Province gets an ear full on Tourist Info. closures

By Ken Johnston
Editor

As of yesterday the Rainy River Travel Information Centre was closed for good.
In the recent Ontario Budget it was announced that Rainy River’s seasonal TIC and Kenora and Fort Frances TICs would be closed to save money.
However, last week regional municipal politicians met at the annual Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association conference in Kenora. Rainy River Mayor Debbie Ewald was at that meeting.
While she said there is no solution in the short term, provincial politicians received an ear full. “We (Rainy River, Kenora and Fort Frances) met with the Regional Tourism Association for the first time.” Ewald said that the RTA was newly created by the Ontario government. “We were upset that this was done with no prior warning or consultation.”
Ewald said that they also spoke to Cabinet Minister Michael Gravelle, Minister of Natural Resources, who is also an MPP for a Thunder Bay riding. “To date no one has heard from Michael Chan (Minister of Tourism). Gravelle said he would take our concerns directly to Minister Chan.”
“This was ridiculous to do this with notice or consultation. We might have been able to find a solution and keep the doors open,” said Ewald Monday.
She suggested that had they known earlier in the year the Town of Rainy River may have been able to operate the facility with students. “But the deadline to apply for student wage grants is past. It is too late now.”
The consensus at NOMA was that the province should open the facilities in the short term, to give communities time to work on a solution. “It makes no sense to keep Pigeon River open and have nothing west of Thunder Bay to greet tourists.”