Junior Council Hosts Tourism Related Roundtable

The Hemmingford Junior Council for Community Development organized and hosted a collaborative Tourism Roundtable event with the goal of determining the future orientation of Hemmingford’s tourism industry. The event was held on February 25th at the Hemmingford Golf Club and was attended by local tourism enterprises, other organizations interested in developing greater collaborative tourism, and our municipal and provincial governments.

The participants present believe deeply in the richness of the region and the current and future potential of local tourism. Paul Viau, Mayor, said, “It is 2017 and time that we work together to improve our tourism industry.” The guiding question of the day was: What actions can be taken to attract a greater number of visitors to the Hemingford tourism enterprises, and how can these actions be implemented?

During a plenary session, Maxime St-Denis, Consultant from the CAI Global Group who was responsible for producing Hemmingford’s industrial park development strategy, gave a brief, but very meaningful presentation on the community and the economic benefits of having strong local tourism.

Immediately following the plenary, the participants broke out into 4 roundtable groups which simultaneously exchanged thoughts and ideas on questions moderated by Junior Council Members and recorded by individuals involved in local government or with relevant experience. The same questions were asked at each table, and the participants discussed at length who we are, and how we should brand ourselves.

The primary objective of this event was for the Junior Council to create an environment for our local tourism community to meet, exchange ideas, share knowledge, and determine if there is an interest to formulate a collaborative local tourism committee to support all stakeholders. A second gathering is planned for early April to review the common findings of the 4 roundtable groups, and to discuss short, medium and long term goals for the enhancement and growth of Hemmingford’s tourism industry.

A special thank you goes out to the Maude St-Hilaire, CLD des Jardins-de-Napierville, Sylvie Dubuc, Hemmingford Municipal Office, Paula Arbarcia of the Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Quebec, and Patsy Belisle & Candice Silverman, for their time, support and assistance before and during the event.

Members of the Junior Council include: Pierre Beattie Dagenais, Trenton Blaise, Trevor Blaise, Sean Enderle, Sophie Patnaude, Justin Petch, Marc Emile Séguin, and Devon Watt, along with Project Leaders Gregg Edwards and Jayne McNaughton.

For more information on the Junior Council for Community Development, please visit: www.hemmingford.ca/canton/ administration/conseil-et-administration/conseil-junior/ And facebook: Conseils junior Hemmingford pour le développement communautaire