Hub Staff

Saugeen Shores’ very own Jeff Carver was one of the recipients of the Charlie Kelly award at the Bruce Grey Simcoe Conference 2015 held at the Meaford Hall on December 9.

This is the first year for the conference. The previous and separate Grey Bruce Tourism and Tourism Simcoe County's Beyond the City Lights conferences teamed up with Regional Tourism Organization 7 (RTO7) for 2015. “We’ve amalgamated … and pulled everyone from across our region,” said Kim Clarke, Tourism Experience Development Specialist for Bruce Grey Simcoe.

The conference is an opportunity for those involved in the tourism industry, either directly or indirectly, to network and learn from their peers as well as experts. The theme of this year’s conference was ‘In the Know’.

“We featured three panels, one focused on events, risk management; one focused on funding opportunities that are out there and then a third one focused on online travel agencies and … how that's sort of shaping and changing how people book travel,” said Clarke.

The Charlie Kelly award started in Bruce and Grey and now includes Simcoe. “We actually had two winners this year, which is unprecedented,” said Clarke. In addition to Carver, Don Braden, former President of the Blue Mountain Village Association won the award posthumously. Braden passed away this past May.

“It is to honour the person that has done the most to advance the tourism industry in the region over the last year,” said Clarke.

Charlie Kelly was an Owen Sound alderman who championed the idea of winter tourism in Owen Sound and the award, which has been sponsored by Bayshore Broadcasting since 1979, is given in his honour.

Some of the highlights that led to Carver’s eventual winning was his work through The Wismer House and other businesses and properties in Saugeen Shores, his volunteer work with both the Business Improvement Association (BIA) and the Saugeen Shores Chamber of Commerce, as well as the work he has done toward the restoration of Port Elgin’s downtown.