We at Northeastern Ontario Tourism (NeONT) appreciate the difficulties you have experienced and continue to experience due to Covid-19.
While earlier today, we did forward to you information about the Ontario State of Emergency, we wanted to share with you more specific and clarifying details relating to short-term rentals, snowmobile tourism and ice fishing. These updates were forwarded to our staff this afternoon by and after a telephone conversation with, Nipissing MPP Victor Fedeli’s Constituency Office.
“Effective Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 12:01 a.m., the government is issuing a stay-at-home order requiring everyone to remain at home with exceptions for essential purposes, such as going to the grocery store or pharmacy, accessing health care services, for exercise or for essential work. This order and other new and existing public health restrictions are aimed at limiting people’s mobility and reducing the number of daily contacts with those outside an immediate household. In addition to limiting outings to essential trips, all businesses must ensure that any employee who can work from home, does work from home.
There are also changes to short-term rentals. Cottages, cabins and other shared rental accommodation are only to be provided to individuals who are in need of housing. Pre-arranged booking for short-term rentals is prohibited, with exception for housing requirements. Short-term rentals are not to be used for vacation and holidays. Please see the link below, and Slides 15 and 20 further outline the changes made.
In addition, the Ministry of Health has amended the regulations to permit the short-term rental of ice fishing huts for day use only by members of the same household, during the Provincial Lockdown.
These new public health measures will help stop the spread of COVID-19 by reducing concerning levels of mobility as the province continues its vaccine rollout and ramps up to mass vaccination when the federal government is able to provide the necessary supply to do so.
Under the declaration of a provincial emergency, the province will provide authority to all enforcement and provincial offences officers. This will also include the Ontario Provincial Police, local police forces, bylaw officers, and provincial workplace inspectors to issue tickets to individuals who do not comply with the stay-at-home-order, or those not wearing a mask or face covering indoors as well as retail operators and companies who do not enforce. Those who decide not to abide by orders will be subject to set fines and/or prosecution under both the Reopening Ontario (A Flexible Response to COVID-19) Act, (ROA) and EMCPA. In addition, all enforcement personnel will have the authority to temporarily close a premise and disperse individuals who are in contravention of an order and will be able to disperse people who are gathering, regardless whether a premise has been closed or remains open such as a park or house.
For further clarification regarding the Stay at Home order, please refer to the following website: https://files.ontario.ca/moh-enhanced-provincewide-shutdown-2021-01-12-v2.pdf
Supports
Our government recognizes that small businesses impacted by these necessary public health measures will require additional support. That is why we’re announcing a series of grants.
The new Ontario Small Business Support Grant will provide up to $20,000 to eligible small business owners required to close or significantly restrict services. Businesses will be able to use the support in whatever way makes the most sense for them.
All small businesses that are eligible for the Ontario Small Business Support Grant are also eligible for Property Tax and Energy Bill rebates. This is a grant that will cover the entire length of time that public health restrictions are in place, for municipal and education property taxes and energy costs, including electricity and natural gas (or where natural gas is not available, propane and heating oil).
Also, there is a Main Street Relief Grant: PPE Support. This is a one-time grant of up to $1,000 for eligible businesses with 2 to 9 employees. Sectors include retail, accommodation and food services, repair and maintenance, personal and laundry services, and gyms and yoga studios.
Additional business supports include a $2,500 grant to help businesses go online through the Digital Main Street plan.
Further information for these Grants can be found at https://covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-help-businesses-ontario. These new supports for Ontario’s small businesses are part of the Province’s more than $13.5 billion in support outlined in the 2020 Budget.”
MPP Fedeli’s office is seeking clarification on the subject of what is the directive to fixed room acccommodators as it relates to accepting reservations during this provincial State of Emergency, for the period of time beyond this current State of Emergency.
While we at Northeastern Ontario Tourism will not translate nor provide guidance about how to translate the Ontario Government’s State of Emergency directives, we will continue to do our best to keep you well informed of new information as we receive it. Keep well and stay safe.
The Northeastern Ontario Tourism Team
