The provincial government has pledged over $690,000 to help the North Bay and area’s tourism and cultural sector.
Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism, and Culture made the announcement at Museum North Bay alongside Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli as part of her tour across the province to revitalize Ontario’s tourism sector.
“Our sectors were hit first, the hardest and will take the longest to recover,” MacLeod said at the announcement.
She adds that Ontario’s sport, tourism, and cultural industries generate over $75 billion for the province – larger than the GDP for the entire province of Manitoba.
MacLeod is hoping that the investment will help tourism in the coming years as it aims to recover from the pandemic.
“We’re trying to let people know that you should look in your own backyard to experience some local tourism attractions or cultural attractions,” she said. “Why I’m here today is not only to demonstrate that it’s safe to do that but also there’s viability for local institutions to not only succeed this year but also to make sure in 2021 they’re able to thrive.”
The money comes from the province’s $13-million funding partnership between Destination Ontario and Destination Canada with the aim to directly fund local municipalities and their tourism marketing strategies.
The allocation of the $690,731 includes:
- $22,066 for the Discovery North Bay Museum
- $106,611 for the North Bay Public Library
- $74, 300 for the Amelia Rising Sexual Assault Centre of Nipissing
- $282, 300 for the North Bay & District Multicultural Centre
- $65, 600 for the Brain Injury Association of North Bay and Area
- $36, 300 for the Mattawa Women’s Resource Centre
The government is also giving money to help out some local festivals, including:
- $3,536 for the Bay Block Party
- $18,500 for the Smoking Spurs Fest
- $3,750 for the Mattawa Voyageur Days
Vic Fedeli says that the funding will go a long way in helping the area’s tourism sector.
“We need to continue working together as our economy recovers, and these investments in essential local organizations will mean more support for the people of Nipissing throughout this journey.”
