The Canadian Camping and RV Council (CCRVC) and RVDA of Canada were on Parliament Hill last week to shed light on industry issues that require attention from the Canadian government.
RVDA of Canada Board Chair Josée Bédard, CCRVC President Robert Trask and MP Francesco Sorbara were present last Thursday to represent the Canadian camping and RV sector.
At the news conference, Bédard urged the federal government to provide more targeted support to ensure the industry’s recovery from the pandemic.
“Now that border restrictions have been eased, travel and tourism are slowly starting to pick up. We need to focus on ensuring that all businesses can begin to thrive again,” Bédard said. “The federal government needs to focus on providing targeted recovery support to ensure there’s a growth for key sectors such as the RV rental industry and the Canadian camping sector.”
She added that a shortage of skilled workers remains a key concern for the RV industry. She also mentioned the need for investment in infrastructure in national parks and addressing supply chain issues.
For the camping sector, CCRVC continued to call for a fair tax regime for small family-owned campgrounds in Canada.
“We need a clear and concise definition which would make small family-owned campgrounds eligible for the small business tax deduction,” CCRVC President Robert Trask said.
A small campground with less than five employees year-round is currently classified as a Specified Investment Business in the Income Tax Act which carries a nearly 50 percent income tax rate unless that business can prove that they are an active business.
“Being a seasonal business with most unable to open year-round, the rule is extremely unfair and needs to be updated,” Trask added.
He goes on to say that the denial of the small business tax deduction continues to cause campgrounds to shy away from investing in infrastructure, upgrades, hiring more employees and even leading some owners to sell their property at a time when the industry “desperately needs campgrounds and campsites than ever before.”
The camping and RV industry employs 67,200 Canadians and creates over CA$3.4 billion in tourism and spending and CA$6.2 billion in the economy of Canada.
