CORNWALL, Ontario – Cornwall Economic Development held their annual Year in Review showcase on Thursday morning, Dec. 17.
The mark that the COVID-19 pandemic has left on the city was reflected in the annual presentation that highlights local successes and developments.
The presentation itself, which usually takes place early in the morning at Galaxy Cinemas, was moved online and held over zoom, with dozens of participants tuning in to watch the review of 2020 as presented by Bob Peters, Cornwall’s Division Manager for Economic Development.
Successes that Peters featured in the 2020 Year in Review included Cornwall being selected for a provincial program designed to find employment for immigrants to Canada.
Peters reminded the viewers that prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, Cornwall hosted the Ontario Curling Championships, with the winning men’s team including Cornwall’s own Matt Camm.
The COVID-19 pandemic of course, dominated 2020 and it was no different for Cornwall, and Peters took the time to highlight the different organizations and events that stepped up to the challenge presented by this global health crisis.
This included the $2.2 million dollars in COVID-19 relief funds for businesses disbursed by the Cornwall & Counties Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC).
Annual charity events like the United Way Wine & Cheese had to adapt to rules around social distancing, but they still managed to raise over $30,000.
“This highlights the ingenuity of our non-profits and the need for us to support them throughout the year,” said Peters.
Tourism as a part of the Cornwall economy required ingenuity to continue to find ways to showcase the city during a pandemic.
One such development from Cornwall Economic Development was the Staycation guide, which highlighted all of the local gems that residents could partake in.
“It is a wonderful guide that came together very quickly with the help of our friends at Seaway News,” Peters said.
One thing that the 2020 Year in Review had in common with previous editions was that it was recorded by YourTV and will be broadcast in the near future on channell 11.
