May 28, 2021 – Meldrum Bay, ON – Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario – FedNor

Canada’s tourism sector is a major contributor to Canada’s economy. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sector had an annual economy of $ 102 billion, jobs 1.8 million, and accounted for over two percent of GDP. However, the sector has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. During these challenging times, the Government of Canada is stepping up efforts to ensure that tourism companies and organizations, as well as sector-dependent municipalities and indigenous communities, are resourced and ready to get back to business as our economies reopen.

In recognition of National Tourism Week, May 23-30, Terry Sheehan, MP for Sault Ste. Marie and Mélanie Joly, Parliamentary Secretary to the Honorable Minister for Economic Development and Languages, today announced a $ 473,000 investment by the Government of Canada to improve tourism in north-central Ontario.

This funding, provided by FedNor, will support three tourism initiatives in the Algoma and Manitoulin regions. The investment will help improve the tourist offer, build new infrastructure and support the long-term growth and sustainability of the tourism industry in the region.

  • Dawson Citizens Improvement Association: US $ 254,700 will be used to modernize and restore the boardwalk, wharf, and docks of the Meldrum Bay Marina. To attract American boaters and encourage longer stays, this strategic investment will also support the installation of three fully serviced docks that can accommodate larger vessels (over 40 feet).
  • City of Blind River: $ 155,000 to implement the next phase of the major waterfront and downtown revitalization project, and to maximize the tourism and economic potential of the waterfront development area, including building a new boardwalk and pavilion and marketing it to promote the location as inclusive and fully accessible.
  • Manitoulin Island Cycling Advocates: $ 64,200 to improve the cycling infrastructure on Manitoulin Island, create a network of 20 electric bicycles (e-bikes) to rent and build seven fast charging stations in strategic locations on Manitoulin Island with 14 bike lanes totaling over 850 kilometers.

Together, these projects are expected to create three new jobs and maintain five jobs in tourism.

Today’s announcement builds on the investments proposed by us 2021 budget A total of $ 1 billion over three years to support the tourism sector. This includes setting up a $ 500 million tourism aid fund administered by the regional development agencies to support investments by local tourism companies to help them recover from the pandemic and position themselves for future growth.