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Over 50 members of the community attended the public information session on Thurs., Apr. 8 to learn more about the city’s plans to make Port Colborne a cruise ship hub.
The public information session, which hosted an audience of 15 people in person and additional 35 on Zoom, began with a presentation from Greg Higginbotham, the city’s tourism coordinator, that included a high-level summary of Port Colborne’s cruise destination business case and a recap of what the city’s project team has been working on to support their cruise ship initiative.
Bruce O’Hare, President & CEO of Lakeshore Excursions, and Stephen Burnett, Executive Director of The Great Lakes Cruise Association teamed up during the second half of the one-hour session to answer questions from the public about onshore transportation, the involvement of restaurants and accommodation providers, as well as opportunities to offer excursion activities that will have cruisers exploring and enjoying the best parts of Port Colborne.
“It was beneficial having the consultants who wrote the business case in attendance”, said Mayor Bill Steele. “From my conversations with them over the last couple of years, I’m always amazed by their knowledge about Great Lakes cruising and how committed they are to seeing ports of call, like Port Colborne, succeed.”
Gary Long, manager of strategic initiatives, shared that the city’s waterfront centre project comes from a recommendation in the cruise destination business case and will kick-start the revitalization of Port Colborne’s most valuable attraction. “Backed up by their analysis of different cruise ports along the Great Lakes, our consultants have presented us with strategies to create a more people-friendly waterfront that can generate substantial economic benefits,” said Long. “I’m looking forward to having an architecture firm start designing the waterfront centre over the next several months and to continued financial support from the federal and provincial governments on this extraordinary project”.
As city staff wait for a decision on an application to the Tourism Relief Fund, which will provide the city with additional resources to meet their targeted goals, they are gearing up for when the first cruise ships arrive in Port Colborne this May for the 2022 season.
To watch a recording of the public information session, or to subscribe to receive updates on Port Colborne’s cruise ship initiative, visit portcolborne.ca/cruiseships. Attendees and community members who couldn’t attend the session and have questions or comments can email tourism@portcolborne.ca or call 905-835-2900 x505.
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