Beaver Valley Sustainable Tourism Strategy
Tourism visitation had been growing steadily in Grey Highlands and the Beaver Valley. In response to the growing concern about potential negative impacts, Grey County, Municipality of Grey Highlands, Town of The Blue Mountains and Regional Tourism Organization 7: BruceGreySimcoe (RTO7) partnered to develop the first Beaver Valley Sustainable Tourism Strategy. Following tremendous consultation, the strategy proposes a shared long-term vision and action-oriented approach to opportunities across the pillars of Stakeholder Alignment and Collaboration, and Tourism Development.
This Strategy is about finding a balance among the needs of multiple stakeholders, leading to a better visitor experience, reducing visitor/resident conflict and protecting the beauty and function of our environment. Project partners, Grey County, Municipality of Grey Highlands, Town of The Blue Mountains and RTO7 engaged Bannikin to develop the first Beaver Valley Sustainable Tourism Strategy and three-year Action Plan.
Visitation had been growing steadily in Grey Highlands and the Beaver Valley leading up to the pandemic. It became clear during the pandemic, that tourists are visiting the iconic Beaver Valley in increasingly greater numbers, and an unplanned approach to tourism development puts the area and residents at risk of potential negative impacts of unfettered tourism activity.
Good tourism development takes years and involves a long-term commitment from all players in this complex marketplace. Respecting the goals and objectives of all stakeholders, organizations, and stewards of the Beaver Valley, and balancing the needs of the community and visitors, will help us collectively build a strong visitor economy that aligns with the core values and principles of the multitude of players in this space.
On November 1, 2023, Grey Highlands Council passed Resolution 2023-877, which included the following:
- That Council adopt the Beaver Valley Sustainable Tourism Strategy, as presented; and
- That Council authorize staff to enter into a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) with project partners Municipality of Grey Highlands, Grey County, Town of The Blue Mountains, and Regional Tourism Organization 7: BruceGreySimcoe, that outlines partner commitment to achieving the goals and allocating and/or securing resources to achieve desired outcomes of the Strategy; and
- That any financial commitments associated with the MOU or Strategy be included annually in the budget process for Council consideration; and
- That the draft MOU and a presentation from staff be presented at a collective meeting to be held with the Councils of the Town of The Blue Mountains, the County of Grey and the Municipality of Grey Highlands which shall include a public meeting portion at the beginning of the meeting to facilitate public comments.
Beaver Valley Corridor Visioning
On April 7, 2021, Council approved the appointment of The Planning Partnership to undertake a Beaver Valley Corridor Visioning exercise (Resolution # 2021-239) to solicit public feedback on a community vision for the Beaver Valley Corridor, a 40 km stretch in Grey Highlands, that extends from Hogg's Falls in the south to north of Epping.
Between mid-April and July 16, 2021, The Planning Partnership undertook a variety of initiatives to solicit public feedback, including a preliminary survey, six two-hour online workshops, a post-workshop survey, as well as encouraging comments from the public to be sent directly to the Municipality via the Economic and Community Development department. Community workshops were recorded, and are available here.
The final report includes a proposed vision statement that encompasses the feedback and themes that came out of the visioning process:
"The Beaver Valley Corridor, a significant ecological system in the heart of Grey Highlands, will be a model of best practices in sustainable, ecological and environmental pursuits in support of the long-term social, cultural and economic vitality of the community for generations."
