Business View Magazine | September 2019

179 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2019 investment for South Stormont businesses,” says Economic Development Coordinator, Chris Hemond. “Almost every single business in our downtown plaza areas took advantage of the program and improved their spaces.” South Stormont is also a major center for tourism, drawing vacationers from eastern Canada and the U.S. to its many parks, beaches, bike and nature trails, and campsites. Recently, the Township partnered with neighboring South Dundas to market the area’s tourism opportunities, branding it as the Upper Canada Region. “Last year, we put together the Upper Canada Region Adventure Map that highlighted a number of tourist destinations,” says Hemond. “We followed that up, this year, with another brochure that delves a little bit deeper into the main attractions in some of the smaller hamlets within both municipalities, such as St. Andrews West, which has a lot of historical value. Newington is another one of our small hamlets; they have a renowned fair that we highlighted that takes place on Labor Day Weekend. We also included Long Sault and Ingleside in that publication.” Some of the other attractions in the Upper Canada Region include the famed Waterfront Trail, one of Ontario’s Trails of Distinction, which extends through South Stormont along the shores of the St. Lawrence River. Many portions of the biking and hiking trail meander through wooded areas, offering its users stunning views, picnic areas, beaches, and historical sites. The famed Long Sault Parkway, which connects a series of 11 islands that were created from high points of land left after the flooding of the St. Lawrence River during the construction of the Seaway, is another top destination in eastern Canada for outdoor recreation lovers. The Lost Villages Museum is a collection of ten heritage buildings moved and restored to commemorate the inundation of lands and communities during the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway, when over 6,500 residents were displaced and moved to the newly developed towns of Long Sault and Ingleside. “We still have many residents who remember SOUTH STORMONT TOWNSHI P , ONTAR IO