ONTARIO EXPANDS INDOOR CAPACITY FOR MEETINGS AND EVENTS

The Government of Ontario has taken an important step in supporting the meetings and events industry during the safe re-opening of the province, including Toronto.

Starting August 21, event facilities are permitted to have up to 50 guests per meeting room or space, provided their plans are approved by Ontario health officials. This expansion applies to meeting spaces including convention centres, hotels, motels, resorts, banquet halls and conference centres. Previously, facilities were permitted to have up to 50 guests in total in the facility. 

The move reinforces the thoughtful and responsible plans hotels, meeting spaces and convention centres have put in place to safely re-open in Toronto and across the province. It also aligns the meetings and event industry with movie theatres, which were given permission to increase capacity per room earlier this summer. 

The outdoor 100-person gathering limit remains in place. Regardless of an event being indoors or outdoors, physical distancing regulations must still be followed. 

Updated meeting and event guidelines can be found here. 

SOCIAL SERIES:
FEATURING FAIRMONT ROYAL YORK, DISTILLERY DISTRICT AND BYBLOS

REMINDER: CITY OF TORONTO ACCEPTING RESTAURANT INDOOR CAPACITY APPLICATIONS

In response to requests from restaurants, bars and other food service premises to increase their capacity limits, the City of Toronto established a process to apply for exemptions to the limits outlined in the by-law. Owners or operators of venues can complete a survey to be considered for an exemption from the capacity limit.

OTHER GOVERNMENT UPDATES:

Restrictions ease for collecting contact information at restaurants: Starting August 21, new regulatory amendments have come into place requiring contact information for only one person in a party entering indoor or outdoor dining areas. This will reduce the administrative burden on businesses such as restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments, and tour and guide services, while continuing to support case and contact tracing.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Fairmont Royal York announces a series of re-openings: The Fairmont Royal York is thrilled to welcome guests and the community back to Toronto’s landmark hotel. While the hotel remained open throughout the pandemic (providing over 10,000 room nights to frontline workers), the hotel has now reopened CLOCKWORK Champagne & Cocktails, CLOCKWORK Terrace, REIGN Restaurant + Bar + Bakery and the hotel’s exclusive lifestyle hotel floor Fairmont Gold, including the newly renovated Gold Lounge. 

Exhibition Place the first Canadian venue to receive GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation: The GBAC STAR Accreditation Program is performance-based and is designed to help facilities establish a comprehensive system of cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention for their staff, clients and their buildings. Another excellent example of our industry's commitment to safety during re-opening. 

CNE Box brings the CNE to your home: The virtual CNE is happening now and running until September 6. For all of us missing the in-person CNE, you can now order a CNE Box filled with goodies, swag and admission to the 2021 CNE. 

Ed Mirvish Theatre turns 100: Today, one of Toronto's grand old buildings - the Ed Mirvish Theatre - turns 100. The theatre opened on August 28, 1920 as a vaudeville house and later became the home of the record-breaking production of Phantom of the Opera.