Ladies
and Gentlemen
The
snow is here – and we love it, right ;-)
A
number of major developments on our area tourism front you should know about.
Some three years ago the four North Simcoe municipalities identified tourism as
a major economic pillar and decided to devote time and energy to building our
tourism capabilities. A consulting firm
was brought in to develop a tourism plan. The plan was turned over to the new
Tourism Action Plan Committee (TAP). That Committee is made up of our major
area tourism services and attractions and all four municipalities.
Their first task was to choose a “brand” for our area.
Not a simple task. For example, when you
say “Muskoka” most people think of lakes; woods; a Muskoka chair on a dock;
and getting away from it all. When you say “Mildand/Penentanguishene/Tiny/Tay”
– not much comes to mind. So we need a brand and that starts with selection of
a brand name. Ladies and gentlemen that name is: “The Heart of Georgian Bay”..” Au
Coeur de la Baie Georgian”
Initial
work to build our brand has started with the launch of our area tourism website
www.GOgbay.ca. More
website work to come. Additionally, four TAP members (Martyrs’ Shrine/Wye Marsh/Huronia
Museum/Keewatin) are developing a “Passport” marketing initiative for the
tour and vacation markets, and will use a telemarketing campaign to attract new
visitors to our area. And to cap off our excellent tourism week, the Province
on Ontario has just announced that both St. Marie Among the Hurons and the SS
Keewatin are now recognized as "Ontario Signature Experiences"
Our tourism initiative is on a roll.
*****
Monday November 17th – your chance to enjoy
good food at Boston Pizza and help out the Frank Graham 2015 Cycle Liberation
Tour. Boston Pizza has graciously agreed to donate 10% of all food sales
between 5:00 and 8:00 pm towards this special veteran’s event. Then at 5:30 pm it’s the Big Brothers and
Sisters AGM at NSSRC.
A very busy evening on Tuesday November 18th. At 6:15 pm the Salvation Army will launch its
Christmas kettle campaign. The kick-off is at the Canadian Tire store on Hwy 93.
At 6:30 pm you are invited to join the
Guesthouse for its AGM at St. Paul’s church. And at 7:30 pm at MCC, A Day in the
Life features the internationally renowned Canadian tenor, Mr. Ben Heppner. Ben
Heppner has been hailed as the finest
dramatic tenor of our era. He has excited audiences in the
great opera halls of the world and with many of the leading orchestras.
Wednesday the 19th the four mayors will meet
to start developing a plan to support our hospital and healthcare
services. The mayors are coming together
in response to growing concerns about the potential loss of healthcare services
and shortfalls in hospital funding. Left unaddressed, these challenges could
negatively impact our future. The solution includes effective civic engagement,
starting with the mayors and involving all citizens. I expect the mayors to meet regularly over
the next few years and involve the public fully in the process.
Thursday November 20th is another busy day. At
9:00 am the County will bring in the newly elected Councilors for their first
training session. A lot to learn. At
9:30 am the County is hosting a half day workshop entitled “Housing Solutions
for Simcoe County” at the Simcoe County Museum in Midhurst.
That evening at 7:00 pm the YMCA Peace Medallion will be
awarded to We are the Villagers charity for the excellent work that they
do in our community with underprivileged children. The award will be accepted
by Julianna Matayas and Geoff Crompton, the driving forces behind the charity.
That’s at the YMCA Employment Centre at 334 King St. Please bring a non-perishable
food item
On Friday November the 21st you may wish to
attend the regular Waterfront Project Committee meeting at 11:00 am at Town
Hall. Then for your evening
entertainment at 7:00 pm John Kokkinos opens his Digital Labyrinth exhibit in the
Quest Gallery at the MCC. And at 8:00 pm it’s the Big Wigs stage show
extraordinaire, also at the MCC.
Weekend
Saturday
-
9:00 am you will want to visit the fall and
winter Farmers Market at NSSRC
-
10:00 am artists takeover the Huronia Museum
until 4 pm with all sorts of artwork and crafts
-
Also at 10:00 am the Friends of the Midland Public Library will be
marking the 4th anniversary of the Book Cellar, the library’s used bookstore.
Buy a bag of books for $5. The sale runs until 2 pm with funds raised going to
support your library
-
7:00 pm the Martels Rock and Roll show at
NSSRC
-
8:00 pm its Big Wigs at the MCC
Sunday
-
From 10:00 am to 4:00 pm is the Lorraine
Jordan Community Carnival at the
old Zellers location at the Mountainview mall.
Games, blow up castles, food, cotton candy and much more. Admission is free with a non-perishable
food item or the donation of a new or nearly new item for YMCA Gifts to Give.
All proceeds to local charities.
Gord
McKay
Be
part of Midland’s Year of Making Decisions - 2014
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