RTO7’s Week in Review for October 9, 2015

An archeology symposium in Midland on October 16-18 in Midland will examine early relationships between native tribes and French in the region.  It comes at a time when this area is commemorating the 400^th anniversary of French presence in Ontario, with the largest of these being Rendez-Vous Champlain (a Partnership Funding partner) in Penetanguishene this past summer.  One of the half-day sessions covers the archeology and cultural geography of Champlain and other French explorers, missionaries and traders in the province.  Read the “Midland Mirror” article on Simcoe.com.
 
Discovery Harbour in Penetanguishene launches a new Halloween programme, Pumpkinferno, for the month of October.  The haunting and spooky event takes place every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening this month, and is expected to increase visitation to the historic site during the usually slow shoulder season.  RTO7 is working with Discovery Harbour on this new initiative providing marketing support.  Read the Orillia Packet story by Andrew Philips online here.

The finalists for the 2015 Ontario Tourism Awards of Excellence were announced this week and we’re pleased to announce that some are from BruceGreySimcoe! 
 

 
Congratulations to all the nominees and best of luck…awards will be presented at the Ontario Tourism Awards Gala at the 2015 Ontario Tourism Summit, November 9 and 10.  Visit the website for the complete list of finalists.
 
Festival and event organizers can register now for the Festivals & Events Ontario (FEO) Conference being held on March 2-6, 2016 in Markham.  For more information, visit FEO’s website.  In addition, submissions are now open for the FEO Awards Program – deadline for award submissions is November 20, 2015.
 
The Department of Canadian Heritage may pay up to 50% of eligible expenses (up to a maximum of $5000) in the form of an interpretation and translation grant available to non-profits (such as DMOs).  Applications may be submitted anytime during the fiscal year (April 1 to March 31) and applicants are requested to submit their application approximately 12 weeks before the start of the project.  Program information, eligibility requirements and how to apply can be viewed in the Applicant’s Guide.
 
And OMAFRA is offering funding through its RED (Rural Economic Development) program.  The program provides cost-shared funding support for projects that strengthen rural Ontario and help boost tourism, attract investment and create jobs.  There are two streams for applications – a Business Development Stream and the Community Development Stream.  The application process is now open and applications may be submitted until January 15, 2016 and then according to the application schedule on the website.   
 
Early last week, Ontario passed the Great Lakes Protection Act to keep the Great Lakes clean, swimmable and fishable.  The Act strengthens the province’s ability to keep the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River Clean, as well as to protect and restore the waterways that flow into them.  This is good news for regions like BruceGreySimcoe as waterways are a significant part of our tourism product. Read the News Release from the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change.

Brechin and Beyond is one of the recipients of 140 70^th Anniversary Dutch-Canadian Friendship Gardens which are being distributed across Canada in celebration of the first 100,000 bulbs sent in 1945 as a thank you for the role of Canadian soldiers in liberating Holland and their hospitality to the Dutch royal family during World War II.  The garden will be planted at the Royal Canadian Legion in Brechin later this month, linked to symbolically and showcased during Ottawa’s 2016 Canadian Tulip Festival and featured on the 2016 edition of Canada’s Garden Route.  More information can be found in the Orillia Packet online article.