Event funding will build 2011 festivals and events.

March 4, 2011

MORRISBURG, Ontario – The Celebrate Ontario event funding program has awarded the St. Lawrence Parks Commission $270,000 for five events to take place during the 2011 tourism season.  This investment will support events at Upper Canada Village and Fort Henry National Historic Site of Canada.  Attendance at special events accounts for approximately 40% of total visitation to the two heritage sites and is a key driver of visitation. The events – Fort Fright, Victorian Christmas Holiday Festival, Medieval Festival, Upper Canada Heritage Festival and Alight at Night – have significant draw and appeal to large audiences both within and outside of the region.

FORT HENRY NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE OF CANADA
Fort Fright – Wednesday through Sunday, September 21- October 31, 2011
$75,000 was awarded to support Fort Fright.  This investment will be used to add more animatronics and to support the twice nightly stage show.  The haunted overnight program that was a huge success in 2010 will be expanded.  In addition, a volunteer program for scare actors – one of the most popular parts of the event - will be developed. 

Victorian Christmas Holiday Festival – December 1 – 18, 2011
$40,000 was awarded to support the new Victorian Christmas Holiday Festival.  Building on the success of the 3-day Christmas Gift Giving Show, this event will combine food and wine providers along with unique gifts.  The event funding will be invested in a light show in the lower fort area along with traditional Christmas music and animatronics that will tell the story of a Victorian Christmas experience.

UPPER CANADA VILLAGE
Medieval Festival – 50 Decades Back in Time - Friday, June 10 to Sunday, June 12, 2011
$40,000 has been awarded to the Medieval Festival to fund the purchase of bleachers.  This will increase the capacity to host crowds for the Jousting competition.  In 2010, the festival drew over 9,300 visitors.  The education day held on Friday is popular with schools and 2010 drew over 5,000 school children to the event.

Upper Canada Heritage Festival – 50 Feats of Fun and Festivity - August 5 to 7, 2011
$40,000 was awarded to the Heritage Festival to support the entertainment and special performance component.  Introduced in 2010, the Heritage Festival drew 5,200 visitors and was a big hit with visitors.  This event provides Upper Canada Village with an opportunity to showcase extraordinary presentations of 19th century forms of entertainment.  Event support to bring in a highlight act or performance is key to the events continued success.

Alight at Night – December 2, 2011 – January 7, 2012
$75,000 was awarded to the Alight at Night Festival to invest in new lighting technology.  Building on the success of the wall washer lighting introduced on Christ Church for the 2010 event, the capacity to incorporate new lighting techniques throughout the Village will be expanded. The 10th anniversary in 2010 was the most successful year yet with visitation growing by over 4%.  Alight at Night, now with over half a million lights has become one of the most popular winter light festivals in Ontario.

QUOTES
Ron Eamer, Chair, St. Lawrence Parks Commission - “It is very gratifying to once again receive Celebrate Ontario funding to support our events.  We will invest these funds to keep the events vibrant and fresh so that they continue to draw visitors to our attractions and the region.”Festivals and events are a key tourism driver in the province of Ontario and to our attractions.”

Tim Casey, (Interim) General Manager & CEO, St. Lawrence Parks Commission - “Festivals and events are very important to our attractions in that they draw new markets and audience segments.  The continual investment in the visitor experience is critical to the success of our attractions.  This event funding will contribute significantly to improving and building the visitor experience. and this event funding will help us in achieving that success.”  Tim Casey, (Interim) General Manager & CEO, St. Lawrence Parks Commission.


QUICK FACTS
·         Fort Henry National Historic Site of Canada, located in Kingston is part of Ontario’s first UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

·         Upper Canada Village will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2011.  In the summer of 2011, the Village will open the doors to the new Upper Canada Discovery Centre.  This new Discovery Centre will engage visitors with interactive exhibits, never-before-displayed artifacts and a special audio visual presentation about the Battle of Crysler’s Farm during the War of 1812.

·         The combined attendance at Upper Canada Village and Fort Henry’s special events make up approximately 40% of total visitor attendance at the SLPC’s two major tourism attractions – a clear indication of the importance of events to Ontario’s tourism product.

·         The St. Lawrence Parks Commission, an agency of the Government of Ontario, operates facilities in 16 municipalities stretching from Kingston to the Quebec border, including Upper Canada Village, Fort Henry National Historic Site of Canada (and a UNESCO World Heritage Site), Crysler Park Marina, Upper Canada Golf Course, Upper Canada Migratory Bird Sanctuary and 12 campgrounds and beach day-use areas including the Long Sault and 1000 Islands Parkways.

LEARN MORE
Learn about our attractions at:     

www.UpperCanadaVillage.com.
www.FortHenry.com.
www.CryslerParkMarina.com
www.StLawrenceParks.com
www.UpperCanadaGolf.com

Learn more about the St. Lawrence Parks Commission at www.parks.on.ca.

CONTACT
Susan Le Clair
Manager, Customer Service and Corporate Communications
613-543-3704 ext. 2496
susan.leclair@parks.on.ca