Government Relations

TIAO recently participated in a government consultation on proposed regulations under the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019 (LLCA). Among the proposed regulations to the LLCA is a provision banning licensees from serving or selling liquor containing cannabis. As the federal Cannabis Regulations framework already prohibits cannabis products from including alcohol and Ontario’s cannabis licensing regime (the Cannabis Licence Act, 2018) already outlines who can sell cannabis products, TIAO’s position is that this proposed change to the LLCA amounts to unnecessary regulation and is counter to the government’s objective of reducing red tape for Ontario businesses. It may additionally create confusion for licensed retailers, impacting tourism businesses who have relied on the sale of cannabis products as an other source of revenue throughout the lockdowns and capacity restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

TIAO is committed to advocating for a regulatory environment that reduces burdens for tourism businesses in Ontario. To voice our concerns on behalf of affected tourism and hospitality businesses, we have submitted our feedback in our own consultation submission and in a joint letter with the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA), Restaurants Canada, Canopy Growth, the Cannabis Council of Canada, and Truss Beverage Co.  

You can read the consultation letter here. 

Municipal elections are happening across the province on Monday, Oct. 22. As a government advocacy organization, TIAO understands the importance of exercising our democratic rights.

It’s not lost on us that the Ontario Tourism Summit—our annual conference and the province’s tourism industry event of the year—kicks off the day after municipal elections. In fact, our pre-conference programming takes place on the same day that most Ontarians will head to the polls.

We care about your ability to vote, but we also want to see you at the Summit! So, we’re sharing some helpful links and information about how you can take advantage of advance voting and come to Windsor for OTS18 hassle-free. There are several conference sessions focussed on important local topics such as Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT), the legalization of recreational cannabis and workforce development; you shouldn’t have to choose between important learning and voting.

To get started on the path to advance voting, find out how your municipality is organizing its elections. There are 444 municipalities in Ontario, and you can find yours linked via this handy list published by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The Ministry has also published a voters’ guide complete with everything you need to know, including important changes in effect this year, such as new rules surrounding third-party political advertising.

Different municipalities have different dates and methods for conducting advance voting. Explore your options, which can include submitting your ballot online, by phone or in person. It doesn’t matter how you vote, but it’s important that you do—not only to participate in the democratic process at the local level, but also to attend the Ontario Tourism Summit without compromise.

Here’s a more comprehensive list of the resources linked above:

• Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing main page for municipal elections
• Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing voters’ guide
• List of 444 Ontario municipalities
   

Happy voting, and we’ll see you in Windsor for OTS18. Because #TourismMatters.