SHUSWAP TOURISM ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING MINUTES

Note: The following minutes are subject to correction when endorsed by the Committee at its next meeting.

Meeting #:
Date:	Thursday, May 09, 2019
Time:	1:00 P.m. - 4:00 P.m.
Location:	CSRD Boardroom 555 Harbourfront Drive NE, Salmon Arm

Committee Members Present

• K. Brown (Chair), Arts Council for the South Shuswap
• D. Cannon (Vice-Chair), Councillor, City of Salmon Arm
• P. Demenok, Director, Electoral Area C
• R. Martin, Director, Electoral Area E
• J. Simpson, Director, Electoral Area F
• R. Talbot, Director, Electoral Area D
• T. Rysz, Mayor, District of Sicamous
• R. Betts, Tree Top Flyers
• G. Bushell, The Eagle Valley Snowmobile Club
• M. Lane, Dreamcycle Motorcycle Museum
• A. Maki, Enderby & District Chamber of Commerce
• P. McIntyre-Paul, Shuswap Trail Alliance
• S. Witzky, Adams Lake Band

Committee Members Absent

• D. Gonella, Salmon Arm Roots & Blues

Staff Present

• R. Cyr, Economic Development Officer
• S. Goodey, Tourism Clerical Assistant

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1.

Call to Order

The Chair called the meeting to order at 1:00 PM.

1.1

Guest(s) in Attendance

The Chair acknowledged the guests in attendance:

Kyle Dearing - Kyle Dearing Consulting, Shuswap Economic Development Consultant

Piotr Ujma - Falkland Tourism Committee

Patti - Armstrong Spallumacheen Chamber of Commerce

Peter Rotzetter – Armstrong Spallumacheen Chamber of Commerce

1.2

Approval of Agenda

• Moved By Director Demenok
  Seconded By Director Talbot

  THAT: the agenda of the May 9th, 2019 Shuswap Tourism Advisory Committee meeting be approved with the following additions:

  6 - Shuswap Tourism Roles

  7 - Kicking Horse Highway Closure

  
  CARRIED

1.3

Adoption of Minutes

• Moved By A. Maki
  Seconded By D. Cannon

  THAT: the minutes of the March 14th, 2019 Shuswap Tourism Advisory Committee meeting be adopted as circulated.

  
  CARRIED

2.

Report on Action Items / Recommendations From Last Meeting

2.1

Appointments to Shuswap Tourism Advisory Committee

STATUS COMPLETED

Release of In Camera Resolutions at the CSRD Board Meeting - April 19th, 2019

Appointments to Shuswap Tourism Advisory Committee

THAT: the following individuals be appointed to the Shuswap Tourism Advisory Committee for the term April 18, 2019 to December 31, 2020:

David Gonella – Roots & Blues Music Festival, Executive Director

Ron Betts – Tree Top Flyers, Owner

Shelley Witzky – Adams Lake Band, Councillor,

AND THAT: the above resolution be authorized for release from the Closed (In Camera) portion of the CSRD Board Meeting this 18th day of April, 2019.

CARRIED

2.2

Thank You Letter to S. Hofstetter

STATUS COMPLETED

THAT: The Shuswap Tourism Advisory Committee send a letter to S. Hofstetter thanking him for sitting on the committee.

3.

Expression of Interest - Piotr Ujma

The following individuals have submitted their Expression of Interest to become members of the Shuswap Tourism Advisory Committee.

Piotr Ujma -  Falkland Tourism Committee

R. Cyr spoke to the committee about Piotr Ujma and stated that he would be a good candidate to sit on the committee and represent Falkland and the surrounding area.  Director R. Talbot also stated that he was in favor of Piotr sitting on the Tourism committee to represent his communities.

• Moved By Director Demenok
  Seconded By Director Talbot

  THAT : Piotr Ujma of the Falkland Tourism Committee, be appointed to the Shuswap Tourism Advisory Committee.

  
  CARRIED

4.

Shuswap Trails Update - Phil McIntyre-Paul

Phil McIntyre-Paul gave the committee a brief update on the work that the Shuswap Trail Alliance has recently been completing.

BC Rural Dividend Program Grant Announcement (Update as of April 29, 2019) – regionally significant grant announcements included funding support for Sicamous-to-Armstrong Rail-Trail Environmental, Archeological, Engineering Design, Project Management, and Community engagement; the Secwepemc Landmarks and Trail Sign Project; and the 2019 Shuswap Trails Infrastructure Projects.

Secwepemc Landmarks Project (BCRDP) – successful funding secured through BCRDP leverages pilot funding through Secwepemc Lakes Division Bands bringing Secwepemc artists, elders, and youth together to design and install sculptures, viewing portals and trailhead signs to showcase Secwepemc values and culture throughout the Shuswap.

For more details, P. McIntyre-Paul’s report is attached to the HTML version of these minutes.

 

S. Witzky joined the meeting at 1:25 PM.

5.

View of New Shuswap Tourism Beta Website

Brad Payne, Manager, IT/GIS Services for the CSRD gave the Committee an overview of the new Shuswap Tourism Website.  The new website will be more responsive and adaptive to keep up with the newest technology.  It is a Wordpress site which means that Shuswap Tourism will have easier access to maintain the website and keep it current and up to date.  The Committee members were impressed with the preview and felt that it will be a great improvement for the visitors and residents that access the Shuswap Tourism website.

8.

Presentation - Overview of the Destination Ambassador Program

K. Brown gave an overview of the Destination Ambassador program being delivered by the South Shuswap Chamber of Commerce to businesses in the Shuswap region.

Destination Ambassador covers key topics that make for memorable visitor experiences, including:

• The role of local ambassadors in the visitor experience
• The importance of tourism and how it benefits your local community
• Different visitor profiles and reasons they visit your area
• Products and services your community has to offer visitors
• Where to access information and how to provide helpful service to others

Shuswap Tourism has provided partial funding to this project to ensure that the course is affordable to businesses and participants.

9.

Crowdriff Update – New

K. Dearing updated the committee regarding the CrowdRiff implementation.  CrowdRiff is an online tool used to assist destinations in finding user generated content and integrate into their social media pages and websites. The program monitors popular social media websites, searching for commonly used hashtags and compiles them all into one place.  Shuswap Tourism will be able to then use the photos on the website in their social media marketing.  This new media hub will also maintain usage requirements and will ensure that all photos are following the photo contract requirements. Photographers will also be able to submit their own photos and if the proper permissions are given Shuswap Tourism will be able to use these photos for their marketing.

T. Rysz left the meeting at 2:53 PM.

G. Bushell left the meeting at 2:53 PM.

7.

Kicking Horse Highway Closure

The Kicking Horse Canyon Project is located on the Trans-Canada Highway between Golden and Lake Louise.  The Highway will be going through major upgrading in 2020, which will result in full road closures for a significant period of time.  The traffic will be re routed though Radium Hot Springs.  Although the closure is not taking place in the Shuswap, the highway is a main route for many visitors to the area and may cause some disruption to travel plans. 

Discussion was held on these closure and the affect that it will have on Tourism visitation in the Shuswap region.  It was discussed that the committee will remain up to date on these closures and bring any of their concerns forward to the committee for further discussion.

6.

Shuswap Tourism Roles

Discussion was held about the resignation of R. Cyr  as the Economic Development Officer and Manager of Shuswap Tourism.  Questions were asked about the continuity of the Shuswap Tourism department responsibilities.  It was stated that the CSRD Administration staff will manage any decisions regarding the position and any questions on this subject can be directed to the CAO, Charles Hamilton.

10.

Winter Marketing Campaign Review

R. Cyr gave the Committee an overview of the winter marketing campaign.  There is a need to shift the perception that the Shuswap is just a summer destination and support the business strategy to grow the region into a multi-seasonal destination.  The winter marketing campaign strategy was to position the Shuswap as a winter destination to recharge, reboot, and reconnect.  The Committee was shown all three marketing videos.

Overall, by launching the Shuswaps first winter campaign, it has provided awareness of the destinations winter experiences through effective and engaging storytelling tactics.

11.

Update on the Secwepemc Indigenous Tourism

S. Witzky gave an update to the Committee about the Indigenous Tourism Project. The team has been working diligently on the following deliverables:

Cultural Sharing Guidelines - Working with Community Elders to create a list of cultural elements that can be shared within and outside of the community as a means of furthering Indigenous Tourism.

Indigenous Artisan Support - Researching existing Artisan databases and developing a survey to identify artisans and their potential interest to develop and market their crafts.

Assist Entrepreneurs in the Development of their Tourism Based Business - Identifying existing entrepreneurs and soliciting their feedback about their individual experiences.

Develop and Deliver Tourism Events - Developing a database of indigenous events throughout the region where cultural tourism can be showcased to wider audience.

For more details please see the report attached to the HTML version of these minutes.

12.

2021 RBC Cup – Junior National Hockey Championships – Letter of Support

R. Cyr provided the Shuswap Sports Society with a letter of Support for the 2021 RBC Cup - Junior National Hockey Championship bid on behalf of Shuswap Tourism.

13.

Terms of Reference Revision

R. Cyr revised the Terms of Reference for the Shuswap Tourism Advisory Committee.  The updated terms now includes membership updates which include one council member or designate from the Indigenous communities in the Shuswap region and one representative from Shuswap Trail Alliance. There also can not be more then twenty members on the Committee. The intention of these changes is to ensure that the Tourism Industry has a strong presence on the Committee.

• Moved By R. Betts
  Seconded By A. Maki

  THAT: The Shuswap Tourism Advisory Committee recommend to the CSRD Board the approval of the Shuswap Tourism Advisory Committee Terms of Reference as amended.

  
  CARRIED

14.

New 2019 Shuswap Brand Evolution – Typography

R. Cyr presented to the Committee the updated Typography for Shuswap Tourism.  The new fonts and color updates will help integrate Shuswap Tourisms current branding to integrate with the with Destination BC branding.  Please see the attached document to review the changes.

15.

Calgary Outdoor Show Attendance and Stats

Shuswap Tourism attended the Calgary Outdoor Adventure and Travel Show March 23 and 24th with Salmon Arm Economic Development.

The attendance at the Calgary show was more then the Vancouver show this year. The survey results show that 64% of surveyed have visit the Shuswap already. Overall it was a great show to attend and Shuswap Tourism plans to attend again in 2020.

16.

Next Meeting

September 12, 2019 at 1:00 PM, Location to be determined

17.

Adjournment

• Moved By D. Cannon
  Seconded By Director Demenok

  THAT: the May 9th, 2019 Shuswap Tourism Advisory Committee meeting be adjourned.

  
  CARRIED