EDAC requests meeting on travel centre

Town council will receive a resolution this evening from the local Economic Development Advisory Committee to request a meeting with the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corp. (OTMPC).
EDAC chairman Bill Gushulak explained the purpose of the meeting would be to discuss the logistical issues with the proposed redevelopment of the Ontario Travel Information Centre at its current location at the corner of Central Avenue and Church Street.
“The province wants to leave it where it is. They want to make that spot work,” Gushulak said. “Basically, the conversation is just starting with it, and we would like to discuss the variety of issues that come into play [at that location].
“Ideally, it would be nice to have it relocated—I don’t think they’re wanting to do that. But we feel as long as they’re willing to start talking about it, we would like to have them sit down and talk with the town to see if we can come up with some sort of a better solution that what is happening right now,” added Gushulak.
“Right now, people are bypassing [the travel information centre] completely; they’re not getting to it, they’re not seeing it.”
In correspondence with the town, the OTMPC has indicated the proposed concept:
•develops a true gateway to Fort Frances and Northern Ontario;
•creates a welcoming environment for travellers crossing the border into Canada from the U.S. and domestic travel to Fort Frances; and
•increases partnership development and creates opportunities with the private and public sector to develop a service plaza to stimulate the economy.
“While we are still in preliminary discussions, we would be prepared to work with you to develop a possible schematic drawing that could be used to present to potential developers, businesses, and/or council to provide a better understanding of the potential this site could offer,” Ontario Travel Information Centres director Suzanne Rubinstein said in a letter to the town.
“We strongly believe that remaining on site and making the modifications that we described is the most feasible of many options that we have explored.
“The key will be the ability to bring the partners on board from the perspective properties which border the Centre [e.g., AbitibiBowater Inc., Mr. Tom Reid, etc.] to enable the property to be re-developed and access to the site granted,” she added.
Tonight’s council meeting is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. It will be preceded by the committee of the whole at 5:30 (there are no in-camera items).
Other business at tonight’s meeting will include:
•a break-open ticket licence application from the Riverside Foundation for Health Care at La Verendrye Hospital from Jan. 14-June 13, 2008;
•a letter from Rainy River Standard Condominium Corp. No. 1 regarding water billing issues;
•a bylaw to authorize the revised Community Services student wage schedule;
•a bylaw to approve an agreement with DataFix for vote-by-mail services for purposes of the 2008 municipal byelection; and
•a bylaw to approve an agreement with AbitibiBowater Inc. regarding economic development financial incentives.