Tom Pearson
In reference to the proposal by the Ministry of Tourism to create new tourism regions in Northern Ontario, I think it is absolutely ludicrous the Ontario government would not support making a 12th region called “Sunset Country.”
Although it would not surprise me that once again the Ontario government would not listen at all to the people of Northwestern Ontario.
Despite more than 35 years of marketing and name branding of our region of the province under the name Sunset Country, and the efforts promoting that brand by an organization called Ontario’s Sunset Country Travel Association, the ministry thinks it knows what will work better.
Without consideration for what is already being done, and the real results we have collectively achieved promoting the Sunset Country brand, we could see all that go by the wayside as a result of this decision.
We have seen many, I repeat many, tourism strategies come from the government of the day (do you remember NTMC?) Yet all seem to disappear after a couple of years. What endures, and what works, are the grassroots efforts of our regional travel association.
We know how to market our area and our businesses, and we want to do that under the name Sunset Country. We have done so for 35 years—and have done a better job than any Ministry of Tourism strategy.
We know who we are. We are not “North of Superior,” we are “Sunset Country”—strong and unique. We have our own distinct area of Ontario and it needs to be marketed as such.
If the province of Prince Edward Island can be marketed (and it is smaller than Rainy River District), then how could the Ontario government possibly think that a 1,500-km wide section of Northern Ontario running from Sault Ste. Marie to the Manitoba border could be marketed as effectively?
It can’t and it won’t.
All this shows once again is how out of touch Queen’s Park is with our area of the province. Our concerns in the northwest once again are falling on deaf ears. The Ministry of Tourism is making decisions in a vacuum. They obviously are unaware of, or do not care about, the success we have generated marketing our area as Sunset Country.
They can try and market us any way they want, but it will be unsuccessful without the support of the tourism operators in Sunset Country—and there are many of us.
Our name and reputation for fishing, hunting, and the outdoor travel experiences we offer have been built up using the Sunset Country brand. In our key tourism markets, Sunset Country is Ontario–at least in the tourists’ mind. It makes no sense to drop that all because the government says we should.
Obviously the so-called “consultations” that took place in developing the Sorbara report were a sham.
We are different and unique! We have a totally different tourism experience in Northwestern Ontario than any other area of Ontario and we need to market it as such.
The name of our region is, and always will be, Ontario’s Sunset Country!
Thanks,
Tom Pearson
Camp Narrows Lodge,
Rainy Lake, Ont.
