CORNWALL – Cornwall and the Counties Tourism kicked off presentations Tuesday to the Cornwall Community Agencies Review Committee.
The tourism agency is asking for $181,144 – the same amount as last year.
The city budget outline shows the tourism agency spent $150,000.
Executive Director Linda Wilson and Social Media Manager Chris Emond told the committee their budget is not including the Destination Marketing Partnership, a loss of roughly $50,000 in their budget.
The DMP was cancelled and Wilson doesn’t expect it to return any time soon.
The tourism office on Brookdale Avenue has three full-time employees and is supplemented with summer students.
With Quebec a major driver of tourism, Wilson told the committee she’s hopeful the low Canadian dollar and the new north channel bridge will bring in more Americans this summer.
“We have had an increase in visiting but not the numbers that we want,” Wilson said.
SD&G Historical Society
Members of the historical society said there are plans to add a veranda to the Woodhouse Museum to restore it to its historical appearance.
Bill Beattie said the society relies on the grant from the city – in this case $114,108 or a two per cent increase from 2015 – in order to get matching funds through grant applications.
“We can’t continue to subsidize the city, we don’t have the money,” Curator Ian Bowering said.
The Art Gallery (TAG)
Wyatt Walsh and Jamie Gilcig of TAG Cornwall said the art gallery is “at a crossroads” and without the $85,000 requested, the gallery will close.
“I can keep the doors open. I can’t do the job properly without the funding,” said Walsh.
TAG Cornwall had its funding cut and last year received $13,500.
Walsh suggested they want to move ahead with contract workers rather than a long-term employee.
“The art gallery is like a blank slate” and ready to develop, suggested Walsh. He also told the committee that there is an option to buy the building.
Walsh and Gilcig said they are going to be approaching the United Counties for funding as well.
Gilcig told the committee TAG Cornwall currently has 87 active members.
Chairman chosen
Before the presentations, the committee elected Coun. Denis Carr as chairman.
The committee is made up of members David Murphy, Carilyne Hebert, Denis Carr, Andre Rivette and Maurice Dupelle.
Presentations continue this evening (Tuesday) until roughly 7:15 p.m.