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Science North And Province Aim To Boost Local Tourism

Dryden, ON, Canada / CKDR
Mike Ebbeling
Dec 17, 2020 | 7:30 AM


Science North And Province Aim To Boost Local Tourism

Get ready for the ‘Great Northern Ontario Roadshow’ in 2021.

Science North is launching the event in a bid to breath new life into the tourism industry.

The tour will include market and expo style events allowing businesses, vendors, tourist attractions and tourism operators to connect with the public and promote their goods and services.

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford says the tour will hit 10 urban centres and 40 rural, remote and Indigenous communities.

Dryden, Kenora and Thunder Bay are among the communities that will host events.

Rickford says “Science North is going to work with northern businesses, communities and organizations to plan COVID-19 safe events and develop a province-wide marketing strategy to encourage all Ontarians to visit northern Ontario.”

Rickford says there’s another component to the initiative.

“The funding that we’ve announced today will be used to distribute 25,000 take home Science kits so kids and adults alike can bring a little bit of Science North home.”

The Ontario government is providing $1.4-million to support the initiative.

The tour is scheduled to start in mid-2021.

The announcement comes at the same time the province asks you to be a tourist in your own community.

The government is out with a new ‘Support Local’ campaign.

Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Minister Lisa MacLeod says local businesses and groups deserve our support.

“It is often the local businesses in our communities that step up and donate the much needed funds for your child’s soccer team, hockey team, to their cultural institutions. We need local as much as local needs us.”

MacLeod stresses “Supporting the tourism industry is going to your local restaurant for take-out, it is supporting that local unique business, it’s buying art from a local Ontario artist.”

The campaign is underway and includes a series of radio, TV and social media ads to run until the middle of January.