| Apr 27, 2017


“We’re building a toolkit to increase overnight stays in Frontenac County,” Paul Blais of MDB Insight told a special meeting of North Frontenac Council last week in Clar-Mill Hall. “To do that, we need to establish supply and demand — how do they mesh and where are the gaps?”

Blais and fellow consultant Libby Smith of Terra Consulting are holding similar events in each Township.

On May 1 from 1-3 p.m., they’ll be at the community hall in Marysville on Wolfe Island and from 7-9 p.m. they’ll be at the Storrington Centre in Sunbury. On May 2, they’ll be at St. Lawrence College Employment Services in Sharbot Lake from 9-11 a.m.
Using Ministry of Tourism parameters, Smith gave an outline of “who are our tourists” which ranged from nature lovers, to explorers to outgoing mature couples. She said North and Central Frontenac are part of the RTO 10 tourist zone while South Frontenac and Frontenac Islands are part of the RTO 9 tourist zone.

“You’re employed by the County,” said Coun. John Inglis, who is also a County councillor. “The biggest entity in the County is South Frontenac and I’ve been a little concerned you’d be ignoring us.

“We have our own unique problems here.”

“We’re studying it township by township,” Smith said.

“This study is becoming as much about supporting the economy of tourism as it is about accommodations,” Blais study.

But the conversation quickly returned to North Frontenac’s ‘unique’ problems, with one of the biggest being electronic communications.

“If it rains, my Bell line doesn’t work and that means plastic money doesn’t work,” said one audience member.

“If internet/phone service doesn’t change, this is a waste of time,” said another.

There was a general consensus that when it comes to communications, the ‘Snow Road Abyss’ is a very real place.

“So, even when they’re exploring the wilderness, everybody still wants the comforts of home, you’re saying,” said Blais.

When it came to advertising and promoting the area, most seemed to agree with Coun. Gerry Martin when he said, “The Eastern Ontario Trails Alliance promotes our area more than any other group.”

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