How the Economic Recovery Task Force led to the creation of the Tourism Resiliency Fund

In April of 2020, both the City of Peterborough and County of Peterborough Council unanimously approved a COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan for Peterborough & the Kawarthas, which was developed by Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) as the lead regional economic development agency for the City and County, in consultation with other local business organizations and the local business community. It included a series of immediate, mid-term and long-term actions to support regional economic recovery.

The Economic Recovery Task Force was led by the Mayor of Peterborough (Diane Therrien) and the Warden of Peterborough County (J. Murray Jones) and included 43 business leaders in the community representing the City and County of Peterborough covering virtually all sectors of the economy.

From this Task Force, PKED heard loud and clear that local tourism-dependent businesses were being hit hard and needed access to COVID-19 pandemic relief funding.

After several months of active lobbying to the different levels of government, PKED, along with Community Futures Peterborough was able to secure funding for the creation of the Tourism Resiliency Fund.

Tourism Resiliency Fund Program Overview

The COVID-19 global pandemic has caused a significant decline in tourism activity. Tourism-dependent businesses in the City and County of Peterborough have been greatly impacted. Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development, together with partner Community Futures Peterborough administered non-repayable financial support ranging from $2,500 to $20,000 for eligible tourism-dependent businesses in the City of Peterborough, County of Peterborough, Hiawatha First Nation and Curve Lake First Nation.

The intention of the fund was to help offset business adaption costs associated with changing health and safety requirements and increasing safety demands for tourism-dependent businesses.

On May 27th, 2021 the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Member of Parlaiment for Peterborough-Kawartha and Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, on behalf of Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for FedDev Ontario announced the recipients of the fund.

More than 50 local businesses received funding through the Tourism Resiliency Fund Program:

Learn more about some of the successful tourism-dependent businesses that are using this Tourism Resiliency Funding to help their business: