BACKGROUND
MEETING SUMMARY
Wednesday, May 20, 2020
Mayor’s Economic Recovery Task Force www.tofino.ca/covid-19
On May 4th, 2020, the District of Tofino launched two COVID-19 Recovery Task Forces as part of its ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Mayor’s Economic Recovery Task Force and a Mayor’s Community Health Task Force will support the District’s recovery efforts in the short term, with a focus on the economic and psycho-social impacts of the pandemic. Structured as small teams of up to seven participants, the Task Forces are designed to be nimble and responsive, and will be informed by relevant information and data, including the input of residents, businesses and service organizations. While the intention of the Task Forces is to take immediate, community-informed actions, the District’s recovery efforts will also lead to opportunities to discuss longer-term community and regional resiliency.
MEMBERSHIP
The Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Recovery is chaired by Mayor Josie Osborne, joined by J.J. Belanger (Crystal Cove Beach Resort and Tourism Tofino), Maureen Fraser (Common Loaf Bakeshop and Tourism Tofino), Dr. Carrie Marshall (Long Beach Physician Lead for the Divisions of Family Practice), Andrea McQuade (Kuma Restaurant and Tofino Council member), Ryan Teremy (Jamie’s Whaling Station and Tofino-Long Beach Chamber of Commerce), Saya Masso (Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation).
SUMMARY – MAY 20, 2020
The Task Force meeting began with an acknowledgement that members were meeting remotely within Tla- o-qui-aht territory.
The Task Force reviewed the Recovery Action Plan and discussed a summary of actions taken by members, including:
o Upcoming land use report to District of Tofino Council in support of patios and outdoor dining options.
o Development of a local economic impact survey in partnership with Tourism Vancouver Island, and a One-Stop-Shop web portal for COVID-19 related information (i.e. public health, mental wellness, financial supports, business readiness, etc.) – see www.tofino.ca/covid.
o Ongoing sector-specific round tables for businesses (retail, health and wellness, tour operators, small accommodation, restaurants, accommodation). Common themes include:
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Working toward common signage, procedures and messaging; concern for local healthcare capacity and social license to welcome visitors; concerns about making enough revenue during the summer to cover expenses in shoulder seasons; some businesses identifying that the new guidelines are too cost-prohibitive to re-open; difficulties in workforce planning; concern about waste from single-use items; and common concern for employee/employer mental health and stress.
o Monthly occupancy projections were discussed to inform planning decisions. The Task Force reviewed draft marketing and advertising copy to promote local tourism in Phase 3, and key messages for industry staff and media.
o Consideration of healthcare capacity at Tofino General Hospital and potential volume of care from routine injury/illness and COVID-19 related presentations.
o Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation protocols still include no visitation between communities and there remains significant community concerns related to vulnerable populations as businesses in the region begin to reopen to visitation. Nations are in consultation with Parks Canada and BC Parks about resumption plans and ways for community members to continue to access areas within their territory.
The Task Force identified the need to reassure workers and employees of protocols being put in place for their safety, and to provide widespread access to mental health and wellness support to businesses and workers who may be struggling with increased stress and anxiety about re-opening to the public.
The Task Force discussed upcoming communication priorities:
o Visitor-facing: Welcoming visitors in Phase 3, setting expectations and providing information
about appropriate behavior and changes to available services.
o Resident-facing: How businesses are preparing to protect staff and public using WorkSafe BC guidelines, acknowledgement of concerns, readying the community welcome visitors again under Phase 3 enhanced protocols.
NEXT MEETING: MAY 27, 2020
At their next meeting, the Economic Recovery Task Force will review the economic impact survey, draft visitor- facing communication for Phase 3 re-opening, and invite Elmer Frank, Tla-o-qui-aht First Nation Emergency Operations Centre Chairperson to participate in discussions.
15 comments:
I noticed today that many restaurants and retail stores are already open . Rooms are available on online booking sites. Some of the resorts are accepting reservations as of June 1, 2020.
the mayor et al have left the beaches open here during all of the coronavirus protocols meanwhile every beach in the province was closed. so anybody wanting to surf came here. fortunately no one has gotten sick. that's how smart we are.
a bit of a fail looking after mental health issues and stress to wit: resident of crab apple commits suicide shortly after remarking he was having a very hard time dealing with being alone in a small space for such a long time...
what happened to reinventing tofino with less reliance upon tourists?
That got “Palliative Support “ after the mayor got some pushback from the tourism industry.
Seems the Josie pivot went a full 360 degrees in short order.
when governance goes this far out into a fantasy world of authority and rules it is in lala land. people will do what they feel is best for their business or themselves so the government can piss right off. i will listen to dr. bonnie henry but certainly not the blather that comes out of the DOT.
Phase 4 : create more permanent DOT staff positions and hire more consultants for engagement with stakeholders and facilitation of dialogue regarding possible outcomes and scenarios .
🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠🦠 Let’s allocate some RMI funds to put up Coronavirus shaped bicycle racks.This will serve to remind visitors that we are in the middle of a pandemic.
Where in blazes did this "task force" idea come from anyhow? I thought that municipal government was formed and operated according to the rules laid down in the Community Charter, which states some pretty firm rules regarding elections, forming governments, etc.
How in heck can Josie, JJ, Maureen, and a couple others, none of whom were ever elected to do so, simply appoint themselves to a private club and take over the governance of the community?
It is not just a “task force” . It is the “Mayor’s Task Force”. A Trumpian term designed to generate maximum publicity. Formerly known as a committee .
Yeah, Mayor's task force is politicing at a level Tofino has never seen nor ever wanted. I would guess few moved here to be governed or policitic'd to. Shoot, maybe we could turn this into a play and have it run in the gardens when things cool down. "Arrogance's Folly"
Josie lost me when she got on the radio and explained how your taxation (land tax), the amount you pay in land tax, was set by the province through BC Assessment. I was floored at the obfuscation and all trust was destroyed in a sentence.
Listen to the Province, konw all you can about how to keep your customers safe, and be dilligent. the DoT can not help you.
The long term impacts of "the emergency"
1) Politicians and their sycophants see themselves as essential to everything. Bloated ego's, a sense of self importance and the lust for control. They love to occupy the stage.
2) The destruction of the language. Ralph makes fun of their newspeak but seriously, their twisting and shaping of language is at a new level. For what purpose? Not simply to be poetic. They want to change how you think. Reality is newly constructed. And of coarse they want to reinforce that if you don't do the jive talk you ain't shit.
Individual liberty, free enterprise, taken for granted rights and freedoms, all have taken a step back. We thought this was a temporary thing then return to "normal". Some elitists in control don't want to go back to "normal". They want extend the emergency, to impose their ideological agenda. Are we prepared to fight to get it back to normal? All the way back?
Based on a reported study on the CDC site in the US the only way to protect yourself from the virus is to crawl under a rock and hide. Hand washing, sanitizing and face masks don’t make any difference.
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/26/5/19-0994_article
Nonpharmaceutical Measures for Pandemic Influenza in Nonhealthcare Settings—Personal Protective and Environmental Measures
Abstract
There were 3 influenza pandemics in the 20th century, and there has been 1 so far in the 21st century (Note, this does not include the current 'pandemic'). Local, national, and international health authorities regularly update their plans for mitigating the next influenza pandemic in light of the latest available evidence on the effectiveness of various control measures in reducing transmission. Here, we review the evidence base on the effectiveness of nonpharmaceutical personal protective measures and environmental hygiene measures in nonhealthcare settings and discuss their potential inclusion in pandemic plans. Although mechanistic studies support the potential effect of hand hygiene or face masks, evidence from 14 randomized controlled trials of these measures did not support a substantial effect on transmission of laboratory-confirmed influenza. We similarly found limited evidence on the effectiveness of improved hygiene and environmental cleaning. We identified several major knowledge gaps requiring further research, most fundamentally an improved characterization of the modes of person-to-person transmission.
This paper on the U.S. CDC site was published 6 Feb 2020. It is a meta-study looking at previous research, in this case 14 randomized controlled trials, and draws a conclusion that is strikingly at odds with the confidence expressed in the current advice (and in some jurisdictions, current laws/orders). So the advice on wearing masks and hand washing & surface cleaning is not supported by evidence, despite the apparent logic of these practices.
getting back to the mayors ideas about how taxes are dreamed up by the provincial government - must be that the process has become so dark and mysterious that even the mayor isn't allowed to know what goes on in the finance department....
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