A consortium that includes communities from Valemount to Sun Peaks is eligible for $23,000 to grow and promote tourism, while Blue River is eligible for $9,200.
“It’s from the province’s Community Tourism Opportunities (CTO) program,” explained Heather Steere, marketing manager for Tourism Wells Gray.
Clearwater and area’s share of the $23,000 will be $6,900 and will be used to do such things as develop a winter promotion piece and an experiences promotion piece, she said.
Steere noted that a large volume of people come to Clearwater to use the Sportsplex each winter.
“We’ve got a captive audience there,” she said. “We can use the piece to promote winter activities and also to bring them back in summer.”
The provincial program requires matching dollars and so the total cost will be about $15,000.
“It’s a good program. It gets us working together,” Steere said.
The marketing manager noted that last year the CTO funding was used to fund a Wells Gray booklet as well as a feasibility study on a proposal to apply for UNESCO World Heritage status for Wells Gray Park and its volcanic features.
The study, which was also funded in part by District of Clearwater, is extremely in depth and lays the best way of moving forward to achieve World Heritage status as well as the new GeoPark status, she said.
It will go to the Tourism Wells Gray board later this month for approval.
The $9,300 allocated to Blue River will be used for a number of projects, according to Sherri Madden, Thompson-Headwaters (Area B) services coordinator.
“Actually it’s for all of Area B, not just Blue River,” she clarified.
The projects could include attending a RV trade show in Edmonton next February that they haven’t been to before, redeveloping the area’s website, developing a high resolution photo bank, and a branding exercise for the area.
“We didn’t receive all the funding we applied for so we’ll have to prioritize,” said Madden.
Last year the CTO funding for Thompson-Headwaters (Blue River-Avola) was used to create four pop-up banners for use at trade shows, four season specific rack cards (two summer and two winter), for a radio ad campaign and to attend the Ride Alberta Snow and ATV Show.
According to the provincial Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Innovation, $1 million is being shared among 300 projects in 180 communities through the CTO program, which is in its third year of operation. Applications to the program increased 13 per cent this year.
“Visitors and British Columbians alike know that some of B.C.’s best attractions are a little off the beaten track. The idea behind this program is to make them no longer B.C.’s best-kept secrets,” commented Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Terry Lake.
The provincial government provides matching monies upon the completion of eligible projects. Individual communities can receive up to $9,200 from the province. In instances where clusters of communities have collaborated on a proposal, the maximum available funding is $23,000.
