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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday July 30, 2008 - 9 Town boosters want tourists to discover Oakville Continued from page 1 want to open it up for everyone to enjoy." Although the number of reporters covering Tourism Day was less than 10, turnout among councillors, members of the three Business Improvement Areas and local business people was high. Travelling in an Oakville Transit bus, the group spent the morning sightseeing. Following a tour of development in the north part of a town, the bus travelled through Bronte Village. Ann Sargent, executive director of the Bronte BIA, and Murray McDonald, volunteer chair of the Bronte BIA, served as guides for the area, discussing its history, development plans and health of local businesses. Sargent said that Oakville is a hidden gem that has the potential to become a major tourist attraction. "I think it is important to showcase all areas of Oakville, in that we are blessed with two harbours, a magnificent lakefront location and three diverse, vibrant areas we can welcome visitors to," Sargent said. The next stop on the tour was Kerr Village. The area is special due to its unique combination of restaurants, shops and organic farmers' market, making it a potential tourist mecca, according to Richard Messer, executive director of Kerr Village BIA. with the entourage dropped off at the Canadian Open. The Town invited the guests to mingle in the posh VIP tent, although the enjoyment was short-lived as the play was called off just before 1 p.m. for the majority of the afternoon due to inclement weather. A common idea expressed during the tour by several BIA members and local business people was the need for a full-time tourism staff members at Town Hall, as well as a public tourism office. Some people cited Burlington's busy visitor's centre located in a prime site downtown as something that could be used as a model for Oakville. "Oakville currently does not have an individual dedicated to the proLIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER motion of tourism and this is something that we feel strongly about," MORNING MUSIC: World-renowned flamenco guitarist and Oakville res- said Sargent. "We're part of the ident Johannes Linstead, as well as Eddie Paton performed for visiting travel Oakville Tourism Partnership and writers at the Lighthouse Restaurant, last Thursday morning. we all have been advocating for quite "As a BIA, we are trying to estab- for the businesses in downtown some time for a dedicated person on lish our own tourism brand through Oakville, so I think this event today staff with the Town of Oakville. Until our arts and culture, music and is one way to tell people to come to this is done, we feel that we're missentertainment, and restaurants," Oakville," said Suzy Godefroy, man- ing many opportunities." Tourism injects about $85 milsaid Messer. "Most of the people that ager of Downtown Oakville BIA. "I come to Oakville don't come off an think we need to tell people what we lion into the local economy annualairplane from London. We're trying are all about. We've got the product ly, according to John Sawyer, executo tell people who come to Ontario -- we've got culture, shopping, tive director of the Oakville Chamber to visit that they can come to our entertainment and great businesses. of Commerce. The spinoff created by community and have a great time." We just need to tell people more a strong tourism sector can translate A stop at Erchless Estate and a about it. Getting writers to put the into big business, he said. "Tourism is an important ecodrive through the downtown core word out like we are today is one way nomic driver and is also something followed. to do that." "Tourism is a significant industry The tour wrapped up at noon, that attracts people to want to come and live in Oakville," he said. "One of the main determining factors in where companies locate is where its CEO is at. If we have a vibrant tourism industry, we're going to bring people to town who will want to live here, and then they potentially will bring their company here." The tourism portfolio is currently the responsibility of the culture and recreation office. When asked if the Town is planning to put more emphasis on tourism, with the possibility of opening a visitor's tourism centre, Mary Chapin, Town councillor for Ward 3, said there are no such plans in the works. "I think it isn't a bad idea, but I'm not sure we need that, yet," she said. "We're more focused on (tourism) activities and the people who are promoting them." The travel journalists in attendance had mixed reactions about Oakville being a tourism destination. David Bell, a freelance travel writer from Kitchener, admitted this was his first visit to Oakville. He said making Oakville a hotspot would take a concerted effort from the Town. "I didn't really have a reason to come here until today," he said. "It certainly has potential to be a tourist destination. If you can identify half a dozen key attractions to visit, you could get groups of people coming here to visit if you marketed it that way." OAKVILLE'S ORIGINAL BOOTCAMP Tim Hortons Free Swim. 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