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The breaking news yesterday centered around a major reshuffle of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet. In what many political commentators have interpreted as a prelude to a possible general election within the next twelve months, there were several appointments that affected the tourism industry. Among the many changes was the news that Minister Randy Boissonnault would become the new Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages and Soraya Martinez Ferrada would become the new Minister of Tourism.

Since his elevation to the cabinet in October of 2021, Minister Boissonnault has been a strong champion of the tourism industry and played a critical role in ensuring that the hardest hit sectors, including tourism, received continued economic support as we slowly emerged from the pandemic.

TIAO thanks Minister Boissonnault for his support of tourism during these most unprecedented and difficult times and we look forward to working with him in his new portfolio to take the steps necessary to create a sustainable workforce for the tourism industry. We are also delighted to welcome Minister Martinez Ferrada to her new role as Minister of Tourism and we look forward to working with her and our national partner TIAC to maximize opportunities for growth for tourism.

Minister Martinez Ferrada was first elected in 2019 to represent the Hochelaga riding in Quebec, she has previously served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion (Housing), Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship. Minister Martinez Ferrada also served on the City of Montréal’s Executive Committee as the Associate Advisor for Culture and from 2015 to 2018 as a city councillor. She also served as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Minister of Canadian Heritage.

Minister Martinez Ferrada joins Cabinet at a critical time for the tourism industry as the severity of the debt crisis continues to provoke deep concern. That is why in our introductory letter to our new minister, after offering our congratulations, reaffirmed our calls for action on the spiraling debt crisis that continues to deeply restrict our ability to recover. At the start of the week 250 business leaders and organizations, including TIAO, sent a letter to Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland asking for immediate action to alleviate concerns. You can read that letter here and coverage of the coalition of businesses including TIAO, TIAC, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the Canadian Home Builders’ Association and Restaurants Canada amongst others here.

Finally, we’re pleased to hear that applicants to the Experience Ontario 2023 program for festivals and events have started to receive confirmation from the provincial government on whether their applications have been successful. Of course while pleased that this program is being rolled out, TIAO is committed to returning the timescale for these grants back to their pre-pandemic timeline. It is vital that we give organizers the most time to plan, schedule and deliver successful events. We look forward to working with government officials to make this a reality in 2024.

Thank you for taking the time to read our newsletter and of course please do contact the TIAO team if you have any questions or queries. Don’t forget, tickets are now available for the Ontario Tourism Summit in Mississauga this October, and you can buy your tickets here.

Christopher Bloore
President & CEO, TIAO

Last week's advocacy update focused on the findings of a Nanos research report commissioned by TIAC and provincial tourism associations including TIAO into the impact of debt on tourism businesses. The report, which TIAO members graciously took part in demonstrated the severe and widespread problems that debt is posing to our industry. So much so that 45% of tourism businesses are at risk of closure due to debt levels.

TIAO has used this data to write to all of Ontario’s 121 Federal Members of Parliament to urge them to alleviate the debt crisis that continues to hamper the full recovery of the tourism industry. You can read the letter we’ve sent to every MP, here, and we would urge all TIAO members, with strong links to their local MP, to urge him or her to raise this critical issue with Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.  TIAO also continues to work with national business and sector associations to bring together national coalitions of support behind our call for action, and we are determined to win further concessions to support our members.

TIAO has joined a new coalition of organizations calling for Ontario to undertake a new property tax reassessment and return to a regular assessment cycle in line with other provincial governments. The coalition includes the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), BOMA Toronto, Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), Canadian Property Tax Association (CPTA), NAIOP Greater Toronto, Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC), Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA), Toronto Financial District BIA and REALPAC have written to Premier Ford calling on him to take action and provide certainty for businesses and investors. You can read that letter by clicking here.

On Friday July 21st, TIAO will join TIAC in a meeting with ISED officials to discuss recent funding announcements from the federal budget. Many TIAO members have enquired with us about how monies distributed to regional development agencies and Destination Canada will be used, and we’re hopeful that this meeting will supply some guidance on this. We have also collected as much feedback as possible from members on the delivery of earlier federal programs, so that we can learn lessons to help federal officials ensure future programs are as efficient and as effective as possible.

In an update to last week's report on the negative impacts caused by the weekly closure of the Burlington Skyway Bridge for maintenance: We’re pleased that that the provincial government moved to cancel last weeks scheduled repairs and discussions are still underway with MTO to find an alternate solution that enables essential repairs to be undertaken but also doesn’t detrimentally affect tourism businesses.

Preparations for TIAO’s tourism delegation to the Assocation of Municipalities of Ontario Conference (AMO) are well underway and we’ve already secured several meetings with Ministers, economic development officers and locally elected officials who are attending the conference in London. If you’re planning to attend AMO, please do come and visit the TIAO booth on the trade floor to learn more about our key advocacy goals and our work with municipalities.

We're excited to announce TIAO's newest team member, Alexander Miceli! As the Manager of Policy and Government Affairs, Alexander holds valuable government and stakeholder relations skills, along with his extensive background in knowledge management and advanced research methods. Previously, he was the Stakeholder Relations Advisor at the Associate Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and got his start in politics as a researcher in the Ontario Legislative Assembly. With both a Master of Information and an Honours B.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto, Alexander brings a strong passion for political advocacy and research to his role.

Finally, thank you to those members that have already signed up for Tourism Day at Queen’s Park. Exclusive to TIAO Members, Tourism Day at Queen’s Park, happening on Tuesday, September 26th (8-5PM), is TIAO’s annual lobby day event at the provincial legislature. One of the association’s most highly rated events and membership benefits, TD@QP allows tourism industry leaders and stakeholders valuable face time with MPPs, Ministers and other government officials and staff.  Read more and register below.

As ever, this is only a snapshot of the work that the TIAO team is currently undertaking, and we appreciate your feedback and input on ongoing and new challenges or issues of concern. If you would like to speak to a member of the TIAO team or know more about some of the issues we’ve referred to in this newsletter, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Chris Bloore
President & CEO, TIAO

Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Neil Lumsden, spoke publicly this week about the steps his office has taken to communicate with the federal Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance, Randy Boissonnault, on debt relief for the industry. 

Listen to the interview here.

Minister Lumsden has reached out to communicate the needs of the industry, and has sent a formal letter to stress the need for extending the repayment deadline for the CEBA, RRRF and HASCAP loans. Thank you to Minister Lumsden for standing up for tourism business owners in Ontario. 

Debt has impacted the capacity of businesses to operate at full capacity, hire the necessary staff, create new tourism experiences, and build the next attraction. For this reason, TIAO has joined a new coalition formed with national organizations in the visitor economy and small business sectors. Together, we are calling on the federal government to: 

• Extend the zero-interest repayment deadline for the CEBA loan to December 31, 2025;   
• Increase the forgivable portion of the CEBA loan to $30,000 (or 50%) if fully repaid before December 31, 2024, and maintain the current forgivable portion of $20,000 (or 33.3%) if fully repaid by December 31, 2025; and,  
• Modify the RRRF and HASCAP loans in a similar fashion to allow more time and flexibility in repayment terms. 

TIAO will be writing a letter to every Ontario MP to outline these recommendations and the urgent need to address this issue with deadlines coming up December 2023.  

TIAO is aware of impacts caused by the weekly closure of the Burlington Skyway Bridge for maintenance. From July 7 to August 11, Niagara-bound lanes on the Burlington Skyway Bridge are being closed for more than 12 hours each Friday night for bridge repairs, reopening on Saturdays by 9:30am. While critical, these repairs are taking place during the busiest time of the year for Niagara tourism and during busy travel times. With the Burlington Skyway being the most direct route to Niagara, the closures have already disrupted Friday evening and early Saturday morning travel plans for Niagara-bound visitors, workers, and suppliers. TIAO is currently working with the Niagara Falls Canada Hotel Association (NFCHA), the Ontario Restaurant, Hotel and Motel Association (ORHMA), and government partners to come to a solution that will allow the remaining repairs to occur while minimizing travel disruption. Click here to see TIAO’s joint letter to Premier Ford.   

Lastly, please register to join us for TIAO’s most important advocacy event of the year! Exclusive to TIAO Members, Tourism Day at Queen’s Park, happening on Tuesday, September 26th (8-5PM), is TIAO’s annual lobby day event at the provincial legislature. One of the association’s most highly rated events and membership benefits, TD@QP allows tourism industry leaders and stakeholders valuable face time with MPPs, Ministers and other government officials and staff. Read more and register below.

Madison Simmons 
Vice President, Public Affairs 

TIAO continues to keep the pressure on advocating for debt relief to ensure the recovery, growth, and sustainability of Ontario's tourism industry after last month’s release of the TIAC/Nanos research findings. These results renew the case for government intervention. TIAO will be an active member of a new Coalition being formed with likeminded national organizations in the visitor economy and small business sectors to push the messaging and recommendations forward.  

As of this week, TIAO has been advocating for debt relief for tourism businesses for the past 23 months. Last year, TIAO launched a campaign for debt relief, calling on the federal government to extend the zero-interest repayment deadline and to increase the maximum amount of partial loan forgiveness for CEBA and RRRF loans. These recommendations were featured in our blueprint for tourism recovery and growth, outlined in our Federal Tourism Growth Strategy submission, provincial and federal budget submissions, and in our joint 2022 State of the Ontario Tourism Industry Report with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. We know that debt has been consistently cited as hampering the recovery of our member tourism businesses and will continue to prioritize this advocacy file, communicating and reiterating the need with MPs before the return of Parliament in September. 

The TIAO team started off the week by attending the release of the new Federal Tourism Growth Strategy in Niagara Falls. The Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance unveiled the new strategy entitled: Canada 365: Welcoming the World. Every Day. 

This strategy is released after almost 12 months of consultations - roundtables and online submissions garnered input from some 400 tourism stakeholders and follows the 2019 plan called Creating Middle Class Jobs: A Federal Tourism Growth Strategy, which identified that the Canadian tourism sector was not reaching its potential. The newly announced strategy uses 2019 as a foundation and incorporates lessons from the past three years of the pandemic. 

TIAO is encouraged to see that the main themes throughout this document are in line with our priorities. We recognize all of our members that contributed by providing feedback and input in the consultation period. If you have any questions or comments on the strategy, please reach out to me at msimmons@tiaontario.ca. We would love to hear your thoughts. 

TIAO also attended the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce’s Spotlight event. Hosted by Niagara College Canada at their Benchmark Restaurant, the event was a great opportunity to discuss the Federal Tourism Growth Strategy with Minister Boissonnault and to reconnect with TIAO members in the Niagara region.    

On Wednesday, TIAO presented its advocacy priorities and vision for the future of tourism in Ontario to the federal Conservative Tourism Caucus Advisory Committee – thank you to co-Chairs MP Tony Baldinelli and MP Blake Richards for inviting us. 

In addition, this week, the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development announced a new licensing system for temporary help agencies and recruiters. As of January 1, 2024, temporary help agencies and recruiters will need a license to operate in the province and will need to provide $25,000 in the form of an irrevocable letter of credit that can be used to repay owed wages to employees. Offenders could face up to a $50,000 penalty based on repeat violations – the highest amount in Canada.  

TIAO has advocated for the regulation of temporary help agencies and recruiters to protect some of the most essential workers in the tourism and hospitality industry and to ensure that businesses can make informed decisions when choosing recruitment partners. TIAO congratulates Minister McNaughton on this critical step forward in elevating the standard of recruitment practices in Ontario. 

TIAO would also like to congratulate Neil Pakey and Nieuport Aviaton on the announcement last week that US Customs and Border Protection Preclearance operations will be coming to Billy Bishop Airport. TIAO has been a vocal supporter of this investment and the role it will play in driving favourable economic outcomes that would benefit both Toronto and Ontario.  

Lastly, please register to join us for TIAO’s most important advocacy event of the year! Exclusive to TIAO Members, Tourism Day at Queen’s Park, happening on Tuesday, September 26th (8-5PM), is TIAO’s annual lobby day event at the provincial legislature. One of the association’s most highly rated events and membership benefits, TD@QP allows tourism industry leaders and stakeholders valuable face time with MPPs, Ministers and other government officials and staff. Read more and register below.

Madison Simmons 
Vice President, Public Affairs