B.C. hospitality industry facing major staff shortages just weeks before international tourists return
B.C.'s hospitality industry is facing major staffing shortages just over two weeks before American tourists return.
Both restaurants and hotels are in desperate need of staff as current employees are being overworked, and service is compromised.
Lidia Ranallo is the co-owner of La Piazza Dario Ristorante at Vancouver’s Italian Cultural Centre. She said she has been aggressively looking to hire, but so far, has come up empty.
"I've spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on ads," Ranallo said. "It's really frustrating when you're looking for people and thinking people are looking for work and there's just nobody out there."
Ever since B.C. entered Step 3 of its reopening plan, business has more or less returned to a pre-pandemic level, Ranallo said, but staffing is far from it.
"We have a certain standard that we like to maintain, and when we can't do it, it's very disheartening," she said.
At Gastown's Rogue Kitchen and Wetbar, it's a similar story.
"We experienced July 1 when they lifted restrictions and we saw about a 40 per cent jump in sales, which is fantastic, but now we have the challenge of not having the staff to serve the customers," said president of restaurant operations Carl McCreath.
According to the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association, it's a province-wide issue.
"We think we're about 40,000 people short right now," said Ian Tostenson, the association’s president.
"People left the industry because they couldn't rely on consistent hours."
Hotels are facing the same challenge, after nearly 40 per cent of the industry was either laid off or quit as a result of the pandemic.
“We've got full hotels and not nearly enough employees to service them properly," said BC Hotel Association president Bryan Pilbeam.
On Aug. 9, the Canadian border will reopen to fully vaccinated Americans, giving the industry just a few weeks to ramp up staffing.
"(In) places like Vancouver, Whistler, Victoria, some of the bigger centres that aren't as busy as they're going to be, that problem is going to be exacerbated," Pilbeam said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.