Brighten your day with some good news from the Thompson Okanagan region, Canada, and around the globe.
Thompson Okanagan
Kamloops and the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc win national municipal collaboration award for Building Relationships Towards Reconciliation
The City of Kamloops and the First Nation of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc have received national recognition for their Building Relationships Towards Reconciliation partnership from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA), presented with the first-ever 2022 CAMA Collaboration Award.
Kamloops and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS) share a vision and commitment toward reconciliation through relationship building that spans multiple fronts and has become a recognized example for others to follow.
These efforts have been demonstrated through collaborative initiatives in areas of:
protocols and communication,
community-to-community meetings,
cultural heritage,
recreation,
celebrations,
and shared messaging during climate change events and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The City and TteS have recognized the value of community-to-community and knowledge-sharing meetings for more than a decade. In the past five years, following the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Calls to Action, the relationship has evolved in a way that has built trust and placed a greater focus on moving forward collaboratively.
The City and TteS also have shared service agreements including fire protection, transit, and sanitary sewer management. The City has hired an External Relations Manager and Project Archeologist to assist in the work between the two parties.
Following the tragic discovery of 215 unmarked graves at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, TteS showed vision and strength in sharing their collective grief and in encouraging Canadians to better understand the harmful history and legacy of the residential school system. The City stood alongside TteS in the weeks and months that followed.
New Orange Crosswalk Art Installed Downtown Kamloops in Honour of Truth and Reconciliation
The City of Kamloops, in partnership with the Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) and Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc (TteS), unveiled a new crosswalk on Friday, May 20, in honour and respect of the anniversary of the confirmation of Le Estcwicwéy̓ (The Missing).
The crosswalk, located at the corner of 5th Avenue and Victoria Street, displays seven eagle feathers in a design that was adopted in consultation with the TteS Language and Culture Department and approved by the TteS Council.
The timing of the crosswalk’s installation is purposeful. One year ago, ground-penetrating radar confirmed the existence of unmarked graves of 215 children who were students at the Kamloops Indian Residential School. These children are known now as Le Estcwicwéỳ (The Missing). This was the first discovery of multiple similar investigations that have revealed thousands of unmarked graves at residential schools across Canada.
Okanagan-Similkameen Benefits from Flood-Mitigation Funding
The Province is funding flood-mitigation planning projects in several communities affected by November 2021 flooding to help them prepare for freshet 2022 and increase long-term resilience. To help reduce flood risk, the Province provided the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) with $100,000 in May 2022 to create an updated flood risk and hazard assessment.
After a two-season hiatus, Big White Ski Resort is thrilled to announce its night skiing program will return for the winter 2022/23 ski season. Big White has the largest area of night skiing terrain in Western Canada, offering up 38 acres, 15 hectares, of lit-up terrain once the sun goes down. Night skiing is accessible via the Plaza Chair, Bullet Chair, and TELUS Park Chair on select evenings of the week.
Destination BC Provides $4.2 Million for Collaborative Tourism Marketing Initiatives in Communities Across the Province
Destination BC is providing $4.2 million to support 84 tourism projects across BC this year through its Co-operative Marketing Partnerships Program, to continue to foster a collaborative “Team BC” approach to tourism marketing and further support the sector as it recovers.
The program helps partners drive consumer demand and increase tourism revenues by investing resources where and when capacity exists, leveraging private and public funds to maximize marketing impact, and creating deep collaboration to enhance our collective global competitiveness as an industry, which has become increasingly crucial as global travel restarts.
Initially designed to require new annual applications and matched industry funding, the program has been modified over the last three intakes to remove these requirements, in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on BC’s tourism industry.
For the last seven years the program has supported communities in every corner of the province, funding new and established marketing initiatives for both tourism destinations, and key activities.
Provincial project recipients include:
BC Ale Trail (BC Craft Brewers Guild)
Wine Growers British Columbia
BC Golf Marketing Alliance
Mountain Bike Tourism Association
BC Golf Marketing Alliance
Camping and RVing BC Coalition
Guide Outfitters Association of British Columbia
BC Snowmobile Federation
Backcountry Lodges of BC Association
Gardens British Columbia
BC Farmers’ Market Trail
BC Guest Ranchers’ Association
Wilderness Tourism Association of British Columbia
Connecting through Community (Silver Star Resort Association, Tourism Vernon, District of Coldstream, SilverStar Mountain Resort, Okanagan Indian Band)
2022/2023 Super Camping and Lodging Guide Now Available
The BC Lodging and Campgrounds Association (BCLCA) released the latest version of the 2022/2023 Super Camping and Lodging British Columbia publication online, with over 200 listings to help with camping, RVing, and lodging plans.
Starting in June, the printed guide can also be picked up at Visitor Centres throughout the province.
The Canadian Inbound Tourism Association, Asia-Pacific (CITAP) has modified its mandate to become globally focused.
After 25 years promoting the Asia-Pacific visitor economy in Canada through Canadian based Receptive Tour Operators (RTOs), CITAP broadens its scope to include the Americas and Europe.
As the first national organization representing Canadian-based RTOs from coast to coast to coast, CITAP intends to work closely with provincial-based inbound tourism organizations to strengthen Canada’s tourism industry.
Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET)
In support of those affected by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Government of Canada has created the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel (CUAET) to help Ukrainians and their family members come to Canada as quickly as possible and to provide them with the ability to work and study while in Canada.
The CUAET also gives those who are already in Canada the option to extend their visitor status, work permit or study permit so that they can continue to live and work or study in Canada temporarily.
Yukon Designated an International Sustainable Tourism Observatory (INSTO) by United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO)
The Government of Yukon announced its membership in the United Nations World Tourism Organization’s International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (UNWTO INSTO). The Yukon is the second Canadian INSTO member, and the first north of 60.
The Yukon’s acceptance into the network is based on the strength of its new Yukon Sustainable Tourism Framework, its demonstrated capacities in sustainable destination management, and the commitment to engage with the local tourism sector and other partners.
Uber Added Vacation Booking, Charter Options, and More to the App
Uber is offering customers even more travel options for their next vacation with new services that allow them to store trip itineraries in the app as well as book limos and even party buses.
As of May 2022, Uber's new "Uber Travel" feature will allow customers to store flight, train, and car reservations all in one place by linking their Gmail accounts to the app. The company added "Uber Charter" to its services, which will allow customers to book a party bus, coach bus, or limo directly through the app.
