Tourism agency could disappear as county funding set to be cut

Tourism agency could disappear as county funding set to be cut

CORNWALL, Ontario – The days appear to be numbered for a local agency tasked with promoting tourism in Cornwall and area.

Officials with the United Counties of SD and G have informed their counterparts with the city that they are likely to pull out of an agreement to continue funding Cornwall and the Counties Tourism, beyond this year.

Counties CAO Tim Simpson said in an interview United Counties council is likely to make its decision official at a meeting next month.

On its surface it means Cornwall and the Counties Tourism, which has helped market this region as a destination for visitors since the 1990s, will be minus some $80,000 in funding from the rural government after this year.

But in all likelihood this will lead to the beginning of major changes on the tourism front in Cornwall and area, and marketing the region as a destination for visitors.

“Council has to decide how, or if, it wants to fund (tourism) in the future,” said Simpson, who is working on a report to that end for county councillors.

Cornwall CAO Norm Levac said city officials will now begin discussions on how to move forward – and all options are on the table. As an example, there’s been informal talk of bringing the tourism wing under the auspices of the city’s economic development department.

“We need to sit down and evaluate what will happen,” said Levac. “We need to explore all the options. Something will have to happen.”

City hall contributed $160,000 to the tourism agency this year (down from $180,000 the year before), in addition to the $80,000 supplied by the United Counties.

Simpson said the decision boils down, in large part, to ensuring it is getting effective bang for its municipal buck.

Counties officials had some concerns about the way the tourism agency governed itself, including what it felt were a low number of elected officials from both municipalities on its board. It has also expressed worry with the low number of SD and G businesses that participate in the tourism agency’s initiatives.

“Council is not satisfied with the current setup, in terms of what the value for money is,” said Simpson.

Last summer county council began voicing its concerns with continuing to fund the tourism agency.

Linda Wilson, executive director of Cornwall and the Counties Tourism, said it will be business as usual for the balance of the year, but beyond that she has few answers.

“We’re kind of at a standstill,” she said, adding the county decision is surprising given that it made requests of the tourism body to implement changes. “We’re going to continue our year, as planned.”

Share this article