May 5, 2008

News

Ontario is helping the Town of Huntsville, the Township of Lake of Bays and the surrounding region develop a marketing strategy to increase tourism and business year-round.

The province is investing $330,000 to help the area find ways to expand the seasonal tourism industry and stimulate economic growth in the off-season. The project will also look at how the area can host new sports and cultural events in the future. There are also plans to create new jobs and provide local youth with work and volunteer opportunities.

The funding is part of the Rural Economic Development Program which invests in community-based projects in three priority areas:
" Improved access to health care services
" Revitalized communities and downtowns
" Enhanced skills training.

Quotes

"I would like to congratulate the Town of Huntsville and the Township of Lake of Bays on receiving this funding. Supporting communities that want to do more for their citizens helps the McGuinty government build a strong rural Ontario," said Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Minister Leona Dombrowsky.

"The Town of Huntsville welcomes the province as a partner in Marketing Our Communities," said Claude Doughty, Mayor for the Town of Huntsville. "This exciting new program brings together all regional partners to focus on promoting Huntsville and Lake of Bays as a destination for sport events and tourism."

"We are pleased that partnerships like this one between the Town of Huntsville, the Township of Lake of Bays, and the provincial government, can provide our communities with a chance for revitalization and growth," said Janet Peake, Mayor for the Township of Lake of Bays.

Quick Facts

" Since 2003, Ontario has invested $50 million in 158 projects through the Rural Economic Development Program.

Learn More

Read more about the Rural Economic Development Program.

Discover what Huntsville has to offer!