Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail Wins the Lieutenant Governor’s Award
PEMBROKE — On the evening of January 31st, the Economic Developers Council of Ontario (EDCO) concluded its 62nd Annual Conference & Showcase with the President’s Dinner and Awards Ceremony announcing the recipients of the 2018 Awards of Excellence. EDCO President Delia Reiche welcomed over 300 guests to the reception and Master of Ceremony, Adam Growe, renowned Canadian comedian and host of Cash Cab, provided entertainment and announced the recipients. EDCO’s most prestigious award, the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Economic Development Excellence, was presented to the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail Partners Group for the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail Partnership. In addition, the partnership was awarded the Collaboration and Partnership Award in the Regional & Cross-Border Collaboration & Partnership category for communities with a population between 50,000-250,000.
EDCO’s Awards of Excellence program aims to recognize and celebrate the outstanding work in economic development happening around the Province of Ontario. The projects and initiatives that received awards demonstrated extraordinary and innovative best practices in Ontario and are enhancing the economic development capacity in the Province of Ontario, that have resulted in vibrant, sustainable communities and economies. This year, 98 submissions were received and evaluated by an expert panel of judges with experience in marketing, communications, tourism and industrial/commercial development.
Warden of the County of Renfrew Jennifer Murphy shared this comment, “I want to congratulate all of the nominees and recipients of the 2018 Awards of Excellence at the EDCO ceremony. I am very happy that the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail Partnership has received these top awards. It really acknowledges the hard work that so many have put into this project for more than a decade. I also want to thank those that have supported the County of Renfrew’s section the Algonquin Trail through investment; the Government of Ontario, the Renfrew County Community Futures Development Corporation, Ontario’s Highlands Tourism Organization, the Ontario Federation of Snowmobile Clubs, Renfrew County ATV Club, the Zombie Thrill Run, and other volunteer organizations and funders.”
Chair of the Algonquin Trail Advisory Committee (ATAC), and the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail Committee, Councillor Robert Sweet said, “These prestigious awards recognize the efforts by the partners thus far to develop the Ottawa Valley Recreational Trail and the future potential it brings to our area as a four-season multi-use trail. The trail represents an opportunity to realize growth for economic development, tourism and active transportation. Investments from the Province and local partnerships are key pieces to seeing more kilometres of the trail open as we work to connect more sections of the Algonquin Trail in Renfrew County.”
Warden of the County of Lanark, Richard Kidd also noted, “Lanark County invested significantly to complete our section of the trail in 2018, and it is tremendously satisfying that our efforts have been acknowledged on a Provincial level and that the trail has been deemed a significant economic development project.”
Renfrew County, Lanark County and the Township of Papineau-Cameron formed a partnership in 2011 and then signed a lease and donation agreement to acquire ownership of the 296-kilometre discontinued Canadian Pacific Rail between Smiths Falls and Mattawa. The County’s portion of the corridor runs from the Arnprior/Ottawa border in the south to the Renfrew/Mattawa border in the north.
