Environmental Action Bobcaygeon Inc. gets $100,000 through tourism relief fund

Environmental Action Bobcaygeon received $100,000 from Regional Tourism Organization 8 (RTO8) to complete multiple projects that will enhance the eco-tourism experience in the Bobcaygeon area. 

This is part of the Government of Canada’s Tourism Relief Fund, delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario).  RTO8 received $3 million from FedDev Ontario to help local tourism organizations and businesses safely welcome back visitors, recover from the impacts of the pandemic and prepare for future growth. 

With the funding, Environmental Action Bobcaygeon will focus on providing additional infrastructure not currently found in our village, maintaining current initiatives and encouraging our visitors to get out and explore—all with a nod to expanding tourism while keeping an eye on supporting a healthy environment.

Environmental Action Bobcaygeon undertakes projects that benefit the environment and our community. They include the distribution of energy-efficient lightbulbs to every home in Bobcaygeon, initiation of the very successful Bobcaygeon Farmers Market, building a number of well-used community gardens, partnering with the City to build Wilderness Park (a beautiful eight-acre park with hiking trails and nature interpretation signs), development of a safe and scenic network of bicycle and walking routes, and the professional restoration of the 130-year-old Edgewood dry stone wall (one of Bobcaygeon’s most important cultural/heritage sites).

Since receiving funding from RTO8, Environmental Action Bobcaygeon Inc. has:

• Installed two kayak racks, one on each of the upper and lower sides of Bobcaygeon’s Lock 32, to encourage paddlers to travel up the canal and to stop and enjoy Bobcaygeon by providing a safe spot to store their crafts;
• Completed a much-needed overhaul bicycle maintenance and repair for the Impact 32 Bike Share; and
• Launched a heritage walking tour to showcase and educate the public on our cultural and heritage assets throughout the village. The tour can be found on the Bobcaygeon TSW Trail Town app in both the Google and Apple app stores as well as at https://bobcaygeon.stqry.app

By enhancing and encouraging Active Transportation, Environmental Action Bobcaygeon hopes to inspire more residents and visitors to get out and enjoy the area while protecting our environment. The projects are on a strict timeline and are being undertaken with the cooperation and timely assistance of Bobcaygeon volunteers, Impact 32, The A. Sheila Boyd Museum, the City of Kawartha Lakes and Parks Canada, Trent Severn Waterway National Historic Site of Canada.