Businesses in Frontenac County, Addington Highlands, take advantage of Fed Dev Ontario tourism grants.

Jeff Green | Jun 16, 2021

A diverse group of local businesses will be receiving grants of up to $20,000 for upgrades as part of a Fed Dev Ontario tourism recovery initiative that was announced as part of the federal budget.

Fed Dev Ontario is the vehicle through which the Government of Canada supports economic development in Southern Ontario. For this project they worked with the regional tourism organisations (RTOs) that were set up by the Province of Ontario to administer the funds and connect with local businesses, with help from the economic development departments at the county level.

There are two RTOs in our region. RTO9 covers South Frontenac, and RT011 covers North and Central Frontenac and Addington Highlands.

In all, 10 Frontenac County businesses that have a tourism component were able to secure funding. These include: Fernleigh Lodge, Back Forty Artisan Cheese, By The Bay Cottages, The Friends of Bon Echo Park, Hunter's Creek Golf Course, the Cloyne and District Historical Society, Bon Echo Family Campground, and Marble Lake Lodge in North Frontenac; the Sharbot Lake Country Inn, and Port William Sound in Central Frontenac, and The Blue Moose B&B on Wolfe Island.

Another 4 businesses in Addington Highlands have received funding, including: Birch Hill Pizza and Rosie's Cafe and General Store in Denbigh, Mazinaw Lakeside Resort in Cloyne, and Parky's Store in Northbrook.The grants are earmarked for infrastructure projects for tourism related business, aimed at reacting to and recovering from COVID impacts on business operations.

The businesses can receive up to $20,000 to cover 80% of project costs.

One business, Port William Sound in Mountain Grove, will be purchasing and installing a Yert as a secondary living space/sound studio for musicians who record at the sound studio.

“It is something we would not have done at this time, but with the grant we are able to do it,” said Jonas Bonnetta of Port William Sound.

Back Forty Cheese in Mississippi Station (North Frontenac) will be using the money they will receive as part of an outdoor kitchen/pavilion project at the Cheese Factory, which holds tasting and other events in the summer time.

"RTO 9 was pleased to be able to administer these funds on behalf of FedDev Ontario. This funding has helped many businesses continue to operate until we start to see a recovery in the tourism industry," said Bonnie Ruddock, the Executive Director of RTO9, which covers SouthEastern Ontario