Quinte West council axes funding to regional marketing group

Jon Van Huizan, president of Bay of Quinte Living, makes his case for continued funding to Quinte West council Monday night. Photo by Matthew Murray, QNet News.

By Matthew Murray

TRENTON – Quinte West city council is withdrawing its funding from an organization that markets the Bay of Quinte area to potential residents.

Council voted 8-5 late Monday night to stop funding to the Bay of Quinte Living Council, an offshoot of the area’s tourism council. The group’s goal is to market the Quinte region as a great place to live.

Council gave the organization $22,000 this year, but Monday night’s vote means that the contribution will not be renewed in 2016.

President Jon Van Huizan was among the members of Bay of Quinte Living who appeared before council prior to the vote to highlight the group’s accomplishments. One accomplishment, they said, is 20–per-cent growth in residential home sales in the region in the six months the group has been operational. Van Huizan said that growth cannot be entirely attributed to his group, but he feels it definitely played a part.

Bay of Quinte Living received $100,000 to set up a website that would promote the Quinte region to new immigrants to Canada, he said. The website is currently in development.

The Quinte region’s current rate of population growth is less than o.2 per cent annually, Van Huizan said, and Bay of Quinte Living is looking to push that number to one per cent to match the provincial average. Immigration is an important part of achieving that goal, he said.

City council had concerns, however. Coun. Allan DeWitt said he feels there are too many groups working separately to promote the area. While he appreciates the focus and the need for branding, he said, he feels groups such as Bay of Quinte Tourism and Bay of Quinte Living should work more closely together to create a unified push to promote the region.

“We do support the whole concept, but it’s fragmented. I would like to see it unified,” said DeWitt.

Coun. Rob MacIntosh told QNet News that he feels that the money council gives to Bay of Quinte Living just goes back to its parent organization, Bay of Quinte Tourism Council:

It’s better for the city to work with Bay of Quinte Tourism, he said: “We’ve got to eventually make a stand, and this is where we made our stand. We’re happy with Bay of Quinte Tourism and that’s where we’re going to stay.”

MacIntosh said he’s also concerned over the lack of input the city has had in the promotional material that Bay of Quinte Living has been producing. Creating an accurate image of Quinte West is important to promoting the area, he said.

Coun. Sally Freeman took the side of Bay of Quinte Living, saying six months wasn’t enough time for it to prove its worth. Mayor Jim Harrison also supported the group, saying he felt the Quinte region was getting its fair share of promotion.

But in the end, a majority of councillors voted to cut the funding.

Following the vote, Van Huizan told QNet News that there is a lack of understanding by council when it comes to Bay of Quinte Tourism and Bay of Quinte Living. He called the decision short-sighted:

Bay of Quinte Living also receives funding from Belleville and Prince Edward County. Van Huizan told the councillors that even with Quinte West backing out, the organization will still promote the entire region through its website. The site is intended to serve the whole Bay of Quinte area, he said: “We work together.”