The Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association is one of 425 not-for-profit organizations in the province that will receive funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) in an effort to help build healthy and vibrant communities.
The $119,000 funding from the foundation has been awarded to the tourism association to increase its capacity to promote the Headwaters region as a centre of equine excellence in the province, thereby strengthening the local economy.
The funding will allow the association to hire a project coordinator and begin the process of marketing the equine opportunities available in the region, which includes the Town of Erin.
On hand for the announcement last month were Dufferin-Caledon MP David Tilson, Dufferin-Caledon MPP Sylvia Jones, OTF representative Richard Fearon, councillors from the Town of Caledon and Dufferin County, representatives from Dufferin.biz, as well as members of the tourism association’s board of directors and the Headwaters Equine Leadership Group.
“My compliments go out to the Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association. This regional equine initiative will play a vital role in ensuring the local success of the upcoming 2015 Pan Am Games,” said Tilson.
Recognizing the important contribution of the equine sector to the economy of the Headwaters region, the Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association has facilitated the formation of a Headwaters Equine Leadership Group http://manage.thehillsofheadwaters.com/headwaters/explore/equestrian/ (HELG), made up of equine industry leaders, municipal partners and community stakeholders.
According to Ross Millar, chair of the group, the Trillium Foundation funding “will help support our vision to position the Headwaters region as a centre of equine excellence in Ontario (and indeed the world), and to support, grow and advocate for this vital sector of our regional economy – which is the mandate and vision of our HELG committee.”
Lucille Roch, acting chair of the OTF board of directors, added, “OTF invests for impact in the community and supports groups making the most of investments through partnership, collaboration and inclusive programs. I am pleased to see the Hills of Headwaters Tourism receive this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant.”
Jones said the funding will benefit the region “and the partnerships that have been formed to promote our community as a centre for equine excellence.”
Ron Munro, chair of the tourism association, said, “The leadership group is a collaborative initiative of regional stakeholders who are committed to the importance of the equine sector in Headwaters.”
Munro suggested this framework of collaboration is a model that can be utilized for other sectors across the region, with the ultimate goal of ensuring that communities are strong, viable and sustainable. The funding comes on the heels of a highly successful destination development conference and equine forum held by the tourism association in late October.
At that conference, keynote speaker John Nicholson, executive director of the Kentucky Horse Park, commended the work being done by the HELG, and encouraged them to continue positioning the power of the horse as a strong driver for economic development and a way to ensure the vibrancy of rural communities in Headwaters.
As a result of the conference, many equine and community partners have expressed an interest in joining the project in a variety of capacities.
The HELG will be following up to get further input and will offer opportunities for interested parties to get involved in helping shape the direction of the initiative.
The equine events of the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games are coming to Headwaters in 2015 at the Caledon Equestrian Park.
The Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association and the Headwaters Equine Leadership Group acknowledge the support of the Town of Caledon, County of Dufferin, Town of Mono, Town of Shelburne, Town of Erin and Dufferin.biz, for their support with this initiative.
An agency of the Government of Ontario, OTF is a leading grant provider in Canada, strengthening the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. For more information visit www.otf.ca.
For more information about the Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association, visit www.thehillsofheadwaters.com.
