GLOBAL: BWH Hotel Group is now the first hotel chain to integrate its central reservation system with the Oracle Hospitality OPERA Cloud property management system through the Oracle Hospitality Integration Platform. This makes it easy for any hotel within the BWH Hotel Group portfolio—which includes Best Western Hotels & Resorts and SureStay Hotel Group properties—to adopt OPERA Cloud to simplify and improve operations. The group’s 4,500 properties can now connect all hotel operation information on a single platform, helping them reduce operating expenses and optimize staffing.
NATIONAL: The government of Canada has invested more than $9.3 million to support the return of Tennis Canada’s National Bank Open tournament via the Major Festivals and Events Support Initiative. Tennis Canada, which operates the Rogers-sponsored tournaments, had canceled all 2020 events and limited attendance at 2021 events due to the pandemic. This year, the tournament takes place in Toronto from Aug. 6-14, with the UNMATCHED: Gender Equity in Sports Conference featuring Billie Jean King on Aug. 10. The government is also contributing money to support the men’s National Bank Open in Montreal.
ROSSLAND, B.C.: The Josie Hotel, Autograph Collection, and The Velvet Restaurant and Lounge in Rossland, British Columbia, have appointed Takashi Harada as their new executive chef. Chef Harada has previously worked at hotels around the world including Four Seasons properties in Vancouver, Tokyo, Hawaii, and St. Kitts, and most recently worked at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge. The Josie Hotel has 106 guest rooms and more than 2,500 square feet of event space with an adjoining terrace. The on-site Velvet Restaurant services locally inspired craft cooking.
TORONTO: The Toronto Caribbean Carnival’s closing event has been posted until Aug. 27-28. The free “Carnival Flavours” event, which will take place at Yonge-Dundas Square, will now coincide with the 60th anniversary of Trinidad and Tobago's independence. More details of the rescheduled event are expected to be released soon, but the gathering typically showcases Caribbean food and drink. This year’s Toronto Caribbean Carnival, held last month, drew thousands of revelers to the city’s waterfront celebration.
WINDSOR, ONT.: After a two-year hiatus, Children’s Fest will take place in person from Sept. 17-18. The festival—which was launched in 1995 by the Rotary Club of Windsor and is now presented in partnership with the Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa Association—has hosted more than 90,000 visitors since its inception. It typically includes activities such as pony rides, face painting, mini golf, a dog show, games, and more. The event, which will have a $5 entry fee, will take place inside the soccer complex at Central Park Athletics.
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