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A recent Telegram story regarding the sale of the Marystown shipyard quoted Premier Dwight Ball: “That’s what we do we help our local businesses grow.”

Accommodations providers are businesses and we want to grow, too. The exponential growth of un-regulated accommodations has begun to erode our tourism brand. The “legal” industry is beginning to stagnate outside the overpass.

The Department of Tourism worked with agencies and operators to improve the standards of accommodations; operators invest time and money to meet standards and promote the brand by following best practices in health and safety, food services, accessibility certifications and more.

We did the same as we became involved with and invested in our community. Our business trajectory was upward so we continued and grew our business.

For example: we increased electrical service to install commercial equipment required to safely maintain food. For insurance ($5,000 premium this year) and standards we required an electrical engineer’s approval and the project quickly grew to $30,000, but we marched on. Our insurer allowed 12 months to replace the sub-standard water distribution system in a building of nine bathrooms, kitchen and laundry room — $20,000 but we met the safety standard.

We collect and pay taxes. Normally we hire six employees and pay employer taxes, however, this season we could only employ four as we dedicated the reduced hours to ensure our adult employees received enough insurable stamps.

Other examples include a cost to meet the province’s requirement to have a credit card payment system, membership fees for a star rating, liquor licence fees, commercial electricity rates, commercial municipal taxes and = personal taxes. To make a living, our room rates reflect these costs.

One can easily see that the $500 “tax premium” the city of St. John’s is considering for Airbnb operators isn’t adequate and will not level the field.

Licensed providers are threatened existentially by unregulated accommodations. Regulated providers in our region are out-numbered more than four to one. An unregulated provider chooses not to participate in provincial standards programs or best practices, is unhindered by inspections to ensure food and water safety or functioning smoke detectors. Liability insurance is not verified. They neither collect nor pay taxes and their personal income tax is unaffected. They can under-value room rates and still be profitable.

Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corp. (NLC) distributes cannabis products. This law is less than a year old yet I read in this paper recently of an enforcement effort that seized illegally marketed products. Why is the accommodations industry treated differently? Why does the NLC or the Marystown shipyard or the fisheries or food services or any other industry deserve any more support and protection than the accommodations industry?

Imagine if every skipper filled his or her boat with fish to sell ashore, unregulated and untaxed. There would be a hue and cry. What if people decided to sell beer and cannabis from their shed, unlicensed and unregulated? We already know how that ends, just read the paper.

I recently contact the Department of Tourism (prior to the change in leadership) and I was told that, as an operator, I am responsible to investigate and report illegal accommodations. So I guess if you are the NLC the province will provide investigative and enforcement services, but the accommodations industry is the Wild West.

Recently, the Irish Loop Post described a Bay Bulls provider’s plea to his municipal council, describing the existential threat posed by some 83 unregulated rooms in his region.

As stakeholders and taxpayers, we demand the enforcement of existing laws.

I am not against Airbnb or any other marketing platform. I am against non-compliant operations and their unfair advantage.

Let’s not allow Newfoundland and Labrador accommodations — the backbone of the industry outside the overpass — to be all converted unused basements and shared bathing and toilet facilities. It will permanently deface the brand that Newfoundland and Labrador has worked so hard to develop.

Government: you are governing in a minority. Opposition: You have a voice. Licensed accommodations providers: tell your story to your destination management organization and to Hospitality NL; they need to hear you right now.

We need immediate action.

Patrick Monsigneur,

The Claddagh Inn,

St. Mary’s

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