At the October 15 council meeting, the United Counties of Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (SDG) received confirmation that $25,000 had been awarded from the provincial Tourism Development Fund (TDF). The investment will play a key role in further developing and implementing the SDG comprehensive tourism strategy.
The $25,000 will be used to fund 50 per cent of the overall project’s cost with the remaining outstanding fees being split between SDG and the City of Cornwall. The TDF is an application-based and cost-sharing program that was designed to encourage the innovative development of tourism in Ontario. Some of the program objectives included further development of tourism products and experiences, increasing private sector tourism investment, and ultimately strengthening the skills, resources, and abilities to attract and support investment in tourism.
SDG Tourism and Cornwall Tourism have been engaging Alphabet Creative, Brain Trust, and CMK Consulting for a five-year tourism development program in the region. A report to council cited that the key outcomes SDG and the City of Cornwall are hoping to attain is a clear vision of the project, a mission statement for the organization, showcase the importance of tourism to local communities and investors, as well as identifying key opportunities with a detailed plan of action for implementation.
Offering year-round and unique tourism experiences in the region has been the main driver in setting up this project.
Public consultations will be held at the end of October to gather insights from the communities on what they would like to see as part of the grander tourism strategic plan. The three sessions will be held at different locations, enabling the public to attend the session of their preference.
Councillor Carma Williams stated that she “was happy to see public consultations on this to get the opinions of the broader community.”
The first public consultation will take place on October 28 at the Saunders Hydro Dam Visitor Centre located at 2500 Second Street West, Cornwall, and take place between 1:30 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. The second will be held at Sir John Johnson Manor House located at 19692 William Street in Williamstown, between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on October 28. The final consultation will be held on October 29 at the McIntosh Country Inn and Conference Centre, 12495 Highway 2 East, Morrisburg, from 9:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
Reservations to attend any of the consultations, or to find more information about the project, can be found at https://whereontariobegan.ca/tourism-strategic-plan/.
A draft strategy where council members can discuss and tweak the tourism strategic plan should be completed by the end of November.
The final strategy is planned for a February 2025 release.
