The Ottawa Star

Top Menu

  • Archives
  • Les Actualités
  • Sexy Pages
  • Meet Locals

Main Menu

  • News
  • Arts
  • Travel
  • Business
  • Aliens
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
  • Real Estate
  • Foodie
  • Health
  • Video
  • Archives
  • Contact Us
Sign in / Join

Login

Welcome! Login in to your account
Lost your password?

Lost Password

Back to login
  • Archives
  • Les Actualités
  • Sexy Pages
  • Meet Locals

logo

Header Banner

The Ottawa Star

  • News
  • Arts
  • Travel
  • Business
  • Aliens
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
  • Real Estate
  • Foodie
  • Health
  • Video
  • Archives
  • Contact Us
  • 18 Reasons I Won’t Be Getting a Covid Vaccine

  • Israel doubles down on booster shots as daily Covid cases set new record

  • COVID-19 Cases in Israel Rise Despite Third Shot for Those Over 60

  • The Covid spike in highly vaccinated Israel holds grim omens for other economies

  • COVID is surging in the world’s most vaccinated country. Why?

Les Actualités
Home›Les Actualités›Tour boat operators call on Ontario to increase passenger limits during COVID-19 pandemic

Tour boat operators call on Ontario to increase passenger limits during COVID-19 pandemic

By admin
December 11, 2020
353
0
Share:

KINGSTON — Tour ship companies are calling on the Ontario government to increase passenger limits, following a rough summer during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, the province says a tour boat cannot exceed 50 people if they will be inside on the boat, or 100 people outside.

That means boats like the Island Queen in Kingston, Ont., can only carry a passenger load of 50 because much of its space is indoors.

The Kingston Destination Group owns the vessel. General manager Hugh Mackenzie says the capacity limit of 50 people is far below the actual capacity of 300 people.

For Mackenzie, this number has hit his business hard.

“We have made layoffs, we have eliminated some positions,” Mackenzie tells CTV News Ottawa. “Companies been operating since 1976. This was my 30th season, and my worst.”

Mackenzie says to survive his 31st season; the province needs to make a change to a percentage-based system for passengers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the amount of space on their boats, they want to have similar regulations as restaurants.

“You can see that we have two interior decks, (the) windows open, so there’s lots of air flow,” he explains. “The separated tables, the plexiglass is in between the tables like you’d find at a restaurant.”

Passenger and Commercial Vessel Association president Kurt Huck says many operators across the province have already put up for sale signs, while even more are on the brink.

“The stress financially, the stress of the unknown. A lot of feeling of abandonment by the government,” Huck says. “It doesn’t seem like they understand or are listening to our industry.”

Mackenzie says tour operators are a pillar of Kingston’s tourism business, and if they fail, other areas suffer.

“Fills up the hotels the restaurants, the retail, the downtown,” he says. “Gives the city the spirit, the spunk, that Kingston is so famous for in the summer time.”

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Ontario’s Ministry of Health said, “Our number one priority remains the health and well-being of the people of Ontario – including our economic health.   We acknowledge the immediate impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Ontario’s tourism sector and on the long-term sustainable operations of organizations in the sector. “

The ministry adds, “The Chief Medical Officer of Health and other public health experts continue to closely monitor the evolving situation across the province to advise if and when public health measures or restrictions should be adjusted or tightened.”

(Visited 15 times, 1 visits today)
Previous Article

RRRA plans campaign reform to allow independent ...

Next Article

ByTowne Cinema closing after more than 70 ...

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • Les Actualités

    Committee approves $129M revitalization plan for ByWard Market

    December 11, 2020
    By admin
  • Les Actualités

    Slipknot’s Corey Taylor Tests Positive for COVID-19: “I’m Very, Very Sick”

    September 25, 2021
    By admin
  • Les Actualités

    13 Incredible Ottawa Ice Cream Shops To Help You Beat The Heat

    May 20, 2021
    By admin
  • Les Actualités

    Elle retrouve sa bague de mariage grâce à une… carotte!

    August 15, 2017
    By admin
  • Les Actualités

    RRRA plans campaign reform to allow independent candidates

    December 11, 2020
    By admin
  • Les Actualités

    Guy Nantel menacé de mort

    November 7, 2017
    By admin


Advertisements


AirBNB


Popular on The Ottawa Star

  1. AgoraCosmopolitan
  2. Agora Publishing Consortium
  3. Le Journal Canadien
  4. Dominion: Food News
  5. LeCanadian.com
  6. The Ottawa Star
  7. Capitalistocracy.com
  8. Trudeausociety.com
  9. OttawaRestaurantGoers.com
  10. Toronto Business Journal
  11. Blogpei.ca
  12. Synergeticsgroup.ca
  13. Happyhomeinc.ca
  14. JournaldeGatineau.ca
  15. OttawaBusinessDaily.ca
  16. AgoraBooks.ca
  17. Thenextweb.ca
  18. BBW Singles
  19. Transgender Singles
  20. Montreal Business Journal
  21. Astroglossary.ca
  22. New York and New Jersey Business Journal
  23. Ottawa Book Expo - Salon du Livre d'Ottawa
  24. TorontoBook Expo - Salon du Livre d'Toronto
  25. Vancouver Business Journal

Popular ARTICLES

Sorry. No data so far.

  • News
  • Arts
  • Travel
  • Business
  • Aliens
  • Lifestyle
  • Sports
  • Real Estate
  • Foodie
  • Health
  • Video
  • Archives
  • Contact Us