Tourism TalksSpring/Summer 2010Brantford Destination Development and Marketing News

My-Thai Relocates

My-Thai owners Dennis Forster and Vanh Kalong re-opened their doors at 393 St. Paul Avenue in Brantford after relocating from their downtown Colborne Street location in January. They conducted extensive renovations to turn the current location into a fully-functioning restaurant, equipped with dining space for 98 and parking for 25 vehicles. After putting approximately $200,000 in renovations to the new space, Forster was very positive about the move. “It’s great exposure for us, with around 10,000 vehicles passing by our doors each day,” he said. Customers can now enjoy some new menu items, such as gluten-free and vegetarian options, and they hope to construct a patio by summer 2010.

If you haven’t stopped in to see their new location, now is the time to do so!

New Tourism Regions!Ontario is paving the way for a stronger, more competitive tourism industry by supporting the formation of 13 new tourism regions that will be governed by Regional Tourism Organizations (RTOs).

RTOs wil l be independent, industr y-led, not-for-profit organizations responsible for building and nur turing competitive and sustainable tourism regions that will attract more visitors, generate greater economic activity and create more tourism jobs. RTOs will be responsible for working with tourism partners in growing tourism products, capacity building and strategic marketing activities. This regional approach builds on extensive consultations with stakeholders and key recommendations from Discovering Ontario, a report on the competitiveness of Ontario’s tourism industry. With the advent of the Ontario Tax Reform and HST, the province will help the industry transition to the new tourism regions by providing $25 million in each of the next two years to communities who, in 2009, had the collection of destination marketing funds in place. This funding is in addition to the $40 million in ongoing annual funding announced in the 2009 Ontario Budget for the new regional structure. Brantford is located in Region 3, comprised of the Count y of Brant, Hamil ton and the Region of Hal ton (Burlington, Halton Hills, Milton and Oakville).

For more information on the new RTOs, visit tourism.gov.on.ca.

Find Your Spirit!

In celebration of Ontario’s Celebrate the Artist Weekend, downtown Brantford will explode with colour, music, and drama on June 4-5, 2010.

Join us for the third annual Find Your Spirit Festival brought to you by the Brantford Arts Block and the City of Brantford. The event will kick off with a night of interactive contemporary art on June 4 followed by a day full of family activities on June 5. Events include live music and drama performances, Arts Alley arts and artisan exhibitors, film, and interactive arts programming.

This festival of free activities in downtown Brantford connects the public with artists in their community, marking the beginning of what many hope to be a life-long engagement with the arts.

Whatever your age or your artistic ability, come out and do some painting, create a sculpture, try your hand at improv or hang out and listen to some great music. Find your creative spirit and have some fun!

Visit www.brantfordartsblock.ca for more information.

Time for a Facelift Renovations to the exterior of the John Peel Restaurant at 48 Dalhousie Street began last August and culminated just before Christmas, thanks to the City of Brantford’s Façade Grant Program for businesses in downtown Brantford. This program is availble for projects that contribute to the beautification and maintenance of commercial and office buildings, and is coordinated with the Downtown Brantford Business Improvement area and its “Golden Broom Award.” The grant has a maximum value of $7,500 and also offers applicants access to an additional $2,000 for a design grant that helps offset up to 50 per cent of professional design service fees, such as the services of an architect or undertaking a structural assessment.

The external “facelift” to the John Peel Restaurant took only a few months to finish and the feedback from customers has been overwhelmingly positive. At the same time, they also completed minor interior renovations to update the back room of the restaurant, by adding a fresh coat of paint and new artwork.

The John Peel Restaurant has had the same head chef for the last 29 years, who delights patrons with favourites such as prime rib and steak. They also boast an extensive wine cellar with choices to complement any meal.

is produced three times a year by the City of Brantford Economic Development and Tourism Department.

399 Wayne Gretzky Parkway, Brantford, ON N3R 8B4 Editor: Melissa Stephens, Tourism Information CoordinatorPhone: 519-751-9900 or 1-800-265-6299Fax: 519-751-2617mstephens@brantford.ca • www.discoverbrantford.com Submission deadline for next issue: August 4, 2010

Tourism Talks

Thanks to this issue’s sponsor:

OLG Casino Brantford

Stars of the Grand: BrantfordExcellent customer service is invaluable and it can set any business apart from the rest. The mandate of this program is to honour those individuals who go above and beyond in their daily activities.

Each monthly recipient is placed in the running to receive the Customer Service Recognition Award, one of Tourism Brantford’s annual Shining Stars Tourism Awards, which will be presented at the awards gala on May 6th, 2010 at the Best Western Brant Park Inn & Conference Centre.

Stars of the MonthNovember Star of the Month Mark Esseltine, Guest Services Manager Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton - Brantford

Mark went above and beyond for a customer who forgot her personal belongings in a safety deposit box. She was flying out of Pearson International Airport in Toronto and Mark arranged to have everything couriered to her Toronto airport hotel where she was staying before her departure.

December Star of the Month Ilyas Zylstra, Server Moose Winooski’s

Ilyas went above and beyond for a customer who was dining at Moose Winooski’s for her son’s birthday. When it came time to sing “Happy Birthday,” the birthday boy hid under the table - so Ilyas decided to join him! He also performed magic tricks for the kids and made the birthday party an absolute hit.

February Star of the Month Crystal McClintock, Esthetician Merle Norman Cosmetic Studios, Lynden Park Mall

Crystal was recognized for her excellent service and genuine nature when dealing with repeat clients. Crystal’s nomination included this quote: “She is a true professional and always makes me feel like her one and only client of the day.”

March Star of the Month Teresa Kurek, Breakfast Host Hampton Inn and Suites by Hilton - Brantford

Teresa impressed a customer by providing helpful information about what to see and do in the area, and then delivered breakfast to her room in the morning. “She is definitely an asset to this hotel,” the customer said.

Information submitted will be considered for publication based upon space limitations and editorial discretion. Information current at press time. Tourism Brantford is not responsible for any changes, omissions or errors.

FoR The laTeST information on area festivals and events, studio art tours, one-of-a-kind shops, sports tournaments, world-class theatre, and other tourism activities, please visit www.discoverbrantford.com. Hometown hospitality and the natural beauty of our landscape and waterways make our city a choice destination.

TIp OF The hATSMALL BUSINeSS MATTeRS

DOWNTOWN heARTBeATS

AT YOUR SeRVICe WhAT’S NeW

NeW hST Rules effective July 1, 2010

HST is a combination of the federal Goods and Services Tax “GST” (5%) and the Provincial Sales Tax “PST” (8%) to create a federally administered single sales tax. HST will have a rate of 13%. The HST will be largely consistent with the processes and rules currently in place for GST (exceptions provided) and will tax a wide range of goods and services. It will not be charged on items such as basic groceries, prescription drugs and medical devices, and some items will not be charged the provincial portion of the tax such as books, children’s clothing and footwear, children’s car seats, car booster seats and diapers.

The HST would generally apply to the supply of goods or services - by way of sale - if the goods are delivered and ownership of the goods is transferred after June 30, 2010. There are a number of key dates for the transition that all businesses should be aware of.

Please contact the Business Resource Centre at 519-756-4269 or visit www.businessresourcecentre.ca for more details specific to your type of business and the key dates to remember for the transition.

Information SessionJune 15, 2010 is the enforcement Deadline for Bill 168 Ontario’s New Workplace Violence and harassment legislation.

The City of Brantford and County of Brant are offering a free information session for employers. Find out more about your obligations under Bill 168 and have your questions answered by Ministry of Labour and Industry Safety Association representatives.

This session is scheduled for Wednesday, May 19, 2010 - registration begins at 9:45 a.m., with the presentation running from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. at the Hampton Inn and Suites, 20 Fen Ridge Court, Brantford (403 and Oak Park Road).

There is no cost to attend, but spaces are limited. Reserve by contacting the Business Resource Centre at 519.756.4269 or email brc@brantford.ca.

This free information session is presented in partnership by: The City of Brantford, County of Brant, Brant Jobs, and www.branthr.ca.

www.discoverbrantford.com

Tourism Talks

JUNE 4 & 5, 2010

2010 Shining Stars Tourism awards Tickets are available for the awards gala on May 6 at the Best Western Brant Park Inn & Conference Centre. The cost is $45/ticket or $315 for a corporate table of eight. Prepare to be “wowed” by entertainment pro-vided by Come Dancing Ontario’s Philip and Tracey Worrall, who have prepared three local commu-nity members for “Dancing with our Stars.” Dave Levac - MPP for Brant; Josie Mannen - City of Brantford; and Brian Witteveen - Strodes BBQ & Deli will compete in a head-to-head battle for the title. Call 519.751.9900 for tickets.

Tourism Networking Every third Thursday of the month, Tourism Brantford hosts industry networking sessions for tourism-related businesses in Brantford and area, offering the opportunity to meet and greet others in a pressure-free environment. The next session is scheduled for May 20 at the Brantford Visitor & Tourism Centre. The time will be changing so email mstephens@brantford.ca for an update. Don’t forget to bring a friend!

Mark Your Calendar!Regional Tourism Summit - November 2, 2010 The partnership of Brantford, County of Brant and Six Nations/New Credit is busy preparing for the 2010 Regional Tourism Summit. The Summit will be held on November 2, 2010 at the Quality Inn & Suites, Brantford. This will be a day-long opportunity for local businesses and organizations in the tourism and hospitality sector to come together for industry updates, education and networking opportunities. Further information, including registration details will be released as it becomes available.

Contact Ela Stypa, Tourism Marketing and Services Assistant, at 519.751.9900 or estypa@brantford.ca

Top honours Received at eDCo awardsThe Ontario Economic Development (EDCO) Awards took place in February. Grand River Country, a tourism marketing alliance consisting of nine watershed municipal tourism organizations including Tourism Brantford, received top honours in the Tourism Publications Specialty Brochure/Map/Guide category for its Trails Take Flight brochure. Tourism Brantford was also recognized as a finalist in the Tourism Publications Travel Trade and/or Group Tour category for the Corporate Planner Marketing Program and in the Innovative Technology category for the Trails & Waterways Video Project.

The Trails Take Flight brochure was created in partnership with the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and the Guelph Field Naturalist Club. This brochure highlights 20 favourite birding locations in the Grand River Watershed. Over 10,000 brochures have been distributed and the website, www.grandrivercountry.com, has received more than 100,000 page views. Brochures are available at the Brantford Visitor & Tourism Centre.

The Corporate Planner Marketing Program was created by Tourism Brantford to increase awareness of Brantford as “the” destination for hosting small to medium-sized meetings and conventions. It is a comprehensive program that promotes the benefits to businesses for hosting their meetings and conventions locally.

The Brantford Trails & Waterways Video was produced by the City of Brantford Economic Development & Tourism Department in partnership with the Brant Waterways Foundation. The video highlights Brantford’s near wilderness through breathtaking panoramic views of the Grand River and its landscapes alongside scenic trails, showcasing the immense variety of outdoor adventures that are available all year long.

EDCO is the country’s largest provincial economic development association that offers programming and professional development opportunities throughout the year. Membership is comprised of close to 600 private and public sector businesses.

New Industry leadersMinister of State for Small Business and Tourism: Rob Moore, mossbt.industry@ic.gc.ca

president and CeO of the Tourism Industry Association of Canada: David Goldstein, info@tiac.travel Minister of Culture and Tourism: Michael Chan, General_Info@mtr.gov.on.ca

2009/10 Photo Contest WinnersThe City of Brantford Economic Development and Tourism Department, along with the County of Brant, Six Nations and New Credit and Henry’s in Brantford, are proud to announce the winners from the 2009/10 Photo Contest. The contest, open to amateur photogra-phers, ran from May 30, 2009 to January 31, 2010.

A total of 103 submissions was received in a variety of styles, compositions and categories. The judging process was carried out by two Henry’s representatives, Sherry Andrade and Kate McDowell, and the City of Brantford’s Senior Graphic Designer/Art Director Sherri Simpson.

The winners of the 2009/10 Photo Contest are:1st prize: Garth Pottruff, for his timeless photograph of a rafting trip on the Grand River near Paris (pictured below).

2nd prize: Jim Borton, for showcasing the beautiful fall colours lining the countryside in Burford.

3rd prize: Crystal Young, who captured the moment when the Brantford Red Sox celebrated their Intercounty Baseball Championship win at home plate.

We received so many extraordinary photographs that thefollowing individuals were awarded honourable mentions: Crystal Young, Dave Webber, John McInnis and Brian Couture.

First prize was an Olympus Stylus 55-WP digital camera with a 1GB XD memory card and Lowepro Tasca 20 carrying case. Second prize was an 8G iPod Nano and third prize was a Lexar Professional 4GB memory card. All prizes were sponsored by Henry’s in Brantford.

The 2010/11 Photo Contest will kick off on May 1, 2010 and run until January 31, 2011. Visit the official contest website at www.brantford.ca/visitors/contest for full contest details and to view the 2009/10 winning photographs.

New Tourism Brantford Website Tourism Brantford is happy to announce that our new website will be launched in May. The current website, visitbrantford.ca has undergone a complete overhaul and will be launched as discoverbrantford.com, just in time for the busy summer season.

There are a few key features that tourism businesses and organizations will want to take notice of: first, there will be a section entitled “Sweet Deals,” where we will feature specials, packages or promotions going on in the community or at your business or attraction. Second, we will need to re-populate our business directories and are asking local businesses and attractions to create their own directory listings so they can manage them at any time throughout the year. A letter will be distributed shortly to over 650 tourism and hospitality businesses with specific instructions on how to take advantage of this free opportunity. We would also like to thank Enterprise Brant/South Western Ontario’s Community Adjustment Fund (SWCAF) for their support of our 3-month intern placement position that was filled by Salina Chase as our Tourism Website Communications Assistant. Salina worked primarily on the development of a contact database for our website communications, and created new website content.

For more information on the new website and these features, contact Melissa Stephens, Tourism Information Coordinator at mstephens@brantford.ca.

100th anniversary homecoming Weekend Join us as we celebrate the Bell Homestead National Historic Site’s first century as a historic home and parkland during a weekend of activities from Friday, July 23 to Sunday, July 25. On Friday enjoy a welcome reception and the official launch of “My Dear Aleck, The Selected Letters of the Bell Family, 1867-1873.” Be sure to get tickets for Saturday’s gala dinner and concert, featuring the Brantford Memorial Concert Band with guest artists including Celtic Harpist - Loril Shannik and the Brantford Pipes and Drums. Bring the family out on Sun-day for an Edwardian Family Picnic, featuring Brant Theatre Workshops production of “Winning Mabel.” For more information on these events, visit www.bellhomestead.ca or call 519.756.6220.

TOURISM INDUSTRY hAppeNINgS

WhAT’S NeWAT YOUR SeRVICeCOMINg SOON

Discovery Guide 2010/11 The 2010/11 edition of the Brantford, County of Brant, Six Nations/New Credit Discovery Guide will hit shelves this May! Thank-you to all our advertisers who took advantage of this opportunity to reach both visitors and local residents. This year, 100,000 copies of the Discovery Guide will be printed - the largest distribution of any local tourism publication. Be sure to check out the feature articles on the Bell Homestead 100th anniversary celebration, Mohawk Chapel 225th anniversary and the 90th season of the Sanderson Centre for the Performing Arts.

The Discovery Guide will be enabled as an interactive guide on the new Tourism Brantford website, discoverbrantford.com, offering the luxury of being able to link to advertiser websites and easily print pages with a click of a button.

Discover Brantford Savings Card This summer, Tourism Brantford is launching a new Discover Brantford Savings Card, providing visitors with access to a variety of discounts at participating businesses and attractions in Brantford, the County of Brant, Six Nations and New Credit. Up to 20,000 cards will be distributed to various community groups, sport organizations, tour groups, etc., to entice visitors to come to Brantford and experience everything we have to offer. The card encourages visitors to come back to Brantford again and again, as there is no limit on the number of times it can be used.

For more information on this opportunity, contact Maureen Cowper, Visitor Services Coordinator, at mcowper@brantford.ca.

Travel Trade e-Newsletter We are in the process of creating a new monthly e-newsletter that will be sent to a primary group of tour operators in Ontario and the border cities. It will highlight new and unique tour packages, upcoming local festivals and events, dining, and hands-on visitor experiences; and offer other relevant information on Brantford and area to the group tour market. Local tourism partners who already participate in the Destination Lure Group Travel brochure will receive an opportunity to include information about their products and services. They may also choose to promote value-added opportunities or discounts in the e-newsletter.

Best Western announces “Green” Features What do visiting friends and relatives and helping the environment have in common? Well, just ask the staff at the Best Western Brant Park Inn & Conference Centre. They host visitors and travellers to the area in their environmentally friendly rooms at a great promotional rate, and can give you the run-down on how to travel ‘green.’

Many of us don’t have the extra space in our homes to host out-of-town guests, so why not give them the option of staying at a local hotel that supports the green movement? Since the beginning of 2009, The Best Western Brant Park Inn & Conference Centre has been adding green products and services to minimize its impact on the environment. The most recent initiative was the development of an organic waste program that composts 90 per cent of food waste from the hotel’s restaurants and conference centre.

“We know going green is the right thing to do, and our staff and customers have pushed us to do even more to use less energy and reduce waste,” Kirby Brown, hotel President and General Manager, said.

Here are some of the other green features the hotel has adopted: monitoring water and power consumption daily to look for efficiencies, placing recycling bins in all guest rooms, installing a water filtration system in place of bottled water, promoting a linen-reuse program, donating leftover soap, shampoo and gently used bedding to local charities, and using as much recycled paper as possible.

These efforts earned the hotel a “3 Green Keys” rating from the Hotel Association of Canada’s Green Key Program, which recognizes hotels for their commitment to improving their environmental performance.

Visiting friends and relatives will fall in love with the hotel’s comfortable accommodation and affordable price. The Best Western’s Green Stay Promotion features rates starting at $124.99 per night for a deluxe room, which includes all the green features listed above, as well as a souvenir stainless steel water bottle. The room is completely carbon neutralized and affiliated with LivClean (livclean.ca).

For more information on this program or the Green Stay Promotion, contact the Best Western Brant Park Inn & Conference Centre at 519-753-8651.

BRANTFORD & AREA

SHININGS TA R S

TOURISM AWARDS