COVID-19 Vaccine Booking Expanding to Ontarians 18+ Ahead of Schedule
As of 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 18, 2021, individuals aged 18 and over will be eligible to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment through the provincial booking system and call centre, or directly through public health units that use their own booking system. Read more.
Ontario Tourism & Travel Small Business Support Grant Now Open
Applications are now open for the Ontario Tourism and Travel Small Business Support Grant, which will provide one‐time payments of $10,000 to $20,000 to eligible small businesses in the tourism and travel sector. This grant will provide an estimated $100 million to eligible small tourism and travel businesses that did not receive the Ontario Small Business Support Grant (OSBSG), such as travel agents, hotels, motels, resorts, bed and breakfasts, and more. To qualify, businesses must demonstrate they have experienced a minimum 20% revenue decline between 2019 and 2020 and have fewer than 100 employees. Read more.
Provincial Stay-At-Home Order Extended Until ‘at least’ June 2
With the new, more contagious variants continuing to pose significant risks, the Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, has extended the Stay-at-Home Order (O. Reg. 265/21) until at least June 2, 2021. All public health and workplace safety measures under the provincewide emergency brake will also remain in effect. Read more.
Call to Action: ORHMA Calling on Members to Write to Local MPPs
Hotels Need Property Tax Support
ORHMA has been making some noise about Property Tax Assessments and Ontario’s hotels and accommodation sector and is asking members to get involved.
Hospitality businesses experienced the negative impact of the COVID-19 outbreak first and will be the last to recover. Hotels and motels will run out of cash without new relief support. Although hotels have been deemed an essential service and were not mandated to close, travel and gathering restrictions across the province left hotels with poor occupancy rates. The Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (MPAC) reassesses properties based on building and land value which is considerable especially for hotels given their footprint. The government has indicated that property tax assessments for the 2021 property tax year will continue to be based on the fully phased-in Jan. 1, 2016 current values. This means that assessment for the 2021 property tax year will be the same as the 2020 tax year. A retroactive re-assessment tax year is needed to capture the depressed 2020 revenues and values of a dismal performance expected to continue in 2021. Significant changes to the property tax systems are required to provide much needed relief for hard hit businesses.
ORHMA has written to Ontario’s Minister of Finance and is asking members to write to their local MPP’s. The following Call to Action issued to ORHMA members includes key messages, list of MPP’s and templates and samples.
Advocating for Beverage Alcohol Price Reduction
During these critical times, a reduction to Beverage Alcohol pricing will directly flow to a restaurant’s bottom line and will have a significant impact to the weak profit margins experienced by Ontario’s foodservice operations, which currently represent the lowest in Canada. Ontario should follow the lead of British Columbia and support Ontario’s licensees by reducing beverage alcohol products by 20 per cent as compared to consumer prices. Not only is this a fair and ethical decision but it will greatly support the province’s restaurants in a very tough recovery journey. Read more.
Advocating for Hotel Eligibility for Ontario's Support Programs
Hotels in Ontario have been deemed an essential service and therefore have not been directed to close, however, with the provincial mandated restrictions including travel, gathering and indoor seating restrictions, many hotels sit empty or have performed with poor occupancies. Despite the severe impact to the accommodation sector, hotels have been omitted from being eligible to receive business relief support that has been offered to other businesses yet the sector has been one of the most hurt by the pandemic. Read more.
Ontario's Financial Relief Opportunities for Businesses
ORHMA has compiled a fund summary of available relief opportunities that is currently available for industry to apply for. This summary can be accessed here.
ORHMA Calls On Government to Amend the COVID-19 Response Framework
As the Ontario Government is in gear to begin moving regions back into the COVID-19 Response Framework, ORHMA submitted recommended amendments to Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Council of Medical Officers of Health (COMOH) and the Association of Local Public Health Agencies (alPHa). These recommended amendments include allowing establishments who are located in the Orange (Restrict) and Red (Control) areas to operate with a percentage calculation related to the total licensed seating capacity in order to support financial sustainability for the establishment while following distancing protocols. The recommendations also included an extension of the ending time to serve alcoholic beverages in order to have a third viable dinner seating. To read our full amendment recommendations, click here.
Ontario Permanently Allowing Alcohol with Food Takeout and Delivery
The Ontario government has announced that they are making the sale of alcohol with food takeout and delivery orders permanent, a measure taken to support restaurants, bars, breweries, wineries and distilleries who have been hit hard as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. On behalf of Ontario's hospitality industry, ORHMA was committed to advocating for this to be a permanent service. Read more.
Adopting Technology and Tools to Improve Operations During COVID-19
During this exceedingly difficult time, it is imperative that operators take active steps to convey to the public that dining in their establishments is a safe and desirable practice. We have assembled a key list of such for you. While most have made considerable efforts overall and often investments in such visible tools such as plexiglass barriers and contactless menus, unfortunately there are some operators that may not be conveying that same degree of effort and which can impact perceptions of the industry in an unfavourable way. We are working hard with Government to get support for measures that they agree will improve the level of safety to ease restrictions. Whatever things you may have undertaken regarding Municipal and Provincial regulations, we encourage you to review the elements for providing and conveying a safe environment by adhering to the guidelines laid out in the DineSafe.ca guide and to undertake efforts to make your operation as touch-free as possible. Read more.
ORHMA Launches DineSafe Guide: A Practical Guide and Support Program For Re-Opening and Creating Guest Confidence
To understand how to best navigate this unprecedented time and support restaurant and foodservice operators, the Ontario Restaurant Hotel and Motel Association (ORHMA) has been working closely with industry leaders, government agencies, technology experts, legal advisors, and key supply partners. Together, they have developed best practices to help guide your safe and successful reopening. Focusing on processes that protect staff and guests and exceed health and safety expectations, this guide aims to provide the roadmap to restaurant recovery. By following these recommendations, operators can each design safe, welcoming spaces that inspire public trust, so that the industry can not only survive but thrive. Visit DineSafe.ca
Ontario Releases Guide On How To Develop A Workplace Safety Plan
The province's COVID-19 Response Framework, announced earlier this month includes the requirement of a safety plan to be in place and available to be shown to health officials upon request. Among other businesses the plan is mandatory for restaurants, bars and food or drink establishments and meeting and event spaces. It also includes casinos.
A safety plan provides a documented approach to what your workplace needs to do and how you’re going to do it. Ontario has a guide for businesses on how to Develop Your COVID-19 Workplace Safety Plan. Read more.
COVID-19 Ministerial Sub Panel for the Foodservice Sector
In May 2020, ORHMA was asked to assemble a Foodservice Sector Sub-Panel to provide government with recommendations in relation to the impact of COVID-19 on the hospitality industry. This panel met several times to discuss a number of items and recommendations including rent, beverage alcohol, red tape reduction, patio space expansion and more. For the full list of recommendations provided in the Ministerial Sub-Panel for the Foodservice Sector report, click here.
ORHMA Advocates for Commercial Rent Eviction Protection
ORHMA, along with other like-minded business associations, urgently asked the provincial government to protect small- and medium-sized businesses from evictions by putting in place temporary commercial eviction protection for tenants who were in good standing with their landlords prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 25, 2020, an open letter to Premier Ford was sent on behalf of small-and medium-sized businesses sharing details of the economic destruction that the outbreak of COVID-19 has had on our industry and asking for immediate assistance.
Read the Moratorium on commercial tenant evictions for more details. This moved in favour of our industry as the government later announced proposed changes to the Commercial Tenancies Act that would temporarily halt evictions of businesses that are eligible for federal/provincial rent assistance. If passed, the legislation would reverse evictions that occurred on or after June 3, 2020. The government intends to bring this legislation forward as soon as possible. If passed, the proposed legislation would make it illegal to evict a commercial tenant until August 31, 2020. The government announcement can be read here.
Furthermore, while we are calling for a new rent program that works, we once again are asking for an extension to restricting evictions. Our recent letter to Premier Doug Ford can be read here.
ORHMA Presents to Standing Committee on Financial and Economic Affairs
Impact of COVID-19 on Ontario’s Tourism Sector
On Thursday June 4, 2020, Tony Elenis, President & CEO of the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA) spoke to the Standing Committee on Finance & Economic Affairs on the Impact of COVID-19 to Ontario’s Tourism Sector. As the industry was preparing for re-opening, the recommendations provided in this presentation included assistance with beverage alcohol pricing, expanding the qualification criteria for the Ontairo Energy Rebate, supporting positive changes to the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) and more.
Impact of COVID-19 to Ontario’s Small and Midsize Enterprises
On Tuesday August 18, 2020, Tony Elenis, President & CEO of the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA) spoke a second time to the Standing Committee on Finance & Economic Affairs on the Impact of COVID-19 to the Small & Medium Sized Businesses of the Hospitality Industry. There is no doubt that the hospitality industry needs sector specific focus and support in order to recover as well as contribute to job growth and the economy overall. This presentation touched on a number of issues including: Labour & Workforce, Rent, Property Tax, Beverage Alcohol Fees, Beverage Alcohol with Delivery and Take-Out, as well as Patio Extension.
Extension to Outdoor Patio Spaces
After several recommendations to the provincial government, Restaurants and Bars are now allowed to extend an existing licensed patio, or add a new one, provided that the patio extension is adjacent to their licensed premises. ORHMA thanks the AGCO and municipalities for the cooperation and support. This will provide an opportunity for the public to safely enjoy service that meets physical distancing requirements and other public health guidelines. These opportunities are available to all licensed establishments, whether or not they currently have a patio, and will be subject to any additional requirements set out by the AGCO and municipality (such as bylaws or other restrictions). ORHMA is now pursuing to make the extension of outdoor patios permanent. Click here.
Daily COVID-19 Screening Required in Ontario Workplaces
As of September 26, 2020, each Ontario workplace is required to proactively screen employees for related symptoms and risk factors prior to entry into their work environment. The screening process should include, at minimum, questions identified in the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 Screening Tool for Workplaces. Click here.
250+ businesses and associations join together to urge a halt to planned alcohol tax hike amid pandemic
ORHMA, along with other like-minded business associations, has joined a national coalition titled "Freeze It For Them" to fight tax increases which would raise beverage alcohol prices for Ontario’s licensee. "Freeze it for them" is supported by farming groups, bar and restaurant owners, tourism and hospitality associations, manufacturers, brewers, and industry representatives. More tax increases will set Canadian beer drinkers, bar and restaurant servers, and other industries hit hard by the COVID-19 economic crisis back even further.
As part of our involvement in this coalition, our members came together to join other businesses and associations to urge the Minister of Finance to halt planned tax hikes. Read more.
ORHMA Participates In The Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses
ORHMA, along with other like-minded business associations, have aligned and come together to form the Coalition of Hardest Hit Businesses, who are behind the need for support. It comes at no surprise that this global pandemic has negatively impacted many sectors across Canada, but our sector specifically has been hit the hardest. Businesses in our hospitality industry, an industry whose core operation is about bringing people together, face to face, are in a crisis, with many not seeing revenue for over 6 months. Businesses operating in Ontario’s hospitality industry continue to do their part in preventing the spread of COVID-19. Although they are operating a controlled environment, businesses continue to face shut-downs and battle with gaining consumer confidence resulting in revenue and employment losses, with a tough road to recovery ahead. Read more.