Township to host Explore the Bruce mini-pathway tour in Ripley

Huron-Kinloss will be hosting an Explore the Bruce Adventure Passport mini-pathway tour in Ripley this summer.

In a report to Huron-Kinloss council, Jan. 8, community development officer Michelle Goetz stated that the Adventure Passport features stops located throughout Bruce County, similar to the Huron-Kinloss Ice Cream Trail. The mini-pathway is a small tour in one town or village that features five to six stops in the community.

"The county approached the township to host the mini-tour in Ripley in 2018," stated Goetz, in her report, "with staff assisting the county in determining appropriate stops for the mini-pathway tour."

BECOMING BIKE-FRIENDLY

A focus on cycling and trails will be a priority for 2018 as the province continues to support cycling initiatives. The township is working with local businesses to receive a bike-friendly certification from Ontario By Bike™. The benefits of this certification include, but are not limited to:
 

• Promote your business to a high-value and growing tourism market in your area, bringing cyclists to your business to spend money
• Customized business listings on the Ontario By Bike™ website
• Category business icon placed on the Ontario By Bike™ on-line map, helping cyclists find your business when planning their cycling holidays
• Access to the Ontario By Bike™ digital logo and window decals, allowing you to highlight your participation in the network to cyclists
• Regional profiles on the Ontario By Bike™ website under - "Great Places To Cycle," offering consumers access to regional cycling information, links to downloadable maps and additional visitor resources
• Ontario destinations and businesses featured in consumers e-newsletters, sent to more than 4,900 cyclists (sent seven times per year)

The Township will support becoming cycle-friendly using some of the grant funds for bike racks and kiosks through the Ontario Municipal Commuter Cycling Program.

POINT CLARK LIGHTHOUSE

The Point Clark Lighthouse received a steady number of visitors in 2017 despite the increase in tour rates and the confusion regarding the Discovery Pass. The total number of visitors was 3,383, a 25-per-cent decrease from 2016; however, the tour revenue was up by 20 per cent due to the increase in tour rates.

The tour rates will remain the same in 2018: adults, $7.50; children (ages five to 12), $5; preschool (ages four and under), free.

The township was successful in receiving a $1,500 sponsorship from Bruce Power for the 2018 children's program (for ages five to 12) which takes place Fridays, from 2-4 p.m., during the summer season. Thanks to the sponsorship, this program will be free of charge.

LUCKNOW'S MUSIC IN THE FIELDS

Lucknow's Music in the Fields was a success in 2017 even with a decrease in ticket sales. Last year, was the first time the festival grounds and camping all took place on the new site, Graceland. The Lucknow and District Kinsmen worked very hard to move the festival to their property on the east side of Lucknow and their work paid off. Many attendees were impressed with the new location and the ease of access to all festival areas.

The event continues to have a large positive effect on the local economy. In 2017, the 5,400 concert-goers spent approximately $420,000 while attending the festival. This year marks the 10th anniversary of Music in the Fields. The township will continue to support the Kinsmen by holding the secretary position on the executive and assisting with grant applications.

NEW CORPORATE AND TOURISM WEBSITES

The township's new corporate and tourism websites are now complete. The corporate website underwent a massive change in terms of design and navigation, and staff is pleased with the results.

"We think residents and visitors will have a much easier time accessing information," said Goetz. "The website domain name remains the same, www.huronkinloss.com. Over the next few weeks, we will continue to update content, documents, events and programs to ensure everything is up-to-date."

The new tourism website is now complete and can be found at www.visithuronkinloss.ca.