Feature ArticleDecember 12, 2001
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Land
O Lakes gets jump on economic developmentby David Brison
The Land O Lakes has been chosen as the first region in Ontario to
take advantage of a new Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and
Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) initiative for stimulating rural economies by
boosting tourism and better promoting local communities.
A Resource Jump Team arrived in the region on Monday, and will tour the
Land O Lakes for two days, meeting with various groups such as the
Dark Skies group (a group interested in developing our astronomy
potential), the Arden artisans, and trails groups.
The pilot project was announced in Napanee on Friday by Dr. Doug Galt, Parliamentary Assistant, OMAFRA on behalf of Minister Brian Cobra. Galt announced that teams of experts in attracting investment, developing tourism opportunities, and marketing would be formed to help communities take advantage of emerging opportunities and strengthen their local economies. Over a period of about six weeks, the teams will: tour the communities; meet with municipalities, businesses and associations to identify needs and barriers; develop recommendations and/or a strategy; and present these back to the community partners, who can then take action on the suggestions.
"Resource Jump Teams are excellent sources for rural areas to come up with focused, workable strategies for developing their economies, as well as practical recommendations for achieving them," Cobra said. "The Land O' Lakes region holds tremendous potential for expanding its tourism base. Tapping the knowledge and experience of these experts will, I'm sure, prove very beneficial to the entire Land O' Lakes area."
The Land O Lakes was chosen in part because of the excellent work done by the Land O Lakes Tourist Association (LOLTA) in marketing the tourist potential of the region and pointing out the need for expanded tourist and business development.
The LOLTA has worked very hard to market the regions natural attributes and is honoured to be selected by the Ontario government to host the resource team, said Dick Harwood, LOLTA President. Speaking for a rural region that is heavily tourism dependent, we view this as a golden opportunity."
The Land O Lakes Resource Jump Team gathered at noon on Monday at the Sunrise Beach Resort on Lake Mississagagon near Myers Cave, where they were briefed by Harwood. They then left for a tour of the region, led by Chris Ler, Marketing Director of LOLTA.
The team includes Julie Burch, a consultant with extensive experience in rural economies, Jill Vandal, of The Tourism Company, Robin Tapley, a naturalist and eco-tourism consultant, Larry Tilling, a small business coordinator and financial advisor for TD-Canada, and Lou OHara, from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Recreation.
