COLLEEN BASKIN, Communications Officer, Township of Uxbridge
SCUGOG: Over the holidays the Township of Uxbridge welcomed two special out-of-town visitors to the recently opened Visitor Welcome Centre at the Uxbridge Public Library, in downtown Uxbridge. Mr. and Mrs. Claus joined Mayor Dave Barton to officially open two tourist-friendly spaces at the Library.
The Mayor announced, the Township received an Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) Rural Economic Development (RED) grant to help beautify the downtown and improve visitor experience. The grant for $8,317.50 paid for 30 percent of the project costs. The Region of Durham contributed $5,000 to the project through Durham Tourism. The centre is a welcome addition and pairs nicely with the ongoing work on Downtown Revitalization.
The four-season outdoor patio at the Library now boasts a water bottle refilling station (seasonal use), free wifi, and picnic tables complete with an inset chess/checkerboards.
Indoors, there is a location to use a computer workstation or study carrell, recharge electronics, obtain tourism or business information, grab a coffee, or use an accessible public washroom. Library staff and volunteers will receive Tourism Ambassador training to enhance the quality of information they provide to visitors. New way-finding signs assist in directing visitors and residents alike to the new amenities.
After the announcement Mr and Mrs. Claus used the free Wifi to check their digital holiday lists (Mr. Claus checked his twice). Mayor Barton congratulated staff who worked on the project and praised the collaborative effort from the Library staff, the Library Board, the Tourism Advisory Committee, Durham Region
Tourism, and tourism staff for working together to create a welcoming space downtown. “I’m thrilled we now have a walk-able and cycle friendly downtown location, where visitors can find tourism related information and be encouraged to shop downtown and support our local businesses and cultural facilities,” said Mayor Barton. “I love that we have an indoor space and an outdoor space that is so pleasant to visit. This is a great improvement to our downtown and I thank the Region of Durham and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs for their funding support”.