Midhurst/July 4, 2023 – 2023 marks the 10th anniversary of Experience Simcoe County’s Cycle Simcoe initiative, which focuses on building up cycling infrastructure and promoting Simcoe County as a premier cycling tourism destination in Canada.
To commemorate this milestone, Cycle Simcoe has overseen the development and installation of 17 trail hubs; one in each of the County’s 16 member municipalities and an additional unit at the Simcoe County Museum. In partnership with the Orillia and District Arts Council (ODAC), each trail hub, which includes a bench, bike rack and repair station, has also been hand-painted by local artists with unique designs.
The County of Simcoe received a non-repayable contribution of $100,000 from Regional Tourism Organization 7 (RTO7) to purchase the bike racks, repair stations and benches for these important county trail hubs. This funding was part of the Government of Canada’s Tourism Relief Fund, delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario). RTO7 received over $7.6 million from FedDev Ontario to help local tourism organizations and businesses safely welcome back visitors, recover from the impacts of the pandemic and prepare for future growth.
The locations of the 17 hubs can be found by visiting www.cyclesimcoe.ca.
QUOTES
“Simcoe County is fortunate to be home to some of the best cycling and mountain biking you can find in Ontario. Through Cycle Simcoe, which is powered by Experience Simcoe County, we are proud to continue to build up programs and initiatives that foster cycling tourism and provide our residents with world-class trail networks. Thank you to the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario for sharing this vision and investing in our region. » ~ Basil Clarke, Warden, County of Simcoe
“Congratulations to Experience Simcoe County on the 10th anniversary of its Cycle Simcoe initiative! Our government knows that tourism is the lifeblood of many communities across southern Ontario. That is why we are happy to support this project and encourage people from across Ontario to visit and experience these fantastic outdoor cycling trails. » ~ The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.
About Experience Simcoe County
Experience Simcoe County promotes Simcoe County as a four-season destination of choice by developing products and experiences and executing comprehensive marketing campaigns across a variety of multimedia platforms. Experience Simcoe County provides tourism leadership throughout Simcoe County by developing the local tourism industry and forging and strengthening community partnerships, and is committed to supporting the sustainable growth of the region’s tourism assets, including, but not limited to, Agritourism, Arts, Culture and Heritage Tourism, Indigenous Tourism and Outdoor Recreation.
About County of Simcoe
County of Simcoe is composed of sixteen member municipalities and provides crucial public services to County residents in addition to providing paramedic and social services to the separated cities of Barrie and Orillia. Visit our website at simcoe.ca.
About Regional Tourism Organization 7
Regional Tourism Organization 7 (RTO7) provides strategic and collaborative leadership to build, sustain and grow tourism in BruceGreySimcoe (see map). We are one of 11 RTOs – independent, not-for-profit corporations to which the Ontario government provides annual funding to lead tourism planning, marketing and development in their respective regions. Learn more about support for the tourism Industry in Region 7
(BruceGreySimcoe) offered by RTO7 on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.
About FedDev Ontario
For 13 years, the Government of Canada, through FedDev Ontario, has worked to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation, growth and job creation in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving productivity, growing revenues, creating jobs, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region. Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects, our Southern Ontario Spotlight, and FedDev Ontario’s Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
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CONTACTS:
Jennifer Straw
Senior Public Relations Consultant
County of Simcoe, Service Simcoe Department
705-790-5979 (mobile)
Jennifer.Straw@simcoe.ca
Edward Hutchinson
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario
edward.hutchinson@feddevontario.gc.ca
Collin Matanowitsch
Public Relations Manager
County of Simcoe, Service Simcoe Department
705-734-8386 (mobile)
Collin.Matanowitsch@simcoe.ca
