Part 1: Agriculture, Tourism, and a Key Millennium Trail Decision – 02/01/2024
- PECConnect
- Feb 1, 2024
- 5 min read
The County Committee of the Whole met on February 1, 2024, at Shire Hall in Picton to review several matters shaping the county’s near and long term direction. The meeting brought together councillors, staff, presenters, and members of the public to hear updates, question proposals, and advance motions that will later require formal council approval.
The meeting was chaired by John Hirsch, who opened proceedings by outlining the meeting structure, public participation rules, and the reminder that any decisions made were recommendations only, subject to final approval at the February 13, 2024 Council meeting.
View the entire PEC Council meeting, or continue to speaker comments and councillor votes>
Agriculture Advisory Committee Annual Update
The first substantive item was a presentation from Bob Rogers, Chair of the Agricultural Advisory Committee, who joined council virtually to deliver the committee’s 2023 annual update. Rogers described the past year as challenging for both the agricultural sector and the municipality, noting that the committee held four regular meetings and two special meetings, the latter prompted by provincial policy changes affecting agriculture.
According to Rogers, those special meetings required significant effort but resulted in what he described as positive concessions when viewed in the broader context. He explained that committee meetings included five staff presentations, largely related to planning, along with two presentations from the County Foundation focused on the overall health of agriculture in the County and the availability of farm grants. The committee also heard a deputation from Kate’s Rest, which sought support for an aquaponics experiment.
Rogers highlighted a July 19 farm tour, organized in partnership with the local federation, which received strong feedback and may be repeated in the future. Looking ahead to 2024, he noted that the committee had identified noxious weeds education as a priority, particularly for bylaw enforcement staff who respond to complaints. The goal is to improve identification, health and safety training, and coordination with the chief weed inspector and OMAFRA. During the question period, Roy Pennell, asked whether the committee provides input on farm severances, which Rogers confirmed. Council then formally received the presentation.
Visit The County and the 2024 Tourism Plan
The meeting then shifted to tourism, with a deputation from Rebecca Mackenzie, Board Chair of Visit The County, who presented the organization’s draft 2024 annual business plan. Mackenzie outlined Visit The County’s role as a destination marketing and management organization, emphasizing its responsibilities beyond promotion, including visitor services, research, and alignment with the municipality’s Tourism Management Plan.
She described Visit The County’s mission as enriching quality of life through responsible and sustainable destination management, with a long term vision of the County being recognized as a world class destination by 2030. Mackenzie explained that the 2024 plan was developed through board-led strategic planning and staff input, with objectives centered on growing tourism revenue, enriching residents’ lives, and hosting visitors in a balanced way.
Mackenzie framed the plan around a regenerative tourism approach, using economic, social, and environmental measures. She outlined efforts to expand international reach, particularly into U.S. drive markets such as Vermont and New York, rebuild awareness lost during the pandemic, and grow shoulder season tourism through meetings, events, and bookable experiences promoted via a refreshed Visit The County website.
Council questions revealed ongoing tension around digital versus print marketing and how visible Visit The County’s work is to residents. Chris Braney questioned whether a physical visitor storefront might better serve tourists, citing the Chamber of Commerce’s Main Street presence. Mackenzie responded that Visit The County supports visitor services through partnerships and collateral distribution but does not see a storefront as financially viable or strategically effective given budget limits and current visitor behaviour.
Roy Pennell followed with concerns that travellers stopping in nearby municipalities may be missing information that would draw them into the County. Mackenzie acknowledged the concern but emphasized data showing higher return on investment from digital marketing, offering to provide further evidence to council.
Mayor Steve Ferguson asked about efforts to recapture American visitors, noting fewer U.S. license plates in the county. Mackenzie explained that Destination Canada and Destination Ontario have resumed international marketing, allowing Visit The County to partner in targeted digital campaigns without bearing the full cost alone.
Additional questions addressed social media advertising costs, product development funding, and the challenges of supporting off season tourism when some operators face labour shortages. Mackenzie described funding for timed and purchasable experiences, trail revitalization projects, and collaborations aimed at highlighting operators open year round.
Council ultimately received the deputation, with staff noting that further discussion would occur at the March 14 Committee of the Whole meeting when the Tourism Management Plan returns for consideration.
Millennium Trail Rest Stop Proposal
The most detailed debate of the meeting centered on a resolution from Roy Pennell regarding a municipal property near the Millennium Trail at Salem Road and County Road 33 in Ameliasburgh. Pennell asked council to direct staff to explore the viability of an enhanced rest stop and parkette, citing limited public park space in the area and heavy use of the trail access point.
Pennell explained that part of the property includes a building previously designated as having cultural heritage value, which council had directed staff to sever and list for sale in 2023. He argued that the size and configuration of the parcels made severance challenging and that keeping the property together could better serve both residents and visitors.
Discussion clarified that while the property had been declared surplus, the severance and sale had not yet occurred. Chief Administrative Officer Marcia Wallace, speaking through the chair, confirmed that council could pause implementation while staff explore alternative options involving the full site.
Several councillors expressed support, emphasizing the site’s visibility, its relationship to the trail, and its potential role as a gateway location. Questions focused on capital and operating costs, with staff confirming that any report would include short and long term financial implications, as well as potential partnerships and available parkland reserve funds.
Council ultimately passed the motion directing staff to report back by Q4 2024, keeping the future of the site open for further evaluation.
The committee then moved into closed session to discuss litigation matters and solicitor client advice, as permitted under the Municipal Act. Upon returning to open session, council approved a motion to move forward with a five year Municipal Accommodation Tax agreement with StayPEC, directing staff to prepare a bylaw for future council approval. The meeting concluded with adjournment at 2:44 p.m.
Key Takeaways
Council reaffirmed the importance of advisory committees and sector updates, particularly in agriculture, as tools for navigating regulatory change and identifying operational gaps.
Tourism remains a complex and sometimes contested area, with ongoing debate around marketing visibility, funding priorities, and digital versus traditional approaches, all of which will continue when the Tourism Management Plan returns in March.
Council showed willingness to revisit past property decisions when community use, long term value, and financial implications intersect, as demonstrated by the Millennium Trail rest stop discussion.
Disclaimer: This article is based on a meeting with an approximate duration of 1:45:13. Due to the length of the meeting, our team was not able to independently review the full recording in its entirety. As a result, we relied on software-generated transcription, automated summarization, and automated recognition of speakers and participants, which may not be entirely accurate. All transcriptions, summaries, and related content are prepared by our team in good faith and on a reasonable best-efforts basis. The content is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended to support public understanding of the topics discussed. While reasonable efforts have been made to present the information accurately, automated processes may result in errors, omissions, or unintended misinterpretations. This article does not constitute an official, certified, or verbatim record of the meeting, and it should not be relied upon as such. Readers are encouraged to consult original source materials, official minutes, or recordings where available for confirmation or clarification. Questions, requests for clarification, or suggested corrections may be submitted to hello@pecconnect.ca for review and consideration.
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