chris_lee’s posterous

Huron County's Huron Tourism Association is preparing to celebrate Tourism Week in Canada and Huron County, launching the season of welcoming visitors and residents to explore the countryside and coastline communities, events and celebrations of Ontario's West Coast county.

Ontario Tourism Business Facts:

¨      Ontario tourism annual receipts were $22.1 Billion in 2007 representing 3.8% of the provincial GDP

¨      Tourism value-added equalled $11.3 billion

¨      Ontario tourism industry employs 3% of the total labour force

¨      Tourism contributes $6.4B in tax revenues: federal, provincial and municipal

¨      Tourism businesses represent 23% of all Ontario Small and Medium sized enterprises

¨      Tourism businesses are the #1 seasonal and student employer 

Potential Worth Exploring!  Huron County boasts more than 85 km of Lake Huron coastline and offers visitors charming countryside communities with treasured Victorian-era homes and commercial buildings along broad main streets.

Special events, sights and sounds, celebrations along with a warm Huron County welcome encourage our mutual guests to come back again and bring their family and friends.                                       

This is your special invitation to join our tourism industry and business associates from Huron County in celebrating Tourism Week in Canada and Huron County.  Learn more about the importance of tourism enterprise and activities for our region’s economic health.

JOIN US at The Blyth Festival Theatre on

Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 7:00 pm.

Our special guest speaker this evening will be Bill Allen, President, Tourism Industry Association of Ontario (TIAO). The Tourism Industry Association of Ontario is the umbrella organization for the 28 leading associations and destination marketing organizations serving Ontario’s diverse tourism industry. It collectively represents the thousands of businesses and employees that are dedicated to promoting and operating the Province’s tourism infrastructure.

TIAO provides a strong unified voice for the sector, advocating the importance of tourism and the interests of the business community to all levels of government in order help the industry grow and prosper. Tourism is a key contributor to the economy of Ontario.

TIAO encourages the development of a strong, financially sustainable tourism and hospitality industry that contributes to the provincial economy through jobs and investment.  This organization continues to work with the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership to ensure an effective program to market Ontario as a destination of choice. 

Thank you for joining us for this special celebration.  Please extend this invitation to your co-workers, colleagues, members of Council and municipal staff or anyone who may be interested in joining us.  We look forward to your attendance at this event. We ask that you please confirm your attendance by calling Marie McGuire at 519-524-8394 ext.3 or emailing Marie at :  mmcguire@huroncounty.ca.

RSVP before May 29 to assist in planning this special event.  Thanks!

Have a great week everyone.

Jane

Jane Muegge

Regional Information Co-ordinator

Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Rural Affairs,

Box 159, 100 Don Street,

Clinton, ON   N0M 1L0

519-482-5129 Phone

519-482-5031 Fax

jane.muegge@ontario.ca

The extension for all OMAFRA e-mail addresses has changed to firstname.lastname@ontario.ca  Please make any necessary changes to your Address Book.  Thank you.

Barn Dance Historical Society

P.O. Box 68 Wingham , ON N0G 2W0

www.thebarndance.ca or 519-530-8000

Canada’s Largest Travelling Barn Dance

February 2009

Dear Camping/Traditional Country Music Enthusiast:

The Barn Dance Historical Society & Entertainment Museum again takes pleasure in sponsoring the

12th Annual Campout Jamboree Weekend at the Blyth & District Community Centre and Campgrounds, Blyth, Ontario on May 21st, 22nd, 23rd and 24th, 2009.

We invite you to join us for our 12th Annual Campout/Jamboree Weekend. This all-inclusive packaged weekend includes admission to all events and a serviced campsite (hydro and water). We will again feature our Bluegrass show on Friday evening, the Barn Dance Stage Show/Dance on Saturday evening and the Gospel show at 10 AM on Sunday. New features this year are the Campers' Jam on Thursday evening and Friday afternoon. All donations from the Gospel show are forwarded to worthy community groups in the Blyth area. Last year we donated $1,900 to various groups in Blyth and area. All campsites are on a first come basis and no lot reservations.

Due to the economic climate, we are only increasing our rates by One Dollar ($1.00) per person to partially cover our increased costs of putting on this event for you. The proceeds from this event support the Barn Dance Historical Society and Entertainment Museum in North Huron, Wingham Ward.

All Barn Dance events will take place in the arena complex. This year, patrons are encouraged to do some jamming in the complex (upstairs) on Thursday evening and Friday afternoon. We invite you to participate in the Open Stage on Friday evening and on Saturday afternoon. Registration is required for both Friday and Saturday Open Stage. The main floor of the arena is used exclusively for rehearsing the Barn Dance Show from 4PM to 7PM on Saturday.

• Visit the Barn Dance Historical Society Museum in Wingham. Please consider a membership to help support our museum and to save on your registration fees and 10% on DVD and CD purchases.

• The Barn Dance Historical Society is partnering with the Blyth Lions Club to providing a BBQ and Breakfast. Tickets may be purchased separately or as a package deal with a separate cheque made payable to the “Blyth Lions Club”. Please include your cheque with your registration and we will forward it to the Blyth Lions. There is additional information elsewhere on the website..

• As an added feature, again this year the Blyth Festival Theatre is hosting the Ontario Open Country Singing Contest on the same weekend with events starting on Thursday evening. A brochure is enclosed. All Ontario Open Country Singing Contest events take place at the Blyth Festival Theatre. Separate admission fees and armbands are required for this event.

If you would like to pre register, please fill out the registration form and mail it to us with your payment.. We will reply with a letter acknowledging your payment. For your convenience, Volunteers will be on site Thursday Evening May 21st from 2PM to 9PM to provide you with your weekend package and Camping Validation Tags. The registration desk will open again at 9AM to 9PM on Friday May 22nd and 9AM Saturday, May 23rd. The campgrounds are reserved exclusively from Thursday to Sunday for the Barn Dance Event. For anyone not pre-registered by Friday, May 15, 2009, an on-site registration fee of Ten Dollars ($10) will be charged.

For further information, Contact: Mr. Bill Simmermaker, Jamboree Chair, for information and volunteering (519) 886-6216 (evenings) or e-mail simmermaker@rogers.com. For General Information telephone the direct line to the Barn Dance Historical Society at 519-530-8000.

See Campout Registration on the website for the registration forms for the Jamboree, the Blyth Lions BBQ and Breakfast.

The Tradition Continues at Blyth