The Township of Uxbridge Business Improvement Area (BIA) has received $100,000 grant from Central Counties Tourism through FedDev Ontario to boost economic viability of the downtown by provide a welcoming experience for visitors.
Some of the investments included rejuvenating the Brock Street Parkette, providing weekend access to public washrooms and the ‘Hop-on/Hop-off’ trolley experience during the summer months. It will also help to once again provide the Santa Hut to the residents of Uxbridge, said a township statement.
This investment helps the township to revitalize the downtown and supports economic recovery through tourism as the community adapts and recovers from Covid to attract new visitors and drive economic growth.
Uxbridge claims to have a vibrant tourism sector which is vital to the economy and jobs locally and throughout the Region of Durham. Known as the ‘Trail Capital of Canada’, the township said it is ready to welcome back cyclists, trail visitors and day-trippers from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) for our shopping, dining, nature, and small-town experiences.
The BIA is grateful to receive a non-repayable contribution of $100,000 from Central Counties Tourism to build a stronger and more competitive tourism industry. This is part of the Government of Canada’s Tourism Relief Fund, delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). Central Counties Tourism received $8.65 million from FedDev Ontario to help 118 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 businesses in the local BIA and area adapt and recover to attract new visitors and drive economic growth in York, Durham, and Headwaters regions.
“This investment was a win-win-win for the Township of Uxbridge. The program enables our BIA to develop programming that supports local merchants and businesses, it has supported our Downtown Revitalization efforts by making our downtown more people friendly, and it has enabled us to expand the services and amenities we offer to visitors to our community. We are excited to build on the momentum created through this program to sustain our local economy, and grow our reputation as a tourist destination,” said Mayor Dave Barton.
Quick Facts
- The Uxbridge BIA provides supportive economic growth strategies for its membership of 250 unique shops and services through streetscaping, marketing campaigns and improving community ambiance.
- Central Counties Tourism (CCT) was established as a regional tourism organization in 2010 under a framework developed by the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. Its mandate is to identify sustainable best product and practices that will build a stronger and more competitive tourism industry within the York, Durham, and Headwaters regions. CCT is funded by the Ontario Government and managed as a not-for-profit organization by a voluntary tourism industry board. CCT’s mission is to increase tourism in the region by promoting and developing unique and competitive tourism products that attract high yield visitors from outside the Central Counties region.
- The Government of Canada’s $500-million Tourism Relief Fund is helping tourism-oriented businesses and organizations recover from the pandemic and prepare for future growth. FedDev Ontario is delivering nearly $120 million of the Tourism Relief Fund across southern Ontario.
- The Government of Canada’s $8.65 million investment in Central Counties is part of an over $78-million investment, which includes an almost $10-million top-up to the original $68.5-million contribution.