Early Bird iPad Draw Ends but New April Promotion Begins!!
We are pleased to congratulate Frog Rapids Camp, our iPad winner from this year’s NOTO Early Bird iPad Draw that ended March 31st. Thank you to all of you who renewed your membership early to get into this draw.
Disappointed that you didn’t win or that you missed the opportunity?
We have a whole
new draw for you…
Renew or join before April 30th at the regular membership rates to have a chance to win these two great items…
 has donated a SPOT Satellite GPS Messenger that comes with a free one year tracking service.
AND
Canadian POS (NOTO’s Credit Card Program carrier) has sponsored a Bushnell X-8 6.0 MP Digital Trail Camera.
For more details on this item, click here.
Note those camps that have already renewed will be entered in the draw as well.
Use the membership form at the link below or call 705-472-5552 to renew your support and enter the draw today!
Membership Form
Your membership really
does matter!
Spread the word...we need all tourism businesses to support NOTO so that we can continue to be an effective advocacy group for your business.
REMEMBER TO SHOP ALLIED
As you prepare for your 2015 season, please be sure to shop with NOTO’s Allied members. These businesses support your industry association and many of them offer discounts for NOTO Members.
Click Here to browse our Allied Directory.
FEEDBACK
As we continue our efforts to keep NOTO members informed, we want to hear from you. Please provide us with your comments about how helpful this newsletter is by emailing info@noto.net
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NOTO Continues to Focus on the Future of the Outdoor Tourism Industry.
The NOTO office remains a hub for all issues related to the tourism industry. Your office staff have been working diligently to ensure our members are represented on all matters that have an impact. We also endeavour to keep members informed about new programs, services and changes in regulations and policies.
Increasing our membership numbers and resources continues to be a major focus. Without the resources that come from memberships we are limited in what we are able to achieve on your behalf. We encourage you to tell your peers why you choose to be a member of NOTO.
NOTO membership is on the rise…Over the last year we were able to increase our membership by 35 new members. The majority of those who joined were former members. This is great news!! Already this year we have seen 11 more new members. Help us keep these numbers growing by talking to your neighbours and friends in the industry about NOTO and by renewing your membership for 2015.
A Word from Our New President, Brenda Baughman
As most of you are doing, I am looking ahead to our next busy tourist season with anticipation and excitement. Things are looking good for those of us in the Northwest since most of our guests travel from the U.S. Our lower Canadian dollar will encourage many who are on the fence about a Canadian fishing vacation to visit us. For those in our industry in the Central, Northeastern or Southern Regions, who draw guests mainly from Canada, the lower dollar will encourage many to stay in Ontario for their vacations as their dollar will go further at home this year than it will abroad. The lower gasoline prices will make travel more affordable for everyone and our operational costs will also be lower. All in all it could be a great year to be in the Outdoor Tourism Industry in Ontario.
Read Brenda’s full message…
NOTO Updates…
Here are a few of the activities that NOTO has been involved in and/or has become aware of over the last several months…
NOTO’s Moose Survey Results Are In…
As you are all aware, NOTO has been very involved in the moose population discussions with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) over the last several months in an effort to ensure that the tourism industry’s input on potential solutions to our moose herd issues are considered.
Read the full article…
New Process for Obtaining Work Permits In Place for 2015
New employment regulations were introduced by the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) that came into effect on February 21, 2015 which may affect your business in Canada. In particular the new regulations have put additional processing steps and possible costs when hiring foreign nationals to work in Canada.
For those of you who are US residents but own a business in Canada, these processes will apply to you as well.
We would like to thank Greg Modler, Chief of Operations, Pigeon River and Thunder Bay Port of Entry, CBSA for providing us with detailed instructions on this process.
For complete details on this new process click here.
First-Ever Northern Ontario Tourism Summit Deemed a Success
Over 300 people gathered at the first-ever tourism Summit in Northern Ontario in Thunder Bay. Attendees included tourism businesses, organizations, municipal, Provincial and Federal Government officials as well as product and service providers. Over the two day main event attendees participated in interactive workshops, information sessions and were addressed by several excellent key note speakers.
Feedback from delegates of the Summit has been very positive. Most indicated that the value for dollar was tremendous. Plans are already underway for the 2015 Northern Ontario Tourism Summit which will be held in Sault Ste. Marie this November. Mark your calendars for November 16th to 18th and stay tuned for more details.
The ACR Gets Three More Years of Federal Funding
The announcement arrived late in the evening on March 31st, just hours away from a looming cancellation of service for the Algoma Central Railway Passenger Service.
This service brings in thousands of recreationists, private cottage owners and guests to over 14 lodges in this wilderness area deep in the heart of the Algoma Region. Last year NOTO joined the crusade to keep the ACR Passenger service open as threats were made by the Federal Minister of Transport Canada to eliminate a subsidy to CN that kept the train service in operation. A one year reprieve was granted to allow time for the Central Railway Passenger Service Stakeholder Working Group to look for partnerships and solutions to continue the rail line’s operations.
Congratulations to all involved in this dedicated working group and all others who fought to keep this key service for our stakeholders and guests to this incredibly beautiful area alive!
Read more…
MOECC Shares New Proposal for Approval Process for Existing Septic Systems at Lodges with NOTO
On April 1st, 2015 The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change held a conference call with NOTO and its Board members to introduce a new proposed approvals process for existing septic systems.
When the MOE changed the rules governing sewage treatment systems back in 2011, NOTO brought a number of concerns to their attention. Since then MOE has been reviewing their approvals process and are now ready to discuss what they have come up with. We will keep you informed of what their new strategy means for you when we know more.
Arnold Beebee Retires from Ontario Moose-Bear Tourism Industry Program (OMBTIP), NOTO Keeping a Close Eye
For moose hunt outfitters you will be very familiar with the name Arnold Beebee. He has been the man behind the answers to all the questions related to moose tag allocations on behalf of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry for over 27 years.
Arnold has also been a strong advocate within the MNRF for tourism. We are sad to see Arnold go but wish him every success in any future endeavours whether its travelling or just enjoying some down time in the Northwest. Enjoy retirement Arnold, you deserve it and thank you for your years of service!
NOTO has questioned the MNRF about what happens next for OMBTIP (Ontario Moose-Bear Tourism Industry Program) and OMBAAC (Ontario Moose-Bear Allocation Advisory Committee) and thus far MNRF plans to keep OMBAAC going but OMBTIP responsibilities will be shared among the District Managers. Therefore outfitters will refer all questions about moose tag allocations to their MNRF District Offices.
If you would like to share any concerns or comments with NOTO, give us a call or send us an email.
Stock Up and Get Ready – NOTO Has Deals on Important Items for Your Upcoming Season
* Boating Safety Checklists:
To help save your guests time and money NOTO sells these dockside checklists in pads of 50 carbonless forms with instructions. Orders yours now to be ready for your first guests. Click Here for the order form.
* Customized Employee Manuals
NOTO has developed a template for tourism businesses to ensure that their employee manuals have everything they need to meet Ministry of Labour regulations. We can customize the manual for you and send it to you for only $500. Non-members pay $1,000. Call us today to get more details or to order yours today.
* Automated External Defibrillators
NOTO has negotiated some excellent savings for NOTO members on two AED units. To get more details click here.
NOTO’s New Credit Card Processing Program Can work with US Accounts Too
In February, NOTO announced it’s new credit card process program with Canadian POS. We are happy to announce that over 40 members have already signed up for the new program. Further to the information we have sent out about this program, US accounts with Canadian banks can be used under this program. Click here for more details on the program and for the contact information. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to save more than the cost of your membership each year.
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