President's Message: We're with you

Where are we at 4 plus months into COVID?   Airline is holding our own relating to other hotels. The hotel industry has been the hardest or one of the hardest hit industries during this pandemic. We are very fortunate in always being open and honest with everyone but especially with the bank and our shareholders. BMO has been very understanding and helpful enabling us to not have to pay any of our principle or interest for 6 months. This enabled us to use that cash for utilities and payroll for our associates working. We have cut back on everything we could. I have been negotiating with the government and various other organizations trying to get them to understand how hard the hotel industry has been hit. Even though you may think we have forgotten about you, trust me it is the opposite. We are working hard on your behalf trying everything to get back to business. My message to the government has been “I don’t want your bailouts, I want you to create an environment where I can make cash so I can bring associates back to work and pay our bills”. It has been a huge struggle with some successes and some not so successful. The Canadian hotel industry is looking at 2021 to the start of recovery and 2022 back to preCOVID numbers. We are all guessing!  The bottom line is, we are doing everything possible to get the hotels fully operational again.

Our newspaper printed portions of the grade 12 valedictorian speeches. Like the rest of us, the young people have been impacted tremendously. When I read what they had to say again, I was thoroughly impressed with the wisdom of these 18-year-olds. I want to quote portions of what they had to say

“Not only will we, the graduates of 2020 be remembered by each other, but we have suddenly been given the opportunity to make even more of an impact on the world.   We have even more reason to exercise our resilience and our ability to preserve in any challenge, but especially now in these unprecedented times.

We have the ability to stand taller then any plague.

We have born into a world that changes every second. We are the most connected generation in human history, and have the greatest access to information, opportunity and resources ever. Instead of ignoring this monumental occasion due to the current state of the world, we choose to celebrate.

We did not allow ourselves to be the victims of circumstance since we have the tools and the will to overcome these obstacles.”

- Aria Ahmed

 

“It is hard to think of light in times that seem so shadowed in sorrow and uncertainty, but I believe that we are made stronger for what we have to overcome and that we will use this strength to push forward and build a future that will amaze us all, soaring to new heights and surpassing expectations.

The future seems so uncertain. I believe we can take this uncertainty and mound it into what we dream to see.”

- Megan Engedahl

If these 18 years can think and believe this way what is stopping us as adults with many more years of experience and wisdom?

Hugs

Betty Anne Latrace-Henderson
President, Airline Hotels