Supporting Northern Ontario…

Supporting Northern Ontario's Tourism Industry

1. Road - We appreciate the study recognizes the need for continuous improvement in our road networks and the need for adequate rest areas. Tourism Northern Ontario would like to stress that safe, maintained and modern rest facilities along our Northern highways are imperative to the further development of tourism opportunities and greater economic development. In most cases this does not require capital expenditures as many potential rest areas were constructed as visitor information centres. However most of these centres are seasonal and close in the fall. Identifying a mechanism to keep these centres open, maintained and lots ploughed in the winter is strongly recommended by all of our tourism partners. This does not mean the centres have to be staffed yearound. Their are new opportunities for tourism information digital kiosks per the enRoute centres along the 400 series hwys. Again this is a basic requirement.

We appreciate wayfinding also being mentioned. Tourism Northern Ontario has developed a Northern Ontario Tourism Wayfinding Strategy which we are in various stages of implementation. We suggest there be an opportunity to align MTO and TNO's wayfinding systems to avoid duplication. TNO's strategy works with print, digital, signage and verbal wayfinding pillars.

2. Rail - More work needs to be done in terms of rail travel within Northern Ontario. Long distance rail services are best suited as the "tourism" experience with shorter distance rail supporting tourism experiences. For example, The Canadian, a long distance passenger train is a tourism experience and one that can be profitable. Regional or shorter distance rail services support lodges, cycling routes, paddling routes, etc. The strategy needs to look at where rail service is or could play a component in tourism development. For example, Sault-Sudbury-North Bay, Sudbury-White River-Thunder Bay, Sault-Hearst, Cochrane-Moosonee. It is noted that substantial investment is made in Southern Ontario with regards to rail infrastructure and service. Northern Ontario with greater distances but less population none-the-less similarly requires these services.

3. Air - Northern Ontario is very well connected by air with Toronto and to a lesser extent Winnipeg (from Thunder Bay) however connections within the North are either not available, too expensive or served by inadequate equipment. norOntario used to keep not only larger centres connected with larger aircraft but also smaller communities with twin otter service and all at an affordable cost. The subsidy to keep our northern communities connected by air was $5million at the time of discontinuance. Again tourism and economic development in the North depend on viable connectivity by air.

4. Water - The Great Lakes were recently identified as one of the top 3 new cruise destination. Maritime regulations need to be improved to provide for bi-national cruising as well as facilities for visiting cruise ships.

Overall there needs to be better collaboration and alignment with all transportation modes in the North. It's not one or the other but how all modes work together as the basis of a vibrant tourism sector. in 2012 tourism was responsible for close to $500million in tax revenues to all levels of government based on $1.5billion in tourism receipts. Meeting transportation needs could easily grow these numbers.

Thank you for the opportunity to respond to the draft document.

[Original Comment ID: 196488]