Current News

The City of Toronto has announced it will launch a new online registration system for short-term rental operators who are renting their homes on a short-term basis for a period of less than 28 consecutive days.

Beginning September 10, 2020, short-term rental operators will need to start registering with the City in order to operate in Toronto. People who are currently renting their home on a short-term basis, or planning to do so, must be registered by December 31, 2020. After this date, all new operators will be able to register on an ongoing basis and must register prior to short-term renting their homes.

Registration and payment for short-term rentals need to be completed online. You can learn about the rules at toronto.ca/ShortTermRentals. 

Under the bylaws for short-term rentals:

• -  You can short-term rent your principal residence only. This is the residence where you live and the address you use for bills, identification, taxes and insurance.
• -  You can be a homeowner or a renter in any housing type, for example house, apartment or condominium.
• -  You can rent up to three bedrooms in your principal residence for an unlimited number of nights per year or the entire home for a maximum of 180 nights per year.
• -  You can host a short-term rental in a secondary suite (for example a basement apartment) or a laneway suite, as long as the suite is your principal residence.

Short-term rentals must:

• -  Be a registered operator
• -  Include your City-issued registration number in all advertisements and listings.

Registered short-term rental operators will need to start collecting and remitting the four per cent Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) on a quarterly basis starting January 1, 2021. More information on how to collect and make the MAT payments will be provided in fall 2020.

The City will also require short-term rental companies to obtain a licence from the City in order to carry on business in Toronto. A short-term rental company is any company facilitating or brokering short-term rental reservations online and receiving payment for this service, such as Airbnb, Expedia and Booking.com. The City is currently working with short-term rental companies on the licensing process and more information is available on the City’s website.

More information about short-term rentals is available at: toronto.ca/ShortTermRentals

News Release available here: https://www.toronto.ca/news/city-of-toronto-registration-of-short-term-rentals-to-launch-september-10/

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, personal use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer has received considerable attention as one method of helping to prevent the spread of the virus. Hand sanitizer has also received much attention recently through both traditional and social media, with claims that containers of hand sanitizer will catch fire or spontaneously combust if left in a hot vehicle.

Engineers with the Office of the Fire Marshal (OFM) Investigations Services have looked into this concern and advise that the rate of vapour leakage from a personal container of hand sanitizer left in a hot vehicle would not result in sufficient vapour density to fall within flammable limits in air. Read more here. 

Join us on June 8th and shine in purple to show support to our hotel and hospitality workers that have been greatly affected by COVID-19, The pandemic has impacted our industry tremendously and we want to come together in these unprecented times to show our support and shine a light of hope for better days to come! 

Show your support and solidarity on June 8th by lighting your hotel's exterior or lobby in purple, adding a filter to your social media profile and/ or by joining the conversation on social media and sharing your photos with us by using #HospitalityStrong #GTHA  and tagging us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. 

We look forward to seeing you stand with us on the 3rd edtition of #HospitalityStrong. We are in this together !

Significantly Enhanced Measures will Help Contain Spread of COVID-19

source: https://news.ontario.ca/opo/en/2020/03/ontario-enacts-declaration-of-eme...

March 17, 2020 9:13 A.M.
Office of the Premier

TORONTO - Today, the Government of Ontario announced that it is taking decisive action by making an order declaring an emergency under s 7.0.1 (1) the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act. In doing so, Ontario is using every power possible to continue to protect the health and safety of all individuals and families.

"We are facing an unprecedented time in our history," said Premier Ford. "This is a decision that was not made lightly. COVID-19 constitutes a danger of major proportions. We are taking this extraordinary measure because we must offer our full support and every power possible to help our health care sector fight the spread of COVID-19. The health and wellbeing of every Ontarian must be our number one priority."

As a result of this declaration and its associated orders, the following establishments are legally required to close immediately:

• All facilities providing indoor recreational programs;
• All public libraries;
• All private schools as defined in the Education Act;
• All licensed child care centres;
• All bars and restaurants, except to the extent that such facilities provide takeout food and delivery;
• All theatres including those offering live performances of music, dance, and other art forms, as well as cinemas that show movies; and
• Concert venues.

Further, all organized public events of over fifty people are also prohibited, including parades and events and communal services within places of worship. These orders were approved by the Lieutenant Governor in Council and will remain in place until March 31, 2020, at which point they will be reassessed and considered for extension, unless this order is terminated earlier.

"We are acting on the best advice of our Chief Medical Officer of Health and other leading public health officials across the province," said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. "We know these measures will affect people's every day lives, but they are necessary to ensure that we can slow the spread of COVID-19 and protect our people. We're working with all partners across the system, from public health to hospitals and community care, to do everything we can to contain this virus and ensure that the system is prepared to respond to any scenario."

"Our government is taking an important step to protect Ontarians by declaring a provincial emergency through the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act, establishing Ontario's ability to quickly implement and enforce orders in the public interest," said Solicitor General Jones. "Our government will continue to respond to this outbreak by limiting the exposure of individuals to COVID-19 and ensure the health and well-being of all Ontarians."

Ontario is also investing up to $304 million to enhance the province's response to COVID-19 by providing the following:

• $100 million for increased capacity in hospitals to assist with the effective treatment of COVID-19 patients both in critical care and medicine beds.
• $50 million for more testing and screening through public health, including additional funding to support extraordinary costs incurred to monitor, detect and contain COVID-19 in the province. This includes contact tracing, increased laboratory testing capacity and home testing.
• $50 million to further protect frontline workers, first responders and patients by increasing the supply of personal protective equipment and other critical supplies and equipment to protect them.
• $25 million to support frontline workers working in COVID-19 assessment centres, including the creation of a new fund to provide respite care, child care services and other supports as they are needed.
• $50 million for long-term care homes to support 24/7 screening, additional staffing to support infection control and additional supplies.
• $20 million for residential facilities in developmental services, gender-based services and protective care for children and youth to support additional staffing, respite for caregivers impacted by school closures, personal protective equipment and supplies and transportation costs to minimize client exposure and to support social distancing, as well as additional cleaning costs.
• $5 million to protect seniors in retirement homes through increased infection control and active screening procedures.
• $4 million for Indigenous communities to support transportation costs for health care professionals and the distribution of critical supplies.

 

Quick Facts

• The increased funding includes investments from Ontario’s previously-announced COVID-19 Contingency Fund, as well as funding provided by the federal government.
• Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that can cause illnesses ranging from the common cold to more serious respiratory infections like bronchitis, pneumonia or severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).
• There is no vaccine available to protect against the 2019 novel coronavirus, but there are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses. To find out more visit Ontario's website.

Additional Resources

• Visit Ontario's website to learn more about how the province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19.
• Learn about travel advisories related to the 2019 novel coronavirus.
• If you are a health care professional, learn how to protect yourself and your patients by reading our guidance documents.
• For public inquiries call ServiceOntario, INFOline at 1-866-532-3161 (Toll-free in Ontario only)

Media Contacts

• Ivana Yelich

  Premier's Office

  Ivana.Yelich@ontario.ca

• Hayley Chazan

  Premier's Office

  Hayley.Chazan@ontario.ca

A business case for investing in workplace mental health

First-of-its-kind research from Deloitte Canada quantifies the return on investment (ROI) for Canadian firms that invest in mental health programming. After just one year, says the study, the median annual ROI is $1.62 for every dollar invested. After three years, the ROI more than doubles to $2.18. “This research from a leading auditing and consulting firm supports the findings of Canada’s mental health community that investing in workers mental well-being helps companies’ bottom line,” says Krista Schmid, WSPS Consultant, Workplace Mental Health.

The findings in Deloitte’s ROI in workplace mental health programs: Good for people, good for business  build a business case for investing in mental health programming. In fact, Deloitte is already applying the findings in its own workplaces: this fall the company increased its annual employee mental health benefits from $300 to $4,000 per person.

The research explores historical investment and savings data from seven large Canadian companies at various stages of rolling out mental health programs and supports. It also includes interviews with these seven business leaders and three others, including Air Canada, ATB Financial, Bell, Canada Life, CIBC, Desjardins Group, Enbridge Inc., Energir, Husky Energy, and Morneau Shepell.

7 key findings

Deloitte’s research determined that

1. Investing in mental health programs appears to mitigate the rising costs of doing nothing. Mental health issues account for 30-40% of short-term disability (STD) claims and 30% of long-term disability (LTD) claims in Canada. In fact, poor mental health in the workplace costs the Canadian economy $50 billion a year, the report notes. “It’s increasingly clear that doing nothing is not an option for workplaces,” says Krista.
2. Few organizations have to start from scratch. Take a look at your existing initiatives, and gather baseline data. You may already have tools in place to support mental health. “Many companies, for instance, have employee assistance, return to work and wellness programs,” says Krista. “But until you do your baseline data analysis, it might not be obvious and more importantly we may not be measuring our performance with the right lens.”
3. Include measurement in your program. It’s a critical success factor, says the report. It advises workplaces to track key performance indicators, assess the effectiveness of interventions with employees, and regularly calculate ROI to see how well they are progressing. ROI in workplace mental health programs includes an ROI calculator.
4. Programming can be phased in over time. Follow the framework in Canada’s National Standard for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace, says the report. But there’s no need to adopt it all at once. “Not everyone has the resources or the capacity to implement all of the standard,” says Krista. “The standard allows organizations to use parts of it, and is a great source of helpful information and best practices.”

 

 

The Deloitte report also noted that

1. Employers can boost ROI by investing first in high-impact areas. These include leadership training and preventive interventions, such as employee and family assistance programs and psychological care benefits.
2. You can weave psychological health and safety into the organizational fabric by integrating aspects of your workplace mental health program into your corporate policies and strategies.
3. Companies that achieved greater returns had invested in activities that support employees along the entire mental health continuum, from treatment to promoting mental health and well-being.

 

This article was prepared by Workplace Safety & Prevention Services (WSPS), helping Ontario businesses improve health and safety for over 100 years. For more information, visit www.wsps.ca or contact WSPS at customercare@wsps.ca.

 

 

 

THE CHELSEA HOTEL, TORONTO RECEIVES HOTEL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA’S HUMAN RESOURCES AWARD

Media contacts:

Tracy Ford                                                                             

Director of Public Relations                                                   

Tel: +1 416-585-4396                                                            

Email:  tracy.ford@chelseatoronto.com                                 

PDF version.

(Toronto, 28 February 2020) – The Chelsea Hotel, Toronto has been awarded the ‘Human Resources Award’ at the annual Hotel Association of Canada’s Hall of Fame Awards of Excellence event on February 24, 2020. This award program was developed in 2004 with the purpose of recognizing those of its members (individuals, companies, properties) that have demonstrated significant accomplishments, exemplary leadership and tireless commitment to Canada’s lodging industry. The Human Resources award recognizes an individual, team or property whose human resource practices rank them among the “new generation of leaders” in Canada’s lodging industry. Awarded for programs that develop a human resources culture which attracts, develops and retains highly qualified employees resulting in motivated staff who are able to generate new or repeat business, create goodwill among guests, provide special services and reverse negative public relations situations.

The Chelsea Hotel, Toronto has been a recognized employer in downtown Toronto for 45 years and is currently employing 644 hospitality professionals. Fondly known as the CHELSEA "U", the hotel has successfully developed and groomed hospitality leaders who are now leading hospitality and tourism organizations, not just in Toronto but across Canada and throughout the world.

The Chelsea Hotel Toronto has effectively developed and engaged generations of employees and its relentless commitment to delivering an inspiring employee experience is behind the success it has enjoyed through the years. Standards and processes have been established and are continuously reviewed for every critical Human Resource component. Colleague engagement is measured annually via a survey, and the results guide the annual engagement plans of the hotel and its departments. The hotel fully embraces and celebrates the diversity of its workforce. There are over 25 nationalities, with all generations represented, all working towards the common goal of providing the best experience to guests and delivering the best returns to our owners. The Chelsea Hotel enjoys a Colleague Engagement Score of 89% - with a participation rate of 99%.  With talent recruitment and retention continuing to be a challenge in the hospitality industry and with an employee turnover rate of over 25%, our hotel enjoys an enviable turnover rate of just 7.8% (2019). These two key metrics are testament to the Chelsea Hotel Toronto being a truly outstanding employer.

“I would like to dedicate this award in memory of my dear friend and colleague, Bud Harvey, who led the HR team at the Chelsea for 18 years. He created an engaged culture, focusing on retention and recruitment, which became the core of the hotel. Bud saw the best in everyone and ensured that all employees were provided with future growth opportunities,” says Josef Ebner, regional vice-president – Canada & managing director, Chelsea Hotel, Toronto.  “We are proud of our admirable reputation.”

-END-

About the Chelsea Hotel, Toronto

As Canada's largest hotel with 1,590 guest rooms, the Chelsea Hotel, Toronto, is centrally located and just steps from the city's best shopping districts, world-class theatres, vibrant nightlife and exciting attractions. A full-service urban resort, the Chelsea Hotel has room types to suit everyone and the hotel offers three restaurants, separate adult and family recreation areas and pools – including the "Corkscrew" - downtown Toronto's only indoor waterslide. As a premier family destination, the hotel offers a full range of services including the Family Fun Zone, Kid Centre and Club 33 Teen Lounge. The Chelsea Hotel, Toronto is an independent property as part of the Langham Hospitality Group’s international portfolio of hotels and resorts. The Chelsea is proud to be honoured with the Accessible Tourism Award with the Travel Industry Association of Ontario and the Humanitarian Award with the Hotel Association of Canada.  For more information about the Chelsea Hotel, Toronto, please visit www.chelseatoronto.com

               

Dear Members of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association,

All Protocols Followed and Risk to Ontarians Remains Low

“(March 6, 2020): TORONTO — Today, Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health, confirmed four new positive cases of COVID-19 bringing the total number of confirmed cases in Ontario to 26. Of these, four cases in the province are all resolved, with each of those patients having two consecutive negative tests at least 24 hours apart.  “ (Ontario Government).

NEW Interim Guidance for Workplaces/ Businesses and Employers

Today the City of Toronto published a document with recommendations to help reduce the risk of workplace exposures to acute respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19, in non-healthcare settings. The guidance also provides planning considerations if there is community spread of COVID-19. You can find the document link here:  2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) Guidance for Workplaces/Businesses and Employers. This document is also available on the City of Toronto link below under Toronto Public Health Resources.

In an effort to ensure that you have the most recent and up to date information on the Coronavirus (as there is much misinformation currently on the internet), we are providing links to the municipal, provincial, federal public health websites and the World Health Organization that are dedicated to the coronavirus.   All of these links are kept up to date and are resources that you can provide to your staff or customers as they are public information. Excerpts are included below on symptoms and treatment and how to protect your staff.

 

City of Toronto                                                         (https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/health-wellness-care/diseases-medications-vaccines/coronavirus/)

Ontario Ministry of Health                                     (https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov  )

Government of Canada Health Website              (https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus.html )

World Health Organization                                     (https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus )

 

For current travel advisories please visit: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

 

Please circulate this information to your team.

Symptoms and treatment

Symptoms range from mild – like the flu and other common respiratory infections – to severe, and can include:

• fever
• cough
• difficulty breathing

Complications from the 2019 novel coronavirus can include serious conditions, like pneumonia or kidney failure, and in some cases, death.

There are no specific treatments for coronaviruses, and there is no vaccine that protects against coronaviruses. Most people with common human coronavirus illnesses will recover on their own.

You should:

• drink plenty of fluids
• get rest and sleep as much as possible
• try a humidifier or a hot shower to help with a sore throat or cough

If you need immediate medical attention you should call 911 and mention your travel history and symptoms.

How to protect yourself

Coronaviruses are spread mainly from person to person through close contact, for example, in a household, workplace or health care centre. 

There is no vaccine available to protect against the 2019 novel coronavirus.

There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses. Take these everyday steps to reduce exposure to the virus and protect your health:

• wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer
• sneeze and cough into your sleeve
• avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
• avoid contact with people who are sick
• stay home if you are sick

If you are travelling to an area known to have cases of coronavirus, be sure to avoid:

• high-risk areas such as farms, live animal markets and areas where animals may be slaughtered
• contact with animals (alive or dead), including pigs, chickens, ducks and wild birds
• surfaces with animal droppings or secretions on them

 

 

 

 

Greater Toronto Hotel Association

404-207 Queens Quay West

Toronto, ON M5J 1A7

Tel: 416-351-1276

www.gtha.com

 

 Greater Toronto Hotel Association        @GTHAtweets

 

This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail, delete this e-mail and destroy any copies. Any dissemination or use of this information by a person other than the intended recipient is unauthorized and may be illegal.

 

UNSUBSCRIBE: If you do not wish to receive electronic messages for info in the future, reply by email with your name and e-mail address to info@gtha.com. Please be advised that this may restrict our ability to send messages to you in the future.

Dear Members of the Greater Toronto Hotel Association,

In an effort to ensure that you have the most recent and up to date information on the Coronavirus (as there is much misinformation currently on the internet), we are providing links to the municipal, provincial and federal public health websites and the World Health Organization that are dedicated to the coronavirus. 

All of these links are kept up to date and are resources that you can provide to your staff or customers as they are public information. These documents include important information on symptoms, treatment etc.

City of Toronto                                                      (https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/health-wellness-care/diseases-medications-vaccines/coronavirus/)

Ontario Ministry of Health                                     (https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov  )

Government of Canada Health Website               (https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus.html )

World Health Organization                                    (https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus )

 

For current travel advisories please visit: https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories

 

Please see here for the recently received letter from the Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines with an action required relating to the Ontario Hydro rebate program.

Also attached here is a copy of the Ontario Electricity Rebate form for Toronto Hydro customers.  This form must be completed and submitted prior to January 31, 2020 to continue to receive the Ontario Electricity Rebate.

For municipalities outside of Toronto please contact your local distribution company (LDC) for electricity as they require the Ontario Electricity Rebate form to be completed and submitted for their area as well.

On December 7, 2017, and January 31, 2018, City Council approved regulations for short-term rentals in Toronto. The new rules, which require short-term rental companies to obtain a licence and short-term rental operators to register with the City and pay a Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) of 4 per cent, were set to come into effect on June 1, 2018. However, the City’s zoning bylaw amendments to permit short-term rentals as a use were appealed to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT).

On November 18, 2019 the LPAT issued a ruling that dismissed the appeals and upheld City Council's adopted zoning bylaw for short-term rentals. The decision enables the City to move forward with implementation of the short-term rentals regulations as adopted by City Council.

Now that this decision has been made, the City is working towards implementing the new rules. Once the licence and registration system is built, short-term rental companies will be required to obtain a licence and operators will be required to register with the City and pay the MAT of 4 per cent.  

More information will be made available later in December 2019 about implementation and timelines for licensing, registration, and the collection of the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT).

In the interim, as the licensing and registration system is being built, the City will continue to respond to issues on a complaint basis. Residents can contact 311 to report issues related to short-term rentals, such as noise, waste and zoning infractions and the City will investigate accordingly.

For more information on the short-term rental licence and registration rules and on the MAT, please visit: toronto.ca/shorttermrentals . Updates will also be made available on this site.

Below is a brief overview of the rules:

A short-term rental is a rental that lasts less than 28 consecutive days. 

Key details on the new regulations

• Short-term rentals are permitted across the city in all housing types in residential and the residential component of mixed-use zones.
• People can host short-term rentals in their principal residence only – both homeowners and tenants can participate.
•  People can rent up to three bedrooms in a unit for an unlimited number of nights per year (up to a maximum of 28 days per stay) or their entire home for a maximum of 180 nights per year. 
• People who live in secondary suites can short-term rent their suite as long as it is their principal residence.

Licensing and registration

Short-term rental companies will be required to be licensed with the City of Toronto. A short-term rental company is any company facilitating or brokering short-term rental reservations online. 

• Applicants will be required to pay a one-time licence application fee of $5,000 and a fee of $1.00 for every night booked through the company. 
• Licensees will be required to ensure that all listings have valid registration numbers. 
• Upon licensing, short-term rental companies will be required to provide a process for removal of listings that do not have valid registration numbers and a procedure for dealing with problematic operators and responding to complaints.
• Short-term rental companies will be required to keep records of short-term rental activity and provide them to the City as requested.  

Short-term rental operators (people renting their homes on a short-term basis) will be required to register with the City of Toronto. 

• Operators will be required to pay registration fee of $50 per year and post their City-issued registration number in all advertisements.
• Operators will be required to pay a 4 per cent Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) on all rentals that are less than 28 consecutive days.
• Operators will be required to provide the City with information, such as contact information, address, details of the short-term rental, and the name and telephone number of an emergency contact person who will be available 24 hours a day during rental periods.
• Government-issued identification is required to demonstrate the short-term rental is the operator's principal residence and that they are over the age of 18. 
• Operators will also be required to keep records of short-term rental activity and provide to the City upon request.