'Extremely helpful': Province unveils $100M tourism recovery fund
A new $100 million Tourism Recovery Program unveiled by the Ontario government is welcome news for local businesses.
"Our business model is based on people physically coming out to see the winery," says Jamie Quai, winemaker at Quai Du Vin Winery near Sparta, Ont. "They come to see the grounds, walk, tour, taste, relax and when you can't have people out that hurts."
Ontario Tourism Minister Lisa MacLeod says the program will help for-profit tourism businesses in the attraction, accommodation and leisure travel sectors.
The province says the program will support tourism businesses that have experienced a loss of at least 50 per cent of eligible revenue in 2020-21 compared to 2019
"We had just started doing some capital upgrades in 2019 so we were going into a season where we're expecting a large numbers of tourists to show up and when nobody showed up all of a sudden that entire model just got upended, so I'd love some help with that," says Quai.
Eligible tourism businesses include inns and lodges, boat tours, ski centres, live performance venues, cinemas, drive-in theatres and amusement and water parks.
"This year is certainly a lot better than last year because we were able to open in July," says Alon Shatil, general manager of East Park London and board member of Tourism London.
"If we look back at 2020, obviously, that's a big hole to climb out of. I don't want to dwell on ourselves because I would count us as one of the more fortunate ones. If you look the indoor water parks for instance, they have essentially not been able to open for the two years and so this this will be extremely helpful."
Shatil feels this funding could be a lifeline for anyone who is eligible to access it. According to a study by Hellosafe.ca, Canada’s tourism industry lost $52 billion in 2021 compared to pre-pandemic 2019.
"Tourism is such an important industry to Ontario especially in border towns in particular like Niagara Falls and Windsor, " says Shatil.
"They have been impacted by the closed border and that market has been shut down. We first heard about this sort of relief last winter and early spring and we've been waiting for details. I still haven't had a chance to dive in and read all the details but any help and support for industries like tourism, that are so important and have been so adversely affected, it's welcome news."
However not everyone was praising Monday's announcement. The NDP's tourism critic feels the funding should have been provided much earlier.
"We've gone through the summer months and these businesses have been scrambling to find the funds for PPE, for training and advertising," says MPP Michael Mantha.
"This should have rolled out before even the third wave have started. They were one of the first ones that were hit by this pandemic, and unfortunately they were completely forgotten."
Mantha feels many small businesses have been suffering and some after reading the fine print won't even be eligible to receive any support.
"They are operators, that's what they do, they are not individuals that are prepared to put in a whole bunch of investment and time in order to find out that they're not eligible," adds Mantha, the MPP for the riding of Algoma-Manitoulin.
"If you become eligible, how fast would that funding flow? Under other programs by this government people are still waiting to find out if they're going to be receiving the funds or not."
Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP Jeff Yurek says his government has been providing support to these tourism-related businesses throughout the pandemic.
"This is just another bit of support for the tourism industry, and I don't know why anybody would complain about a $100 million fund going out to help all those businesses," says Yurek.
"In Elgin County, Middlesex and parts of London these are the businesses that drive our local economies. They're the ones that hire the most of the employees, and they need the support. This fund that's coming forward we'll help them survive this pandemic and move on to next year. Hopefully it's a strong normal year next year,"
Eligible businesses can apply here beginning Oct. 13.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.