Feature Article March 4, 2004
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Hoping and waiting: on the hunt for tourism dollars in AH
For a couple of years, the Economic Development Committee of the Addington Highlands Council has been working on a strategy to entice investment in a four-season resort in the township.
The committee has put together a marketing plan for two different kinds of resorts: a golf/conference/spa resort that would cost an estimated $40 million to build; and an eco-lodge that carries an $8 million price tag.
The four-season resort concept was promoted by a tourism Jump Team that visited Addington Highlands two years ago, but the idea of trying to get a resort built was already being considered by the economic development committee before the Jump Team arrived, says Bill Brown, the chair of the committee.
A subcommittee that included local business owners, members of council, and the economic development officer for the County of L&A, has been working on the project for two years, and using a grant from the provincial government, a colour booklet has been produced which has been used at trade fairs in North America and Europe.
The booklet promotes AH by saying If there were a resort playground with everything to offer in the great outdoors, the mature forests, lakes, and rivers of Addington Highlands surely must be it. On this Canadian Shield Land, visitors can find room for all the adventure their hearts desire. It describes a ground floor opportunity to supply the growing demand for upscale resort development within easy reach of Toronto and Ottawa.
The two potential resorts being promoted were identified by a tourism consulting company, based on research that identified golfing and ecotourism as having a high potential for success.
A company based in Toronto, Commercial Focus Advisory Services, an affiliate of the REMAX Real Estate Corporation was engaged to put together the booklet and help in seeking investors for the project.
There are four general locations listed for the project, including: the Northbrook area, Mazinaw Lake, McChesney Lake, and the Denbigh area. Seventy percent of the land in Addington Highlands is Crown Land, including all the land around McChesney Lake, which may or may not be made available by the Ministry of Natural Resources for private use.
It would be great if we had a couple of options in terms of available properties that we could promote to potential investors, said Bill Brown.
Stephen Fagyas has been promoting the project to investors for Commercial Focus Advisory Services since the beginning of January. He says the project has met with a positive response.
There has been more interest than I expected, both from the Toronto investment community and from farther afield. I even received requests for information from a company in South Africa.
Fagyas said the project has been promoted directly to investors and has been promoted through the worldwide network of Remax dealers.
So far, I have only received preliminary requests, Fagyas cautioned, and in response I have sent off the detailed feasibility study that was done for the project. With the costs involved, nothing is going to happen overnight, but Im very encouraged.
Bill Brown is encouraged as well. But, he says, none of this means anything unless an investor is actually found.
