Reflecting on the highs & lows of 2020 at the AHLA’s AGM One hundred and sixty-eight hotels attended the AHLA’s Annual General Meeting on April 13, representing more than 22,336 guest rooms across the province. Chairman’s Report By focusing on the immediate needs of hotels during the pandemic, the association was able to support [...]
The AHLA encourages hotels to talk to their staff about getting vaccinated for COVID-19 as soon as they are eligible. This will: protect your employees and their families, protect their colleagues and guests, and reduce the spread of COVID-19, making it possible for people to gather and travel sooner. Talk to your employees about getting the vaccine, [...]
After continued pressure from the AHLA, the Minister of Labour has extended the deadline for temporary layoffs to June 30, 2021. This will allow members to maintain employment relationships with their staff and delay potentially devastating termination costs. This is another huge win for AHLA members, made possible because hotels worked together through the AHLA [...]
Every year, the AHLA asks members to provide feedback about the work of the association in a member survey. Our Board of Directors and staff use this information to assess whether the AHLA is working on the right things, and whether our members think the AHLA’s work is effective. The 2020 AHLA Report Card received [...]
Members can now manage their electricity costs through the AHLA’s new power program with Gas Alberta Energy (GAE). GAE has been the trusted partner of the AHLA’s Natural Gas Program since 2005 and is pleased to help members navigate through an unpredictable electricity market as well. Why is the electricity market so unpredictable? Electricity has always been [...]
As a result of the enhanced public health measures implemented to contain the spread of COVID-19, hotels continue to operate in near-lockdown conditions. The AHLA is asking the the Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Innovation to extend the Tourism Levy to June 30, 2021, as a critical liquidity measure for hotels. In addition, the AHLA is [...]
Two initiatives the AHLA has supported to reduce regulated charges for transmission & distribution of utilities have been making progress: 1. AltaLink’s January 18, 2021, proposal to the Alberta Utility Commission (AUC) to refund $350 million to Alberta electricity customers between 2021 and 2023. Outcome: The AUC has approved $230 million in net relief [...]
Canadians are increasingly performing day-to-day tasks online, from virtual fitness classes to online shopping to social interaction. So it’s not surprising that a growing area of interest in Canada is virtual health care. Virtual health care provides “virtual visits” between patients and clinicians through online communications platforms. These visits occur in real time and from [...]
Last week, AHLA President & CEO Dave Kaiser asked tax assessors for leniency when dealing with hotels during COVID-19. At one of the Canadian Property Tax Association’s (CPTA) annual education sessions for the Western Chapter, Kaiser highlighted: the challenges hotels were already facing before the pandemic, the devastating impacts of COVID-19 on hotel RevPAR and [...]
Update: AGLC did not pursue these changes. The AHLA is supporting the AGLC’s proposal to allow fewer restrictions on promotion of alcohol in Alberta hotels. If the government accepts the proposal, this would mean that Class A liquor licensees would be able work more closely with liquor suppliers, and with less red tape — something [...]
