In Today's Update
- A Message from NOTO's President
- A Message from NOTO's Executive Director
- Canada-US Border & FAQs
- Laurie's Interview with CBC
- A Notice from CBSA on Bait
- NOTO Members - Have you joined our Facebook group?
- Public Health Agency of Canada Launches New COVID-19 Travel Toolkit
- Tourism SkillsNet North Information
- Tourism Relief Fund Webinar - Details to come
- Note to Northwest Operators Impacted by Wildfires
- Implementation Order Notice for NW Operators Due to Ongoing Fire Situation
- TIAO News
- Great Ontario Getaway Giveaway
- 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:
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A Message From NOTO's President
Bob Garson - Garson's Fly-in Outposts
Happy days,
I was very pleased to know that the border into Canada from the USA will be open as of August 9, 2021 to fully vaccinated Americans. It has been a long, unpredictable road to get here. I understand that there are some challenges, but nothing near what we have already been through. Sure we are skeptical, even somewhat in denial, as so often we have been disappointed by our expectations. Yes, the absolute relief will only be when we are seeing our American guests face to face, behind masks and socially distanced.
At NOTO, we continue our lobbying to ensure that we receive help from the Government and continue to advocate for additional programs that we will require to recover as we open. We continue to scrutinize the government direction to ensure that the border opening is trouble free and as safe as it could possibly be. We also work to ensure that the tourism industry maintains the residents’ trust by providing unprecedented safety protocols. It allows us to once again showcase the world renowned experiences we have in a safe environment.
I wish the best and safest remainder of the season for all.
Your NOTO President,
Bob Garson
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A Message from NOTO's Executive Director
Laurie Marcil
I know this has been a challenging week full of a range of emotions and confusion. Just know that we have been communicating with Government all week to ensure they know that clarity is critical if we hope to encourage our guests to make the trip.
We are sharing many of your challenges with them and let me reassure you that they are scrambling to get information out as quickly as they can. Typical of Government, announcements are made before policies and communications are fully developed. I am not making excuses for government, just relaying facts.
We have also been working with Ryan Runge, President of KDCA to ensure the random testing processes that they are currently developing will be simple and make sense for our region.
We know that there is considerable confusion around the US Border closure extension. This extension prevents Canadians from travelling for non-essential reasons into the US but will have no impact on Americans returning to the US. There are no requirements for US travelers to test or quarantine on their re-entry to the US.
Information regarding the border is being updated at a very rapid pace so I encourage all NOTO members to sign up to the NOTO Group FB page to get the most up to date information as it happens. We will continue to do our best to answer questions that come through this page as quickly as we can. We will continue to send out our weekly newsletters to members and non-members.
Hang in there,
Laurie
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Canada-US Border
The Federal Government has announced that fully vaccinated Americans will be permitted to enter Canada beginning on August 9th, 2021. Fully vaccinated Americans will still require to meet pre-entry requirements. Click here for more details. NOTO has received many questions regarding this announcement and have put together an FAQ which can be seen in this newsletter. NOTO will update the industry regularly as we receive more questions and answers.
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FAQs About the Border
Q. Do travellers still require a negative COVID-19 test taken 72hr prior to entering Canada?
Yes. All travellers must take a PCR (molecular) test with a negative result taken within 72hrs of crossing the border.
Q. What are the requirements for children under the age of 12?
Unvaccinated children under the age of 12 travelling with fully vaccinated parents must meet all other required criteria to enter Canada, including submitting information electronically through ArriveCAN and all testing requirements (which includes the pre-arrival test).
Q. Do unvaccinated children between the ages of 13 and 18 need to quarantine?
From what has been released to date it appears that non-vaccinated individuals between the age of 12 and 18 will need to quarantine for 14 days. We are still looking for specifics on this age gap.
Q. Will non-vaccinated or half-vaccinated Americans be permitted to enter Canada if they are able and willing to quarantine?
Entry to Canada will continue to be prohibited for U.S. travellers who are not fully vaccinated and for all other foreign nationals, unless they already meet an exemption set out in the Orders made under the Quarantine Act.
Q. Is there a fee attached to the ArriveCAN app?
Q. What constitutes as a proper quarantine plan?
The quarantine plan is mandatory for anyone entering Canada, regardless if they are fully vaccinated.
- Quarantine locations should be their vacation destination
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Guests who are randomly selected for a test and test positive can choose to do their quarantine at their quarantine location here in Canada OR they can leave to go home.
We suggest that operators (if possible) have a cabin reserved as a self-isolation location for the guest that tests positive.
Q. Are there any testing or quarantine requirements for Americans returning to the USA?
As it currently stands, there are no testing or quarantine requirements for Americans returning to the US by land border crossing. There are testing requirements for Americans returning to the US via air. The COVID-19 situation is continuously evolving therefore this may change. We will update the industry if there are any changes.
Q. What are all the steps our US guests will need to take prior to entering Canada?
- Must have received the full series of a Health Canada approved COVID-19 vaccine or a combination of approved vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, Astra Zeneca, Johnson & Johnson)
- Must have received your last dose at least 14 days prior to the day you enter Canada
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Upload information into the ArriveCAN app (this app is free and secure)
- All information must be inputted into the ArriveCAN app within 72 hours prior to arrival in Canada.
- The app will ask you to input contact information for you and the people you are travelling with, purpose of trip, date of arrival, port of entry, proof of vaccination, and your quarantine plan.
- For the quarantine plan, input the location where you will be staying while in Canada (i.e. the lodge).
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Must have a negative COVID-19 molecular* test taken within 72 hours prior to arrival (view accepted tests). Antigen tests are not accepted.
- Must be asymptomatic upon arrival
- Upon arrival, the border officer will ask you for your ArriveCAN receipt, proof of vaccination, negative COVID-19 test results and other typical documentation.
Q. What types of COVID-19 pre-arrival tests will be accepted by CBSA?
These tests are considered acceptable molecular tests - antigen tests are not accepted*:
- PCR - Polymerase chain reaction
- RT-PCR – reverse transcription real time PCR
- Quantitative PCR (qPCR)
- Nucleic acid test (NAT) or Nucleic acid amplification test (NAATs)
- Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP)
- Isothermal amplification
- Droplet digital PCR or digital droplet PCR (ddPCR)
- Transcription-mediated amplification (TMA)
- RNA (Ribonucleic acid)
- Ct (cycle threshold)
- CRISPR
- Sequencing
- Next generational sequencing (NGS) or whole genome sequencing (WGS)
- Oxford Nanopore sequencing (LamPORE)
- Detection of the N gene
- Detection of Orf1a/b
- Detection of the S gene
- Detection of the E gene
- Detection of the RdRp gene
These tests use methods such as a nasopharyngeal (NP) swab, nose swab, or saliva sample. At this time, proof of having a vaccine will not replace a negative test result. Here are links that NOTO members have shared with us that may help your guests find a testing site:
Q. If someone had COVID-19 and have recovered, would that count as proof of immunity/vaccination?
No. All individuals must be fully vaccinated and have proof of vaccination in order to enter Canada. Entry to Canada will continue to be prohibited for U.S. travellers who are not fully vaccinated and for all other foreign nationals, unless they already meet an exemption set out in the Orders made under the Quarantine Act.
You can view all the details that the Canadian Government expects from fully-vaccinated travellers here. This page will be updated as we approach August 9th. You can also share with your guests the backgrounder which also highlights all the pre-entry requirements for fully vaccinated Americans that will come in effect on August 9th.
We are still gathering more details on the random testing process and will share ASAP.
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Laurie's Interview with CBC
Earlier this week, Laurie participated in an interview with CBC to talk about the easing of restrictions for fully vaccinated Americans beginning on August 9th. This interview also focused on the issues operators continue to face such as: how some businesses remain closed, issues with staffing, re-opening preparations, the loss of revenues, and other challenges that operators have faced over the last 16 months. Laurie also talked about our asks to Government: more forgivable portions for loans, longer payback terms, the importance of CEWS, and the need for additional supports as there are only have so many weeks left of the summer.
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A Notice from CBSA on Bait
NOTO has been notified by CBSA that they will not allow any bait (worms, minnows-live or dead, and obviously no leeches) into Canada. Currently, the only people permitted to import any of these would be commercial bait dealers who may be able to satisfy the CFIA or MNR in order to import them legally.
CBSA is concerned that with all the other rules which may affect border wait times (verification of public health rules for entry and other admissibility), they don’t have time for education on newly implemented bait rules. They also don’t know how widely these rules have been circulated in the United States and have asked us to help circulate this information to guests prior to their trip across the border.
We need to remind our guests that this may be a temporary measure during this first phase of reopening. We know it is one more thing for our both operators and guests to keep in mind but if we want their entry process to go smooth, we will need to help guests be prepared.
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NOTO Members - Have You Joined Our Facebook Group?
For up to date information on NOTO's advocacy efforts, for rapid answers to your questions, and to participate in discussions with other operators across Ontario, please join NOTO's Private Group on Facebook!
This group was made to create a safe space for NOTO members to share comments, questions and concerns with us on a regular basis.
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Public Health Agency of Canada Launches New COVID-19 Travel Toolkit
The Public Health Agency of Canada has put together a COVID-19 Travel Toolkit which is meant to be a collection of some of the most commonly requested and useful resources that travellers coming to Canada will need during the COVID-19 pandemic. It also includes all of the links and information that are public available.
The kit includes:
- Travel information for individuals arriving in Canada by air or land
- Information on testing and quarantine requirements
- Information on exemptions from testing and quarantine requirements
- Information on exemptions for fully vaccinated travellers
- Links to COVID-19 resources
- Links to social media, for the latest news and updates
- Links to Digital Tools to help travellers
- Information about the Canada wordmark and how the tool kit resources can be used
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Tourism SkillsNet North
Are you reopening or in need of additional staff? Tourism SkillsNet North can help! This program 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.
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Tourism Relief Fund Webinar
FedNor & NOTO will be hosting a webinar to provide additional information on the Tourism Relief Fund Thursday July 29th, 2021 at 11am (EDT)
This program will be delivered by Regional Development Agencies (FedNor/FedDev) directly to tourism businesses and organizations to adapt their operations to meet public health requirements while also investing in products and services to facilitate their future growth. Businesses will have the choice to select one of following options:
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Receive up to $100,000 in non-repayable contributions for up to 50% of eligible costs OR
- Receive up to $500,000 in repayable contributions for up to 75% of eligible costs
The loans are interest free and can have up to 10 year payback terms depending on the loan amount. Eligible applicants include tourism entities that cater mainly to visitors, such as
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businesses; only tourism businesses that are incorporated are eligible for this program.
- not-for-profit organizations, such as tourism associations; and
- band councils or other Indigenous organizations and cooperatives.
The webinar link will be shared early next week but be sure to mark your calendars!
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Note to Northwest Operators Impacted by Wildfires
Dear Operators:
We at NOTO want you to know we are here for you during this difficult time. We are very concerned about the fire situation in Northwestern Ontario and we hope you are all staying safe during this difficult time.
We have received reports that some operators have lost their outpost camps but we have no further information than that. If anyone has specific news, please share so that we can reach out to offer our support.
Stay Safe,
NOTO Board and Staff
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Implementation Order Notice for NW Operators Due to Ongoing Fire Situation
There is currently an Emergency Area Order in place covering the Northwest Fire Region of Ontario (Restricted Fire Zones 1-13) due to the extreme fire hazard and significant fire activity in this area of the province.
Under the EAO, Implementation Orders can be made to restrict certain activities. There are currently an Implementation order which restricted certain road construction, harvesting, processing, and silviculture activities. Effective July 20th, additional restrictions have come into place as part of Stage Two under the Implementation Order:
The following activities carried out as part of an industrial operation as defined under Ontario Regulation 207/96: Outdoor Fires are prohibited:
- Operation that uses heavy machinery equipped with metal parts that may come into contact with rocks or similar material in the normal course of operation and cause a spark.
- Stripping of the surface vegetation and forest floor with heavy machinery.
- Hot work.
- Rail production grinding.
- Blasting of rock or soil without use of blasting mats.
- Switch crossing grinding.
- Operations using a channel saw where the surface vegetation and forest floor have not been removed up to a distance of at least three metres from the place where the channel saw is being operated on the worksite.
- Delimbing or slashing felled trees with heavy machinery.
- Using a portable saw mill.
- Slash piling.
- Building, spreading or shaping the sub-grade with a back hoe or excavator.
- Operation using three or more brush saws.
- Operation using heavy machinery with rubber tires and no chains.
- Drilling operation that does not use water as a coolant or flushing agent and that is carried out in an area that has not been cleared of the surface vegetation and forest floor.
- Induced polarization surveys using a power generator.
If you have any questions, or if there are any major concerns you would like flagged at a Provincial level, please do not hesitate to reach out to Amy Bryant at the contact info below:
Amy Bryant
Emergency Management and Security Coordinator
Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry
Phone: 807-707-1434
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TIAO News
TIAO Calls Next Week - Tuesday July 27th
COVID-19 Northern Ontario Tourism Update Call
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM (EDT)
Access Code: 711-706-621
COVID-19 Ontario Tourism Update Call
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM (EDT)
Access Code: 865-905-853
TIAO's 2021 Ontario Tourism Summit
Tickets are now available for TIAO's 2021 Ontario Tourism Summit. For more details and to register, please click here.
TIAO's 2021 Ontario Tourism Resiliency Awards
The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO) in partnership with Attractions Ontario, The Culinary Tourism Alliance, Indigenous Tourism Ontario and OTEC is proud to present the Ontario Tourism Resiliency Awards! Awards will be presented in each of the following three areas: Innovation, Collaboration & Sustainability. For more information and to nominate a business, please click here.
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Great Ontario Getaway Giveaway
Want to Participate? There's Still Time!
If you haven't submitted an application yet, you can still do so. We've had over 50 of resource-based tourism businesses submit their packages for this program which highlight the great variety of unique experiences Northern Ontario has to offer! The contest will run until August so it's not too late to join in on the action. 15 out of 25 trips have been awarded to date.
Please remember, awarded trips can be fulfilled in 2021 OR 2022.
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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’.
NOTO's health and safety protocols, which have been vetted by the Government of Ontario have been recognized as standardized protocols for this purpose.
NEW - The application process is now online for easier delivery.
Click the link below.
If you've implemented our protocols, or any other Government approved protocols throughout your workplace, apply to receive your stamp!
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Renew Your Membership or Join NOTO!
NOTO has extended the early bird membership pricing for the remainder of 2021!
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Entry Level: $452.00
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Bronze:
$621.50 NOW: $593.25
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Silver:
$734.50 NOW: $706.25
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Basic:
$621.50 NOW: $593.25
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Bronze:
$779.70 NOW: $734.50
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Silver:
$1,367.30 NOW: $1,299.50
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!
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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.
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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.
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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
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