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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, October 4, 2013 | 16 Your Halton Connection October 2013 www.halton.ca Discover Halton ­ a true four season community! by Regional Chair Gary Carr Check our Festival & Events listings at www.halton.ca/tourism Fall Sunday, October 6, 2013: Harvest Halton: A Farm to Chef Experience at Country Heritage Park, Milton October 18-19 and 25-26, 2013: Camper Halloween, Bronte Provincial Park, Oakville November 16, 2013: Acton Santa Claus Parade, 1 p.m., downtown Acton; Georgetown Santa Claus Parade, 5 p.m., Guelph Street, Georgetown Tourism is a key contributor to the economy, not only on a national level but also right here in Halton. Tourism also means business in our community, since jobs and businesses in our region are directly supported by the industry. That's why promoting tourism is one of the Citizens'Priorities in Halton Region's 2011-2014 Action Plan. This past summer, there was plenty on offer. Visitors and residents had the chance to eat well at ribfests, take in new acts at music festivals, play golf and enjoy swimming and picnicking in Halton's many parks and conservation areas, to name just a few activities. Additionally, on August 1, I joined Halton Hills Mayor Rick Bonnette and crowds of shoppers in helping celebrate the opening of Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills, a new retail complex that is attracting visitors to Halton from across Ontario. On September 8, I served as the official starter at PwC Epic Tour Halton, a GranFondo-style mass participation cycling event that showcased Halton's spectacular cycling terrain. More than 2,500 cyclists participated in the 140K, 80K, 50K, and Family 10K rides which started in Kelso Quarry Park. The ride was held in conjunction with the Halton Region Museum's Alexander Family Farm Day. A portion of the proceeds from the ride was donated to Halton Healthcare / Milton District Hospital Foundation. As the summer winds down and autumn begins, there are plenty of opportunities for entertainment, recreation, education, relaxation and fun. Halton is a true four season community. From farmers'markets and heritage attractions, fall fairs, unique dining and shopping, performing arts, to biking, hiking, horseback riding and countless other activities, there is truly something for everyone to enjoy. According to a Travel Intentions Study published this year, Ontario culinary experiences and easy access to unique environments/landscapes offer growth potential in the tourism market. This fall, we are taking advantage of Halton's spectacular natural environment, our agricultural roots and top notch culinary talent to host a food tasting event, Harvest Halton: The Farm to Chef Experience at Country Heritage Park in Milton. This upscale food tasting experience will showcase dishes created by prominent local chefs matched with local farmers who will provide fresh local ingredients. In addition to sampling unique food creations, attendees will have an opportunity to take in 30 unique historical buildings, 20,000 artifacts, and enjoy the striking Niagara Escarpment. There will be live entertainment and an opportunity to visit booths featuring local artisans. Tents have been ordered in the event of inclement weather. Proceeds for this event will go to Halton Food for Thought. The day will also serve as the launch of Halton's Pumpkin Trail, a self-guided tour celebrating the harvest and all things pumpkin. Learn more and purchase tickets at www.halton.ca/harvest. You can also find Halton Tourism at www.halton.ca/ tourism, on Facebook or join the conversation on Twitter @ HaltonTourism or on Pinterest at pinterest.com/haltontourism. This fall I invite you to discover Halton, a very special place to live, work and play! As always, if you have any Regional concerns or comments you would like to share, please feel free to email me at gary.carr@halton.ca. You can also find me on Twitter @garycarrhalton, LinkedIn or Facebook. Winter January 1, 2014: Polar Bear Dip, Oakville January 18 to April 13, 2014: Savage Gardens/ Nature's Ninjas, Royal Botanical Gardnes, RBG Centre, Burlington Spring Sunday March 2, 2014: Chilly Half Marathon and Frosty 5k, Burlington This summer Halton Tourism invited residents and visitors to share their favourite local summer activities in our "Summer Wonderful" photo contest. We received plenty of fantastic photos of Halton, including the winning photo below submitted by Guo Liu. To view the other photos find our Summer Wonderful photo contest album on Facebook (www.Facebook.com/HaltonTourism). Meetings at Halton Region www.halton.ca/meetings Oct. 2, 9:30 a.m. Oct. 14 Oct. 15, 9:30 a.m. Oct. 16, 9:30 a.m. Oct. 23, 9:30 a.m. Regional Council Offices closed for Thanksgiving Health & Social Services Committee Planning & Public Works Committee Regional Council Please contact us as soon as possible, if you have any accessibility needs at Halton Region events or meetings. We welcome your feedback. Contact us at AccessHalton@halton.ca. This page has been donated by this newspaper to communicate important information to Halton residents at no cost to taxpayers.