Glaring slap

With word that Rainy Lake was all but ice-free as of last night, and the Victoria Day long weekend coming up, district residents can rejoice that the summer season finally is upon us after a long winter and slow start to spring.
While locals no doubt are eagerly looking forward to opening up their cabins again or taking that first camping trip, as well as heading out on the open water to their favourite fishing holes, this week also marks the start of the annual wave of tourists coming to enjoy all that our beautiful region has to offer.
Despite the high-flying loonie still hovering around parity with the U.S. greenback, and gasoline prices staying stubbornly high, local tourist outfitters are predicting a good season in 2013—and that’s great news for Northwestern Ontario.
Tourism remains a key economic driver for our area, both in terms of money trickling down to other businesses and offering job opportunities. It is an industry we all can—and must—help fuel by welcoming our guests with courteous smiles and a helpful attitude.
That’s particularly important given, through no fault of the town, our tourism information centre will sit shuttered for a second-straight season. The provincial government obviously fails to grasp its role—and importance—in providing face-to-face interaction with visitors, not to mention convenient access to washroom facilities.
To its credit, the town once again will do its part to try and fill the void. But having a “Closed” sign on our official welcome mat is no way to greet tourists.
It sends the wrong message to our visitors, and continues to be a glaring slap-in-the-face for Sunset Country.