June 17, 2004

Harrowsmith, ON – The Frontenac Community Futures Development Corporation is participating in an initiative launched by federal, provincial, and local tourism partners, to strengthen and promote the Rideau Canal region, from Ottawa to Kingston inclusive, as an international cultural tourism destination.
The project, known as “The Rideau Cultural Heritage Corridor”, will market the Rideau’s heritage, arts, cuisine, and natural history experiences, in a campaign to be launched for the 2006 tourism season.  Work on the project is now underway.
From Ottawa to Kingston and the communities in between, cultural tourism assets within the jurisdiction of the project will include national cultural institutions, heritage attractions, arts events, festivals, museums, galleries, and cultural experiences.  As a heritage asset of international status, the Rideau Canal will be positioned at the center of this endeavour.
The project is funded by a consortium of partners responsible for tourism development and heritage stewardship along the Rideau Canal.  Parks Canada, the Ministry of Tourism and Recreation for the Province of Ontario, four Community Futures Development Corporations and several municipal governments, are the project’s key proponents.  The Town of Smiths Falls is the lead Municipality managing the project through the Rideau Cultural Heritage Corridor Committee.  The firm of Burnett Thorne Cultural Tourism has been contracted to coordinate the initiative on the partnership’s behalf.
On behalf of the partners, Paul Akehurst, Chair of the Project’s Steering Committee, commented on the initiative:  “The Rideau Cultural Heritage Corridor is the most ambitious cultural tourism initiative in Canada.  After two years of development work, the world will be invited to explore the remarkable cultural and heritage assets from Ottawa, Canada’s current capital, to Kingston, Canada’s former capital”.
Constructed as a military supply route following the War of 1812, the Rideau Canal connects the Ottawa River in the nation’s capital to the St. Lawrence River in Kingston, a distance of 202 kilometers.  When its construction was completed in 1832, the Canal was considered an engineering marvel.  One of Canada’s National Historic Sites, and a Canadian Heritage River, the Rideau Canal is operated and maintained by Parks Canada. Recently, Environment Minister David Anderson announced the Rideau Canal as one of Canada’s 10 candidate sites for consideration for World Heritage Site designation.
Burnett Thorne Cultural Tourism utilizes a product development process to deliver cultural heritage corridors to clients.  The first stage in the process, which is now underway, is an inventory of the cultural assets of the region.  Ultimately, the company will position and brand the Corridor, then devise a marketing plan to promote the destination.  Burnett Thorne Cultural Tourism specializes in planning, developing and marketing cultural tourism destinations.  It is the only company in Canada to specialize exclusively in cultural tourism.
As part of the process to create a world-class tourism experience, the project leaders will be establishing partnerships along the full length of the corridor.  This will move us all toward the celebration of the Rideau Canal’s 175th Anniversary in 2007.
For more information, contact 
Anne Prichard, Executive Director 
Frontenac CFDC 
Tel:  (613) 372-1414 
Email:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.