Finance Committee on March 17th, 2021

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

I know you're just like a horse out of the starting gate there.

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

I just got so excited when I heard my name. Sorry, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Peter, go ahead.

[Peter Julian, NDP, New Westminster—Burnaby, BC]

My question is for Mr. Roy.

Mr. Roy, major events really play a key role across the country. How many major events will not be held if the necessary assistance is not provided over the coming year? In other words, how many major events are at risk of disappearing if they are not provided with the necessary support?

[Martin Roy]

First, I must specify that Festivals and Major Events Canada represents events of all sizes, across Canada. It represents both large events and small ones.

Second, regarding the potential disappearance of festivals and events, I think it will happen. As I was saying, we are about halfway through; this marathon takes time. We still don't know what impact the pandemic will have on festivals and events.

I have spoken to some of our members. There is major disparity in terms of the impact this will cause. Some have large operating deficits, while others are managing to achieve a balanced budget. We are really in a fog regarding the budget. We cannot figure out what exactly is going on with the budget.

As parliamentarians, you have decided to increase the wage subsidy from 65% to 75%, which affects our finances. Similarly, not knowing whether we will be entitled to the wage subsidy after June also has an impact, since we cannot make predictions. We need predictability, not only from public health, but also from the government.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you, both.

Now we will turn to Mr. Falk, then Ms. Dzerowicz will close it off.

Go ahead, Ted.

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Again, thank you to our witnesses. I appreciated hearing all of your testimony.

I'd like to direct my comments and questions to Ms. Potter, from the tourism industry.

I have many tourism operators in my constituency. I want to key in on two of them, in particular, that provide tourism to Canada's north. One of them is Wings Over Kississing. They offer fishing, hunting and sightseeing expeditions to Manitoba's north. They're based here in my riding in southern Manitoba. They also operate a charter air service to first nations and indigenous communities throughout the north.

Recently the Liberals set out a subsidy program for airlines that provide services to northern communities, but the program was flawed in that it was specific to scheduled airline services and not charter airline services that actually sometimes service the same communities and compete for the same business.

The other operator I want to point out is an organization called Churchill Wild, which has had international acclamations for its polar bear experiences, its whale watching and its fishing expeditions.

Both are first-class operators. Both require international tourism to sustain their businesses. Can you talk a little bit more about how important it is to open up our international border, and how we have to somehow figure out how not to use these quarantine hotels?

[Beth Potter]

Thank you, Mr. Falk, for your question.

l will go back to saying that opening the borders and giving some lead time as to when we can expect to open the borders is incredibly important for these operators.

You mentioned a couple of operators in Manitoba. I was talking earlier today with a group of operators from northern Ontario—the same kind of idea, fly-in fishing camps, resource-based tourism—and they rely 95% to 100% on U.S. visitors. They have re-booked everyone from 2020 into 2021. At this point, they don't know if they should be re-booking them to 2022 and making themselves available to domestic tourism this year or if there's a chance that those U.S. visitors will be able to come.

The importance of U.S. visitors as well as other international travellers is that they're the economic stimulators. They stay longer than domestic travellers do. They spend more money. That's an incredibly important delineation point to be making.

Yes, we need to get the borders open, and we need to be putting in place proof of vaccination, testing and contact tracing so that we can eliminate the need for quarantines on arrival.

[Ted Falk, Conservative, Provencher, MB]

Thank you, Ms. Potter.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Thank you, both.

Ms. Dzerowicz has a single question, and then we'll close.

Go ahead.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Thank you so much, Mr. Chair.

I want to thank everyone for their excellent presentations and the discussion today.

My question is directed to Pia Bouman.

Pia, thank you so much for sharing your story, the story of the Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement. I think that your story and the experience you've had over the last year are very much reflective of those of many similar types of amazing artistic and creative organizations across the country.

Bill C-14, if it's passed, will actually allow organizations such as the Pia Bouman school of dance to apply for the rent subsidy before actually incurring the cost. I want to know whether you think that would be helpful to you. That's one part.

The second part is this: What more do you think our government can do to be helpful? You mentioned that you'd have to pay back $50,000 of the CEBA. I just want to point out that you actually would only have to pay $40,000 out of the $60,000. It's $20,000 that would actually be forgiven.

[Pia Bouman]

That makes a difference.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

So we'd just give you back $10,000.

What more do you think our federal government could do to support organizations such as your school?

[Pia Bouman]

Let's first go to the change in approach as to when the CEBA support comes in. That makes a tremendous difference.

For me, for the school, for our treasurer, it's all about cash flow. Receiving the rent support before the rent is due makes an unbelievable difference. That's very important.

Could you go back to the second question, please, Ms. Dzerowicz?

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

My second question was, what more can the federal government do to support organizations such as yours moving forward?

I know you mentioned that you have to pay back $50,000 of the small business loans, but it's actually $40,000 out of $60,000.

[Pia Bouman]

Yes.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

What more outside of that would you advocate we do to support—

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

You'll have to be fairly tight, Pia, because we're into the next panel's round.

[Pia Bouman]

Yes, I will.

I think what would be helpful is if the deadline for repaying that loan could be extended by two years. I'm looking at 2024.

[Julie Dzerowicz, Liberal, Davenport, ON]

Thank you.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

With that, we are slightly over our time for this panel.

Thank you very much, everyone. We got a lot of good information here, with some good new ideas coming out and things we can certainly work with. Thank you, one and all, for taking the time to appear before the committee today.

With that, we will suspend for about three minutes while they bring in the next panel.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Welcome to the witnesses. As you know, we are looking at Bill C-14 at this particular hearing. We look forward to the discussions today.

I would start with the maple sugar industry and the Association des salles de réception et érablières commerciales du Québec. If you could hold your presentation to about five minutes, it would be helpful.

Ms. Laurin, go ahead. Welcome.

[Stéphanie Laurin, President and Founder, Association des salles de réception et érablières commerciales du Québec]

Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Stéphanie Laurin, and I am the president of the Association des salles de réception et érablières du Québec. I own a sugar shack that welcomes about 80,000 people during the spring season, over some eight weeks. We host from 200 to 300 events—

[Peter Fragiskatos, Liberal, London North Centre, ON]

Point of order, Mr. Chair.

[The Chair, Liberal, Wayne Easter]

Peter, I expect you're not getting translation either.

If I could just get you to sit tight for a second, Ms. Laurin, we're not getting the English translation coming through.