The government has endorsed the report prepared by the Advisory Panel on Ontario Place Revitalization led by John Tory. The recommendations will transform Ontario Place into a year-round, multi-use waterfront community and urban park. Site development will start over the coming months and will include discussions with partners and the private sector. The full report is available here.
 

Your industry associations lobby at all levels of government on issues that affect your business and profits. Your voice at the grassroots level is very important as your representatives are hearing YOU, their constituents that have the power to vote in the next election.

The Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) is seeking support to make the case for more CTC funding to market Canada as a tourism destination. As you may know, the Canadian Tourism Commission had its funding cut significantly in this year's federal budget. The proposed CTC budget for 2013/14 is $57.8 million - a decrease of 41.5% in just a decade. Competition in the world marketplace for tourists is fierce. The US has just launched their “Brand USA” marketing campaign aimed at visitors from international and Canadian markets. TIAC is hoping to generate significant on-line support for more CTC funding through an “e-post card” campaign. To support tis imitative through their simple on-line tool, follow the prompts here.

The Hotel Association of Canada’s (HAC) is also lobbying the CTC funding issue and additionally, Access to workers through the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program and an increase in the number of certificates provided to Provincial Nominee Programs. Find out more information from HAC on grassroots lobbying here.

 

March 12, 2012: The Ontario government has received a report from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) that proposes modernization of the system. Read the entire story here: http://news.ontario.ca/mof/en/2012/03/olg-to-modernize-gaming.html
 

Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport issued a statement today from the work of the Advisory Panel led by John Tory to consider the question of building a casino on the Ontario Place site. The panel has recommended that a casino not be built at Ontario Place. As part of the review going forward, submissions will be asked to address parkland, commercial, retail, residential, recreation and entertainment uses for the Ontario Place site.
To read the full statement click here.
 

John Tory, Chair of the Minister’s Advisory Panel on Ontario Place Revitalization, released the panel’s final report that would see Ontario Place turn into a year-round public destination without admission charges. Also included in the report is the return of the Forum concert amphitheatre venue and residential living space. The report’s recommendations are available here. 

British Columbia has eliminated the aviation fuel tax for international flights reducing costs for airlines and increasing the province's tourism competitiveness to bring more flights into the region. The full story is available here.

 

StatsCan’s third quarter national tourism indicators show that tourism spending in Canada increased 0.8% in real terms. This was the ninth consecutive quarterly increase in tourism spending, for a cumulative gain of 8.2%. Driving the increase was higher spending by Canadians at home (+1%).  Gains were seen also seen in accommodation employment (+2.9%) and moderately in accommodation GDP (0.7%). A detailed table can be found here. More information is available here. 

A Ripley’s World Class Aquarium is scheduled to open in the summer of 2013 and construction of the 130,000 square foot attraction has already begun at the base of the CN Tower.  The attraction will feature more than 13,500 exotic sea and freshwater creatures, comprising more than 450 species and a unique 96-metre-long (315 foot) moving walkway through an acrylic tunnel deep below the Shark Lagoon. It is expected to draw nearly two-million visitors each year.  View the detailed press release here. Vist the Ripley’s website here.
 

Premier Dalton McGuinty has announced that construction will begin this spring for the new three-kilometre Air Rail Link 'spur line' connecting downtown Toronto to Pearson International Airport. The service between Union Station and Pearson will branch off the Georgetown south corridor and connect to a new passenger station at Terminal 1. Construction of this portion of the Air Rail Link is expected to be completed by summer 2014 and the Air Rail Link will be in service in time for the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan Am Games. More information is available here.
 

Microsoft has chosen Toronto as the site for its 2012 Worldwide Partner Conference, slated for July 9-13, 2012.  Expected are 15,000 people from 130 countries. Read the press release here.
 

Businesses must now be in full compliance with the Accessible Customer Service Standard as of January 1^st as part of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Compliance information and a toolkit to help your hotel become compliant are provided here.
 

The Hon. Minister of Finance, Dwight Duncan has delivered the Liberal government’s 2012-13 budget; Strong Action for Ontario. The focus is to achieve a balanced budget by 2017-18 through a five-year plan that focuses heavily on a priority commitment to education and healthcare, significantly reducing program spending and containing costs across the public service sector. For every $1 in new revenues collected in 2012, there is $4 of expense measures being taken. The government has noted that debt interest payments is the 3rd largest expense in the budget and has found measures that will reduce borrowing by more than $3 billion over 6 years. The full budget paper is available here. The GTHA Budget Analysis is available here.
 

The Ministry of Labour (MOL) is proposing a new regulation under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) to assist workers who believe they have been punished by their employer for raising a health and safety issue.  The proposed regulation would also assist small employers who are responding to a reprisal allegation made by a worker.  The proposed new regulation is part of a MOL initiative to implement recommendations of the Expert Advisory Panel on Occupational Health and Safety. The MOL is currently consulting on the proposed regulation.  More information is available here.
 

GTA hoteliers are not ready to bet on a casino plan, but say this region is in dire need of a new entertainment complex to lure international tourists. Read the full story by thestar here.
 

Preliminary results from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Sport indicate positive tourism numbers for Ontario.
•    International border crossings were up by 5% in April 2012 and up by 7% in January to April 2012
•    US border crossings were up 5% in April 2012 and were up 7% in January to April 2012.
•    Overseas border crossings grew 3% in April 2012 and were up 10% in January to April 2012.
 
Preliminary results for 2011 are available here.