How well do you know the history of one of Canada’s most bilingual municipalities and the region’s outstanding artists? Discover the scenic heritage of Hawkesbury and the Ottawa River with the Discovery Trail #Ontariofranco.
The Discovery Trail has been developed over the past three years. The Employment Services Centre of Prescott Russell (ESCPR), the Downtown Business Improvement Area (COMZAC-BIA), the Hawkesbury Investment industrial Association (HIIA) and the Town of Hawkesbury have joined forces to initiate promising projects to support the economic, tourism and community development of the downtown area.
The $100,000 Discovery Trail is a walking route designed to showcase the attractions of the town and downtown Hawkesbury. The loop begins at follows Maison de l’Île and follows Chenail Boulevard, Main Street and John Street. It features 15 signs covering art, history and observation games. A QR code is displayed on each sign to give visitors and the community access to videos produced specifically for the Discovery Trail. Local firm Escouade multimédia has produced 20 videos that will be available over the next two years.
These initiatives aim to increase visitor attendance, promote the downtown area, create a tourist attraction and economic impact, generate goodwill among merchants, encourage physical activity and social opportunities for residents, and breathe new life into the downtown area.
“It is part of our mandate to support the economic life of the downtown area, and the Discovery Trail brings together several assets to create a presence and visitor traffic for the well-being of our merchants,” said COMZAC-BIA President Larry Bogue.
The Discovery Trail project was made possible with the financial participation of Ottawa Tourism, and the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
