To: All homeowners in Snowbridge, Monterra Ridge, Mountain Springs Resort, Rivergrass, Chateau Ridge, Cachet Crossing, Wintergreen and Mountain Walk.

 As of today, the shuttle service at Blue Mountain Village is on demand.   Contact At Your Service at 705-445-0231 extension 8280 should you require to be picked up.  This will be 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, until the summer route schedule begins.

To: All Residential Class Members

Further to the attached communication sent to you in August, this email is being sent only to BMVA members who do not have their unit in the Blue Mountain Resort or Blue Mountain Lodges rental programs. We would like to remind you of your obligation to remit the 2% Rental Royalty Fee plus 13% HST (for your records our HST  # is 88149 8810RT)
applicable on the revenue earned  from the rental of your unit.
 
Payments are required monthly by the 15^th of the month after which the revenue was earned.  Please forward payment of the Fee with a reconciliation of your rental income to Blue Mountain Village Association, 796455 Grey Rd. 19, Unit 2, Blue Mountains, ON  L9Y 0N8,  attention of Moira McIntyre. If you would like to remit this payment quarterly or annually, please contact Moira directly at accounting@bluemountainvillage.ca to make those arrangements.

Margaret Fairley, CAE
Director, Administration &
Member Services

To: All Blue Mountain Resorts Limited Staff and Blue Mountain Village Association Staff and Members

As many are aware, our partner Intrawest has been actively attempting to sell the remaining undeveloped land they own at the base of the mountain as well as certain commercial spaces within the Blue Mountain Village.
As of today, Intrawest has announced that they have entered into an agreement with Skyline International Development Inc. to sell 37,200 sq. ft. of Blue Mountain Village commercial which represents approximately 50% of the space, all undeveloped village lands and some nearby parcels under Intrawest ownership.

This investment by Skyline should be viewed as recognition of the strength of our four season destination. Intrawest continues to be a 50-50 partner in Blue Mountain Resort with the Weider family including ski, attractions, golf, tennis, lodging, conference, food, beverage and retail business lines.

We welcome this new presence at Blue Mountain and look forward to the eventual build out of the Village.

To view Skyline International Development Inc release, please click here.

Dan Skelton,
President and COO
Blue Mountain Resorts Limited

Don Braden
President
Blue Mountain Village Association

If you have a recent head shot or other picture that you would like to use, please forward to pictures@bluemountainvillage.ca and include your unit number as well as the name of the person in the photo – i.e. SAB200JohnDoe.  We do have the ability to crop your photo to fit to size and will confirm the usability of the photo with you.  We will mail your new cards and you can drop off your current cards to the office next time you’re in the Village.

If you don’t have a recent photo, or would just like a new one taken, please make arrangements with Tina Ward at tward@bluemountainvillage.ca or 705 444-7398 ext 221 to drop into the office the next time you are visiting the Resort to have your picture taken.

We will be making the transition to the new card over the next eight months.  Participating businesses will be advised to accept the current non-photo card which is dated 2012 until June 30th, 2013 only – so please ensure you take the time to get your new cards now.  As always, Tina and I are here to help you through any challenges this may create. 

Please be advised these photos will only be used for this purpose and will not be shared.

Margaret Fairley
Director, Administration & Member Services

Again this year, we are pleased to inform you as a BMVA Member you don’t have to rush to get the early bird special on your ski passes at Blue.  Simply bring your BMVA Member Privilege Card with you when paying for your pass and receive this price any time during the season.

Blue Mountain is pleased to introduce a revamped line-up of 2012/2013 Season Passes.  New for this winter season, Blue Mountain is adding the Lite Pass.  This dynamic new product replaces the traditional Night Pass and includes lift access for night skiing Sunday through Thursday and day skiing Monday through Thursday.  The Lite Pass is sold at the Early Bird price of $149.  Many of the old favorites are back, including a lower price on the popular all-access Super Pass. 

2012/2013 Products
The Lite Pass is valid for lift access:
Monday through Thursday from 9am to 10pm and Sunday from 4:30 – 10pm
Excludes access from Sunday, December 23, 2012 to Sunday January 6, 2013 and February 17-18, 2013.
Early Bird $149 (Purchase by 11:59pm on November 1, 2012)
Regular price $249
Tiny Tykes $10 for kids ages 5 and under with Adult Value Pass purchase

The Super Pass is valid for lift access during all operating hours for the 2012/2013 winter season
Early Bird (Purchase by 11:59pm on November 1, 2012)
$599 for Adults (Ages 18+ as of September 1, 2012)
Regular Price $739
$449 for Youth/Senior (Youth ages 6-17 and Senior ages 65+ as of September 1, 2012)
Regular Price $589
Tiny Tykes FREE for kids ages 5 and under with Adult Super Pass purchase

The 5×7 Pass is valid for lift access:
Monday through Friday from 9am to 10pm and Saturday & Sunday from 4:30 – 10pm
Excludes access between 9am and 4:30pm from Monday December 24, 2012 to Friday January 4, 2013
Early Bird $199 (Purchase by 11:59pm on November 1, 2012)
Regular Price $299
Tiny Tykes $10 for kids ages 5 and under with Adult 5×7 Pass purchase

Double Down entitles you to two day/night lift tickets, valid any time during the 2012/2013 winter season.
These tickets are fully transferable.  Limit of 2 Double Down cards per customer
Early Bird $79 (Only available until December 13, 2012)

Season Pass details and sales are live on Blue Mountain’s website at http://www.bluemountain.ca

Sent to all Members via email

On June 8^th, 2012, we informed our members that the Blue Mountain Village Association (BMVA) would be re-instating its Village Amenity Fee (the Fee) of 2%. (Please see copy on reverse of this letter.)   The Fee is the retail name for the BMVA’s “Rental Royalty Fee” as described in our General Bylaw. This communication is being sent only to BMVA members who do not have their unit in the BMR rental program to ensure that you are clear regarding your responsibilities for payment and disclosure of the Fee should you rent your unit.  We remind you the General Bylaw requires that you notify the BMVA should you commence to rent your unit.

Commencing September 4, 2012, the Village Amenity Fee plus HST must be charged to rental guests in lodging units owned by BMVA members and those funds must be remitted to the BMVA. If you do not rent your unit through a BMR rental pool, you are now directly responsible for the disclosure, collection and remittance of the Fee.  

To help assist you with this transition, we have notified the larger local rental managers regarding the reintroduction of the Fee and your responsibilities.  We have strongly recommended to these organizations that they ensure their BMVA clients do not operate rentals contrary to the BMVA General Bylaw requirements*.  You should also contact your rental manager to ensure that the Village Amenity Fee is properly disclosed in all advertising and billings to guests. It may be that you ask your rental manager to remit the Fee to the BMVA on your behalf.

Payments are required monthly by the 15^th of the month after which the revenue was earned. Please forward payment of the Fee with a reconciliation of your rental income to our office to the attention of Moira McIntyre, mmcintyre@bluemountainvillage.ca.

The revenue collected from this Fee assists the BMVA to market the Village as a tourist destination which directly benefits your rental income. We appreciate your ongoing cooperation in supporting your Association. Although we prefer not to utilize this option in our General Bylaw, the BMVA does have the ability to lien any unit for outstanding Fees. 

If you have further questions regarding the Fee, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours truly,

Margaret Fairley, CAE
Director, Administration and Member Services

*Please refer to 2.0, 12.4.2.2, 12.4.3 and 12.4.9 of our General Bylaw for more details.  The full General Bylaw can be found in the Members Only section at http://www.bluemountainvillage.ca/members/.  You will need to set up your login username and password to access this information.) 

Sent to all Members via post

Fees: We are happy to inform you the annual Basic Fee on your property(s) at Blue Mountain Village will not be increased again this year.  An invoice for July 1, 2012 to June 30, 2013 is included with this letter.  Payments are due quarterly, in advance, with the first installment due July 1, 2012.  Payment can be made through your on-line banking facility (except the Royal and National Bank) We also accept payment by cheque payable to the Blue Mountain Village Association to the address below, either for the full amount or 4 post-dated cheques dated July 1, 2012, October 1, 2012, January 1, 2013 and April 1, 2013.  We will hold these cheques and deposit them on the due date for your convenience.  If you have any questions or concerns regarding your account, please contact Moira McIntyre at mmcintyre@bluemountainvillage.ca or 1-705-445-0231 ext. 7057. You can also pay your account via email transfer using this email account.  This function is available on your bank’s website and is both safe and secure.

Rental Royalty Fee Change:  Effective September 4^th, 2012, the rate for the Rental Revenue and Rental Royalty Fees will be re-instated to reflect 1% each as it was before July 1, 2010 when HST was introduced.   Further details have been provided on the reverse of this letter for your information.

New Member Business Privilege:  We are excited to present a new opportunity for all member businesses – BMVA Member Business Privilege Program.  Through the powers of LinkedIn, you will be able to promote your business to other BMVA members.  In keeping with the existing Member Privilege Program, you will offer a specific business benefit to other members’ businesses in this group.  Conversely, you will be able to claim the benefits offered by the other businesses in this group.  Currently there are 1,262 members in the BMVA.  Many of you have requested an expansion to the current MPP offerings.  As well, many of you have expressed an interest in networking with other BMVA members, but due to privacy legislation, we were not able to assist anyone asking for contact information.  By joining this group, the benefits offered through your BMVA membership have the potential to improve your business sustainability (1,262 potentially new customers!) by showcasing your business’ products and services.    What value do you place on one new customer?  Additionally, you will be able to connect with other BMVA members. Visit the Blue Mountain Village Association on LinkedIn for further details or contact me directly.  Please note the following:

Program Rules:  In keeping with the existing MP Program, this group offering is voluntary.  It is open to BMVA members only.  Approval to join this group is required – please include your unit # so we can identify you as a member when sending your request to join.  By requesting a connection to this group, you agree that you have the authority to provide this information on behalf of the business. You also agree that you understand the terms and conditions of having your profile on LinkedIn.

The benefits received will improve with participation; so please help spread the word to all BMVA members.  Participation will be evaluated at 6 months and at 12 months, at which time continuation of this group program will be determined.

New Member Webpage:  This summer we will be launching a Member’s page on www.bluemountainvillage.ca.  Further information will be forwarded to you via email when this new benefit is available.

Events:  Again this year, we have an amazing events schedule planned for this summer.  Visit our new website www.bluemountainvillage.ca to subscribe to our events e-newsletter or view the Events Calendar.

As always, don’t hesitate to contact me at mfairley@bluemountainvillage.ca or 1-877-445-0231 ext 7058 with any questions, comments or concerns.

Best regards,

Margaret Fairley,
Dir., Administration & Member Services

Dear BMVA members;                                                                                                                  

With the introduction of the HST in Ontario, the Ontario government provided certain tourism associations in Ontario with funds to replace the destination fee that the associations were collecting from the hotel guest. These government funds were provided to the Blue Mountain Village Association (BMVA) under the condition that it did not collect any destination fee from the short term rental of the homeowners’ units. The BMVA has had access to these government funds since July 1, 2010 but these funds will not be available after December 31, 2012. In terms of the BMVA General Bylaw our destination fee was compromised of:  Rental Revenue Fee (the rental manager is responsible to pay) and Rental Royalty Fee (the homeowner is responsible to pay). As a practical matter when homeowners had their unit in a BMR rental pool or a BMVA Associate Member rental pool manager, the combined fee of 2 percent was collected by the rental manager and remitted to the BMVA. When the government funding was made available the BMVA moved these two fees to 0 percent.

The BMVA joined in a lobby effort this year to have the industry lead destination fee re-introduced rather than a regional tourism levy being considered by the government over which the BMVA would have had little control. That lobby effort was successful and the BMVA Board has decided to re-introduce the Rental Revenue Fee and the Rental Royalty Fee to their previous levels on September 4, 2012.  The collective 2 percent will be disclosed to the guests as the “Village Amenity Fee”.  The disclosure will describe the value the guest receives from this fee including: award winning free events and animation; seasonal holiday celebrations; free kids activities; gardens and clean public spaces; security and shuttle service. Beyond providing this value to the guests, these fees also contribute to destination marketing of the Blue Mountain Village.

If you are in the BMR rental pool the Village Amenity Fee will be collected and remitted to the BMVA by BMR. If you rent your unit privately or through another rental manager, you are responsible for the collection and remittance of the full 2 percent. We strongly recommend that you (and your rental manager) ensure the 2 percent Village Amenity Fee is properly disclosed and charged to the guest.  As noted in the BMVA General Bylaw, the BMVA has the ability to lien any unit for outstanding funds.  Payment of this fee is required by the 15^th of the following month in which the revenue is earned.   Timely payment of these fees will allow the BMVA to effectively complete the work required to be sustainable in this very competitive tourism market. The Village Amenity Fee’s primary use is to make our Resort one that guests seek out and return to often which is in your direct personal interest as well.

Don Braden
President
Blue Mountain Village Association

Tel: 705-445-0231 ext 7055
Email:  dbraden@bluemountainvillage.ca

Sent to all Members via post

The project includes a CT scanner, new generation X-Ray equipment and Electronic Medical Record System, a Picture Archiving and Communications System, a Digital Mammography unit, an Ultrasound unit and a Bone Density unit.  Each piece of equipment will directly impact patient care, with less exposure to radiation and less procedural time.

The importance of this for children is great as their bodies are more vulnerable. 
Let’s support and protect our youth.

For More Information on The New Age Care, please visit http://cgmh.on.ca/?p=1

This program was piloted in 2011. It focuses on educating teen girls on self-image, self-esteem, assertiveness and setting healthy boundaries.  The program is available to young women ages 12-16 who have lived with domestic violence and reside in the Georgian Triangle.   Through group program modeling, peer support and interaction, these young women will be given tools for dealing with the stressors of being women. 

The program will provide experience, strength and hope that they are not alone in their struggles, as well as enhance their self-esteem and self-worth to enable them to face life situations with confidence and a positive outlook – all within a safe and supportive environment where they can feel comfortable sharing their experiences and sorting through their emotions.

For More Information on My Friend’s House,  please visit www.myfriendshouse.ca

Youth rowers are finding it a challenge to learn to row with oars made for adults– which have larger hand grips.  The new oars have smaller hand grips and are dynamically better for executing rowing stroke.  Youth are inclined to be more engaged during camp when they have the proper tools to properly grip and manipulate the oars. 

Some youth participated in two regattas this past year with the new oars and enjoyed them enough to win the club its first rowing medals!

For More Information on The Collingwood Rowing Club, please visit www.collingwoodrowing.com.