public Health the following changes have been introduced since the PHO was first published on June 30th, 2021. The updated order:
- Clarifies that events in tents without any sides are considered outdoor events, which means that dancing can take place in these venues. Tents with one or more sides are considered indoor events.
- Allows participants to get up from their seats if movement is necessary for the purposes of the event, such as to speak at a meeting or to read at a service or ceremony.
- Clarifies that this order does not apply to private residences or vacation accommodations.
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In addition to changes made to the PHO, "stand-up receptions" have also been grouped with events like fairs, festivals, and trade shows which can return to normal operations with a communicable disease plan, as seen on the gov.bc.ca website.
While 'stand-up receptions' are not mentioned in the PHO on Gatherings & Events, we have confirmed that they are permitted. As per the PHO, “events” are only defined as sit down gatherings and that is where the restrictions are further outlined. As stand-up receptions are considered walk-through events, similar to fairs and festivals, they do not have the same restrictions as organized sit-down gatherings outlined in the PHO.
As always, please reach out to us with your questions and we encourage you to follow our social media channels for real time updates.
Stay well,
Ingrid Jarrett
President & CEO
British Columbia Hotel Association
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Today's update includes:
- Cocktails-to-go Now Permitted for Restaurants, Pubs
- Webinar Recording | Workplace Safety in Step 3: What You Need To Know
- Searching for Employees? Integral Hospitality Offering Outsourced Workers
- Vancouver Joins List of Elite Cities on Formula E Calendar
- Free Consultation | Energy-Saving Support for Small Businesses
- Action Needed | Request for Extension of Federal Relief Measures
- Justin Trudeau | Canada Won’t be Welcoming Unvaccinated Tourists Any Time Soon
- Mark Your Calendars
- Webinar on July 12: Canada Recovery Hiring Program Q&A Session
- Celebrate Industry Along the BC Ale Trail July 6th at BCHF | Bid on the BCHF & MPI BC 'g-ALE-a' Event
- Fore the Love of Tourism 15th Annual TIP Invitational Golf Tournament 2021
- Destination Vancouver Webinar: Safer Spaces Start Here Thursday, July 15th | 10:00am - 12:00pm | Webinar
- WorkSafeBC | Learn about WorkSafeBC’s preliminary 2022 rates
- Congratulations! Tipping Our Hat to Industry
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BC Meetings & Events Industry Working Group Wins Best Industry Support Initiative at Canadian Event Awards!
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Working Group Chair, Joanne Burns Millar, CEO & Owner, Pacific Destination Services Inc., Wins Event Industry Volunteer of the Year at Canadian Event Awards!
- Nolan Marshall III Joins Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association as President and CEO
- In the News
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Brand overview: Four Points by Sheraton to add 8,000 hotel rooms, Top Hotel News, July 8
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Rocky Mountaineer Makes 2021 Debut: TravelPulse Canada On the Scene, Travel Pulse, July 7
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Canada’s new border rules have kicked in. Here’s what to know, Global News, July 5
- Comment Card | Industry Thoughts & Feedback
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Cocktails-to-go Now Permitted
for Restaurants, Pubs
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As of Thursday, July 8, 2021, B.C. will let food- and liquor-primary licensees package and sell single-serving, pre-mixed drinks for takeout with the purchase of a meal. The move builds on a change that permanently authorized these licensees to sell and deliver packaged liquor products alongside the purchase of a meal for off-site consumption.
“We’re continuing to open up new revenue-stream opportunities to help our hospitality sector rebuild in the wake of the pandemic,” said Mike Farnworth, Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General. “At the same time, appropriate safeguards will be in place to protect public safety and prevent minors’ access to liquor.”
The change, which responds to industry feedback from the Business Technical Advisory Panel, will provide an extra revenue stream for the licensees and give consumers more options. Ontario and Alberta have permitted cocktails-to-go since December 2020 and have not noted any public safety issues.
“It will be great to be able to offer our patrons the option of a single drink containing their favourite spirit when they don’t feel like buying a whole bottle,” said Kelly Gordon, partner, Romer’s Burgers. “This is another sensible shot in the arm for us as we continue to see sustained interest in delivery and takeout, even as more people are becoming comfortable with dining in once again.”
The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch will consult further with industry toward advising government on whether to expand the authorization to include single servings of beverages that are not mixed, such as neat spirits, wine, draught beer and other beverages available on tap.
Quick Facts:
- Pre-mixed single servings for takeout will need to be packaged in a way that can be transported lawfully. A label must state the type and amount of alcohol the drink contains and list all other ingredients.
- Only adults who have completed Serving It Right training will be allowed to deliver cocktails with food. The recipient will need to be prepared to present two pieces of identification proving they are of legal drinking age.
- B.C.’s approximately 2,000 liquor-primary and 6,000 food-primary licensees already have the ability to sell packaged liquor in its original packaging with food for off-site consumption.
Learn More:
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Webinar Recording | Workplace Safety in Step 3: What You Need To Know
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WorkSafeBC, Vancouver Coastal Health joined go2HR for a lively session on what businesses need to know for Step 3 of the BC Restart Plan. In case you missed it, we have a recording of the event that you can view.
We appreciate the expertise and advice that WorkSafeBC and Vancouver Coastal Health provided to our attendees. We look forward to continuing to provide expert advice and guidance to the tourism and hospitality industry as we work to recover from the pandemic.
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Searching for Employees? Integral Hospitality Offering Outsourced Workers |
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Integral Hospitality, a division of the Integral Services Group, have assisted a number of hotels throughout BC with their outsourced housekeeping needs.
Integral, a BCHA premier partner, recognizes the urgency that many accommodators are facing as we re-start domestic travel throughout the province.
Integral was able to help a BCHA member this week supplying two housekeepers to an Okanagan property within 24 hours. Please contact Brett Mollard directly at brett@integralservicesgroup.com
to learn more or visit their website here.
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Vancouver Joins List of Elite Cities on
Formula E Calendar
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First Canadian E-FEST will have 3 days of festivities around the Formula E race
Vancouver, BC
Canadian promoter OSS Group Inc announced today that it will be organizing an ABB FIA Formula E World Championship race as part of a unique 3-day festival in one of Canada’s most beautiful cities. The City of Vancouver will kick off summer by hosting the event during next year’s July long- weekend (June 30-July 2, 2022) in the iconic False Creek area of downtown.
A 3-day event centered on sustainable development
The public at large will be invited to the first event of its kind – a colourful three-day program in Canada’s “greenest” city. The key elements of the “Creative Business Conference, Concerts, and Formula E Race” program will be revealed in the fall of 2021.
Vancouver’s Formula E-Prix will host a world-class grid of teams and drivers who will go head-to-head in race cars developed to enable sustainable practices in all facets of the automotive industry.
In late April, the Vancouver City Council offered overwhelming support by approving a motion to host a Formula E race. Councillors Sarah Kirby-Yung and Michael Wiebe, who brought the motion to Council, are great advocates of the event.
“We’re excited that Vancouver was OSS Group’s top choice to host this fantastic event, and we’re thrilled to work with them to make it a reality for our city. We look forward to OSS working with our teams and the local community to deliver and ‘electric’ event experience in July 2022. Formula E is a win on so many levels, from being a net-zero event that supports sustainable transportation, to being a huge boost for our hard-hit tourism sector, our residents and our local economy” said Councillor Kirby-Yung and Councillor Wiebe.
$80 million in economic value, 3,000 jobs
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Free Consultation | Energy-Saving Support for Small Businesses |
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To help support small and medium-sized businesses in BC to recover from the challenges of COVID-19, FortisBC is proud to partner with GreenStep Solutions to provide free customized energy advice to participating businesses. You can get tips, technical advice and information about programs that can help you save energy, greenhouse gas emissions and operating costs.
Advice to help business owners through COVID-19
GreenStep Solutions representatives will provide participating businesses with free customized energy advice via a telephone call, videoconference or a limited number of in-person visits with proper COVID-19 safety protocols in place. Businesses can apply for the Small Business Support Program, or be referred to the program. GreenStep Solutions will also be making outbound calls to businesses in the Okanagan, Kootenays and Vancouver Island regions—including Victoria, Saanich and Nanaimo—to encourage participation in these target communities.
The consultation will take 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the complexity of your business. Based on the needs of the each business, the advice could include:
- technical help to turn down your building if you’re closed due to COVID-19 (e.g. how to program the thermostat)
- low-cost/no-cost tips to reduce energy use and operating costs
- conducting a virtual basic energy assessment of your business
- information about FortisBC rebates on high-efficiency equipment for your business
After the consultation, participants will receive a follow-up email summarizing the opportunities identified. If you need further support, GreenStep can refer you to a FortisBC key account manager or energy solutions manager.
Request your free consultation
Request your consultation with a program representative by completing this form. After receiving your request, a representative will get back to you within three business days to arrange a convenient time to talk.
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Action Needed | Request for Extension of Federal Relief Measures |
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Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy (CERS) have been critical lifelines for our sector and employees throughout this pandemic. However, these programs are aggressively winding down between July and September. It is critical that tailored financial support continues for our sector to ensure we can make it to the other side of recovery.
Our collective voices are needed now more than ever to amplify this message to parliamentarians. Over the summer, a strong local grassroots effort and engagement from HAC members will be critical to create the problem and build political pressure. We need to hear a clear commitment in the fall that the Government will support our hard hit sector through until the end of this pandemic.
We have three critical asks for you:
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Send a letter to your local Member of Parliament. It will take less than 1 minute to send. You can send a letter on our microsite: HardestHit.ca / DurementTouches.ca.
- Meet with your local Member of Parliament and tell them your business and employees will not survive without continued support. We need hundreds of meetings this summer and are relying on the mass of our coalition networks to make as much noise as possible.
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Spread the word on social media. Pre-written social media content can be found on our microsite: HardestHit.ca / DurementTouches.ca.
Everything you need to help guide you, including key talking points, meeting guide & tips, and other ways to get involved can be found in HAC’s Grassroots Advocacy Toolkit:
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Justin Trudeau | Canada Won’t be Welcoming Unvaccinated Tourists Any Time Soon |
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With COVID-19 numbers dipping across the country and several provinces gradually easing back to normalcy, many Canadians have been wondering when it will be OK for unvaccinated people to travel freely once again. Putting a rest to this notion, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday clarified that it is “not going to happen for quite a while.”
“We need to continue to ensure that the safety of Canadians, of all the sacrifices that so many people have made over the past many, many months are not for nothing,” Trudeau said at a press conference.
“If you are wondering when unvaccinated tourists can come to Canada, I can tell you right now that’s not going to happen for quite a while.”
The BC Hotel Association and our industry partners continue to push for a safe and phased reopening that would allow fully vaccinated travellers to enter Canada. To support the safe passage of fully vaccinated individuals between US-Canada border, click the button below.
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Webinar on July 12: Canada Recovery Hiring Program Q&A Session
With the recently announced Canada Recovery Hiring Program (CRHP), hard-hit businesses will be able to hire the workers they need to recover as local economies reopen. The CRHP supports payroll as businesses grow, whether it’s related to hiring staff, increasing shifts, or increasing overall pay.
This interactive question and answer session with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) will provide more information about this program and explain the benefits of this program.
The webinar will provide insights into:
· How CRHP can help eligible businesses hire more workers or increase workers’ hours or wages
· How CRHP differs from the CEWS program and how they overlap
· How eligible employers can apply for either of the two subsidies
· How payment periods are structured, and how the CRHP is calculated
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Celebrate Industry Along the BC Ale Trail July 6th at BCHF at the BCHF & MPI BC 'g-ALE-a' Event | Bid on Auction Items Today!
In partnership with the BC Craft Brewers Guild, Meeting Planner International (MPI) BC Chapter will be hosting their Annual Gala at over 15 outstanding craft breweries along the BC Ale Trail. The event will take place on July 7th, 2021 at 5:30 pm with each brewery hosting a table for 6 people. Early bird tickets will be $50 per person (table of 6 is $300) on sale June 15th. Anticipated attendance is 90 – 150 event industry professionals and their associates, family, and friends. There will be 6 people together at each brewery.
To support MPI BC Chapter and the BC Hospitality Foundation a virtual silent auction will be open for all British Columbians to bid from June 28th – July 9th, 2021. The goals of our silent auction are to showcase our province’s hospitality and tourism businesses AND get consumers out spending their money locally.
Auction Items include:
· A two-night stay at the luxurious Oak Bay Beach Hotel
· Gift certificates to a wide range of top BC restaurants
· A digital voucher for a 5-player Vancouver outdoor mystery game
· A round of golf for four at Westwood Plateau Golf & Country club
· A virtual team-building and training entertainment event
· Helijet round trip transportation for two between Victoria or Nanaimo to Vancouver
· A private charter of a Five Star Whale Watching vessel
· Gift certificates to at least 15 breweries along the BC Ale Trail
· And many more
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Destination Vancouver Webinar: Safer Spaces Start Here
Thursday, July 15th | 10:00am - 12:00pm | Webinar
Join us for an informative and interactive session that explores how to create safer spaces in Tourism and Hospitality. This session will start with an overview of the go2HR programs by Judy Frankel, communications manager at go2HR, and will include go2HR's upcoming programs including the BSAFE safety certificate program. The rest of the workshop will then be facilitated by Stacey Forester from Good Night Out Vancouver and will outline the basis for their education program for the prevention of sexual harassment and other forms of gender-based violence in the hospitality industry.
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- Welcome & Introductions by moderator, Gwendal Castellan
- Overview of go2HR safety programs by Judy Frankel
- Good Night Out Vancouver workshop with Stacey Forrester
- What's new? Linking this work to local and provincial policy
- Statistics
- Overview of Good Night Out
- Elements / Objectives of our training
- What the data/program evaluation on our training shows
- Lessons from COVID
- Mini-bystander training
- Outline the “Safer Spaces 21 Jumpstart” program
- What is involved / how to sign up
- Q&A with panelists
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Fore the Love of Tourism 15th Annual TIP Invitational Golf Tournament 2021
Join Partners in Tourism (TIP) at the beautiful Fairmont Chateau Whistler Golf Club Friday, August 27, 2021 for the 15th Annual Fore the Love of Tourism TIP Invitational Golf Tournament.
BACKGROUND:
Partners in Tourism – TIP Society was established in 2006 with the goal of fostering future generations of tourism professionals. Never has that been more important.
We are now seeing signs of recovery and in our collective spirit of optimism, we are again gathering for the Tourism Industry Partners (TIP) Invitational Golf Tournament to raise funds to support scholarships and awards to get the next generation back in the hospitality game.
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Since its inception, Partners in Tourism – TIP has provided funding in excess of $700,000 to support training, the purchase of equipment and financial assistance to hospitality students. The need has never been greater.
Let’s TIP the scales in favour of up-and-coming tourism and hotel professionals.
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WorkSafeBC | Learn about WorkSafeBC’s preliminary 2022 rates
Attend WorkSafeBC’s virtual rate consultation sessions. During these sessions, WorkSafeBC will provide an overview of the preliminary rates for 2022, inform employers about rate and classification changes, and outline what they can do to influence their rates.
The sessions include a 60-minute presentation, followed by a live Question and Answer period - links will be forwarded to everyone who has registered for the session.
Dates and times (PST)
- Monday, July 19, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
- Monday, July 19, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
- Wednesday, July 21, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m.
- Wednesday, July 21, 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
The presentation topics include:
- The financial state of the workers’ compensation system
- Rate and classification changes
- How you, as an employer, can influence your rates through improved health and safety
To register for the session of your choice, visit www.worksafebc.com/rates and fill in the registration form. You’re welcome to participate in any one of the virtual sessions. Participation is free For more information, please email rates@worksafebc.com
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Congratulations! Tipping Our Hat to Industry
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Working Group Chair, Joanne Burns Millar, CEO & Owner, Pacific Destination Services Inc., Also Wins Event Industry Volunteer of the Year!
The BC Meetings & Events Industry Working Group was named Best Industry Support Initiative during the Canadian Event Awards which took place Wednesday, July 7th.
The Working Group was created May 2020, in response to industry devastation caused by COVID-19 and is composed of industry professionals advocating for the interests of the meetings and events sector in British Columbia.
Since forming, the group has been instrumental in championing the events sector: developing best practices and protocol guidelines, advocating for a safe reopening, and creating phased reopening plan recommendations which have been instrumental in BC's 4 Step Restart Plan. With every step taken, the group has remained committed to getting the industry's tens of thousands of employees back to work.
Named Industry Event Volunteer of the Year, Working Group Chair, Joanne Burns Millar (pictured above) was singled out for her unwavering commitment and outstanding leadership! Joanne's tenacity and determination to lead the events industry out of the COVID-19 crisis has been unmatched, and completely worthy of this impressive accolade.
Congratulations to all Working Group Members and Advisors!
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WORKING GROUP MEMBERS
- Joanne Burns Millar, CEO - Pacific Destination Services (PDS)
- Jennifer Burton DMCP, President - Pacific Destination Services (PDS)
- Shawn Cheng, CMP, Project Manager, Conferences - MCI Canada - Vancouver
- Matthew Coyne, President - Cantrav
- Dave Gazley, Vice President – Tourism Vancouver
- Matthew Hussack, Vice President, Production - Proshow Audiovisual
- Walt Judas, CEO - Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia (TIABC)
- Alexis Kereluk, Partner - ConnectSeven Group
- Mike MacLeod, Director Member & Business Development – British Columbia Hotel Association
- Stephen Melville, President - Fraser Valley Event Planning Association
- Emma Parston CMP, Partner - ConnectSeven Group
- Paul Runnals, Vice President, Production & Technical - Brand Live
- James Thornley, President - The Peake of Catering
- Kelsey Millman, Communications Manager - British Columbia Hotel Association
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ADVISORS
- Karen Goodwin, VP Destination & Market Development – Tourism Whistler
- Greg Hazlewood, CMP, Director Conference Services & Catering – The Fairmont Hotel Vancouver
- Marion Harper Treskin, Dual Property GM – JW Marriott Parq Vancouver & the DOUGLAS
- Ingrid Jarrett, President & CEO – British Columbia Hotel Association
- Miranda Ji, CMP, VP Sales, Business Events Victoria – Destination Greater Victoria
- Craig Lehto, General Manager - Vancouver Convention Centre
- David Tikkanen, Program Head, Tourism Marketing Management at BCIT
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Nolan Marshall III Joins Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association as President and CEO
Formerly the Chief Engagement and Solutions Officer at the New Orleans Business Alliance, Nolan Marshall III has joined the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association as President and CEO.
In his words:
As the President and CEO of the Downtown Vancouver BIA, I have the privilege of working alongside talented and dedicated colleagues to protect and promote the public realm and increase the economic vitality of one the most vibrant and beautiful places in the entire world.
Congrats Nolan!
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Over in the western hemisphere, meanwhile, Four Points by Sheraton Langley will open in the Canadian province of British Columbia in early 2022. The 130-key hotel will be part of a dual-branded project alongside a Residence Inn by Marriott development. Marriott International’s hotel brands will occupy separate buildings joined by shared common areas, including a lobby, fitness and recreational facilities, and nearly 8,000 sq ft of event space.
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One of the world’s most iconic voyages is back, and TravelPulse Canada is part of the experience.
The first Rocky Mountaineer trains to leave British Columbia en route to the majestic Canadian Rockies pulled out of Kamloops on Tuesday morning, marking the first Rocky Mountaineer departure since October of 2019.
With Canada’s borders still largely shut, most of the 80-plus passengers (the train is operating at roughly one-half capacity for social distancing) on board were Canadian. But the sense of excitement was palpable, both from visitors and from staff who were welcoming their first guests in 21 long months.
Rocky Mountaineer staff took photos outside the gleaming rail cars, with flags flying and grins all around.
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Canadians and permanent residents who are fully vaccinated are now able to enter the country without having to quarantine — provided they have proof of inoculation and have submitted a negative COVID-19 test.
This is the first phase of loosening the Canada-U.S. border restrictions that have been in place since March 2020.
But the first phase has been met with some confusion, including the rules around quarantining with children, digital proof of vaccination and whether non-essential travel is now allowed.
Here is everything you need to know before you head on a trip to the Canada-U.S. border.
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