To The Haldimand Press
CAYUGA—The tourism sector is vital to the economy and jobs in Ontario’s southwest region. Ruthven Park National Historic Site offers visitor experiences through its cultural landscape and heritage-focused programming, publicly accessible trails, and special events. As a prominent destination within Haldimand County, Ruthven Park supports the local economy by attracting visitors throughout the province and country through educational experiences, nature trails, and a bird-banding program, along with a focus on heritage conservation, historic tours, and special events. Ruthven Park plans to move forward beyond the pandemic through adaption of educational programs and visitor offerings, forming innovative experiences, and creating a variety of special events.
In July 2022, Ruthven Park received a non-repayable contribution of $100,000 from Ontario’s Southwest Regional Tourism Organization (RTO1) to extend the life of the historic mansion through the installation of a dehumidification system to help resolve air infiltration issues and energy costs. This will make the facility safer, along with preserving interior spaces and collections for future generations.
“The completion of this project through the support of the Tourism Relief Fund will have a positive impact on our community by continuing our mission to promote historical conservation, interpretation, and education, and by providing safe and improved access to our facility,” said Brittany Van Dalen, Site Administrator, Ruthven Park National Historic Site. “By caring for the interior of the mansion and collections, we are ensuring that Ruthven can continue having a positive social and economic impact on the community through tours, programming, and as a tourist destination.”
This is part of the Government of Canada’s Tourism Relief Fund, delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). RTO1 received nearly $11 million from FedDev Ontario to to help local tourism organizations and businesses safely welcome back visitors, recover from the impacts of the pandemic, and prepare for future growth.
This investment will help Ruthven Park adapt and recover to attract new visitors and drive economic growth in Haldimand County.
“Our government is happy to invest $78 million through the Tourism Relief Fund to help communities across southern Ontario rejuvenate local tourist attractions. With this funding, southern Ontario’s Regional Tourism Organizations and Indigenous Tourism Ontario are providing hundreds of local businesses and organizations with the support they need to create jobs, attract more visitors, and grow local economies, now and into the future,” said Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
Joanne Wolnik, Executive Director, Ontario’s Southwest Regional Tourism Organization, added, “Tourism innovators from across the region have demonstrated the abundance of creativity and opportunity for continued tourism growth within Ontario’s Southwest. Through the Tourism Relief Fund, we’re seeing infrastructure improvements, new experience development, and destination management projects. These projects will extend more travel into the shoulder seasons, prioritize environmental sustainability and inclusivity, and are innovative and bold. We’re pleased to be working with FedDev Ontario to administer the Tourism Relief Fund in Ontario’s Southwest.”
