If we are going to make this a priority, we need to fund it appropriately. This needs to be a designated goal under the umbrella of the Economic Development Office, with a specific budget to generate results. It can not continue to be a folder on the side of someone’s desk.
Last year I made the motion during 2014 budget deliberations to increase the Economic Development Officer’s budget so that she could address this important economic driver, but unfortunately it was voted down by council. We need to set our priorities in the 2015 budget towards initiatives that will create jobs and boost tourism, in particular sports tourism.