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St. Croix Courier
Feb 21/1995
History unveiled at heritage dinner. (Algonquin. Prise of 1917 Hotel promotional materials.)
St. Croix Courier
March 7/1995
Learn more about Tourism's strategy. (Day Adventure) A-8.
Tourism operators who want to learn more about the provincial government's Day Adventures program are invited to attend an information session at Fundy High School on Tuesday, March 14 from 7-9 pm. Economic Development and Tourism Deputy Minister Francis McGuire will be speaking at the session which is entitled New Brunswick's Tourism Strategy, Where Are We Headed?
Shorter vacations, quality, unique offering, value, "green" products, visibility, accessibility—all these and more, say the provincial government's economic development and tourism department, are changing New Brunswick's tourism strategy. Why it's changing, how and what it will mean to tourism operators—all these will be discussed at the information session. Topics will range from improvements to infrastructures and changes to the provinces' image to a revitalised point of sale and new product opportunities. The key to the evolving strategy is the province's new Day Adventure program. The deputy minister will outline how this will make activities more visible, accessible and affordable both for visitors and New Brunswickers.
St. Croix Courier
March 21/1995
New tourism strategy offers 51 exciting new day adventure. A-10. (Jane Garbutt)
New Brunswick has redefined the word "adventure" and is offering 41 exciting new day adventures for vacationers this summer outlined in a glossy new brochure which is available at an information meeting at Fundy High School Tuesday night. There's everything here from whale and bird watching out of Grand Manan and Deer island to a taste of nature of Crocker Hill Studios in St. Stephen. Prices for the day adventures range from $15 per person for some activities to up to $215 per boat to go smallmouth bass fishing on the St. Croix River. Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Tourism Francis McGuire was on hand at the session to explain the province's new tourism strategy. He said many tourists complain there is nothing to do in New Brunswick and even if there is something going ton it is hard to find out about it. He said outdoor activity-based tourism is the fastest growing sector of the tourism industry in Canada with growth rates in excess of 20 percent annually. The goal in New Brunswick, he said, is to develop a network of key day activity centres in high traffic areas that will regroup operators and provide easily accessible point-of-sale to consumers.
The centres are clusters of support facilities for outdoor adventure operators in a single, easily accessible and visible site which will provide a minimum of five activities. The department will enter into a standard partnership agreement with local owners or developers who will build, own and operate the centres.
To quality as a centre, the owner must submit a full business plan, marketing plan, demonstrate financial viability, meet or be in training for certification, commit to participate in the day adventure training program and show proof of liability insurance.
To be located in a centre, day activity operators, said McGuire, must display to the department's satisfaction that four criteria are met—a learning or training component of the activity itself, activity or exercise, insight into area,—natural history, ecology, flora, fauna, and refreshments (where applicable). The department will review the interpretive program components of each operator to determine eligibility. Each operator will also supply a full business and marketing plan, demonstrate financial viability, either meet or be in training for New Brunswick or other certification and commit to fully participate in the Day adventure training Program and show proof of liability insurance.
Training for staff will consist of customer relations, human resource management, accounting, environmental ethics, trip planning and marketing. In addition, three levels of outdoor adventure guides certification will be offered. McGuire said they expect 1995 to be devoted mainly to working with communities in developing Day Adventure operators necessary to establish a centre. "The key element for the development of a Day Adventure Centre is to identify a critical mass of potential Day Activity operators to work on the development of qualified activities."
The key strategic challenges for 1995, he said, are to create the perception of an overwhelming abundance of activity, create the strongest point of sale initiative in Canadian tourism and create a new selling proposition. In her presentation Jane Garbutt, co-ordinator of products development with the department, said the "in their face" strategy is to put the product where the people are and where they can't miss it. "In 1993 there were 1.5 million tourists in New Brunswick; this year there will be even more. We must reach these potential customers!"
It will be possible to make reservations either directly with the operators listed in the brochure or at one of the point of sale locations staffed by day adventure coordinators which include the Algonquin Hotel, the Granite Town Hotel, St. Stephen Tourist Information Center, and St. Andrews Chamber of Commerce.
St. Croix Courier
April 18/1995
St. Andrews Adventure center schedule for June opening. A-2.
A Day Adventure Centre at the town's waterfront is scheduled to open June 1. Provincial funding for the project was announced Thursday. Charlotte West MLA Reid Hurley presented a cheque for construction of buildings and a sea wall from the wharf to William Street. A public meeting will be held at the Algonquin Hotel at 7 pm Wednesday to give residents a chance to offer their input on the design and look of the buildings. The centre is likely to include a reception building and two smaller buildings which can be used by tour operators, said Town manager Jacques Dube. The St. Andrews Day Adventure Centre is the second to be announced in the province. Construction of a centre in St. George was announced in march 31.
The idea behind the adventure centres is to provide one-stop shopping convenience for tourists by giving them the opportunity to book activities throughout the province from the centres. At Thursday's press conference, St. Stephen-Milltown-Campobello MLA Ann Breault said New Brunswick has been traditionally considered a "drive-through province" and that the centres should help encourage tourists to stay in New Brunswick longer. "St. Andrews is a prime location for an adventure destination," Breault said, adding, "The St. Andrews area will become known as one of the best places to visit in New Brunswick, if it isn't already."
There are 51 different day adventures listed in the province's 1995 guide book. Included are activities such as whale watching, kayaking, canoeing, guided tours, hiking and fishing. Carleton-Charlotte MP Harold Culbert said he believes these are the types of activities tourists are looking for. "No longer do they want the Disneyland atmosphere," he said. Construction of the centre and the sea wall will provide 160 person weeks of work, employing a total of 15 people. Once constructed, there will be about 10 seasonal full-time jobs. In addition to the Day adventure Centre and sea wall, the town is planning waterfront development that will include a promenade from King Street to William Street. The additional projects are expected to cost about $190,000, Dube said, with the town contributing $40,000, $28,00 of which will be an in-kind contribution of services or equipment. The remainder of the funding is expected to come from Human Resources Development Canada and the provincial government.
An invitation for proposals from tourism operators has gone out and anyone interested in offering day activities from the St. Andrews centre is asked to apply by April 21.
St. Croix Courier
May 16/1995
St. Andrews [Algonquin] pub stripper with 14 aliases gets 60 days in jail. A-2. Punches security person after being discovered naked in washroom washing clothes in sink.
St. Croix Courier
July 25/1995
Biker wedding highlights rally. A-3. (on front lawn of hotel)
A few thousand Harleys, lots of leather and wedding bells? No, the Hell's Angels have not invaded the area. It's just the 3rd annual Canadian National Harley Owners Group Rally, being held in St. Andrews this week. An estimated 3,000 Harley enthusiasts will descend upon St. Andrews for a full weekend of events centered around family, friends and fun. HOG (Harley Owners Group) is the largest factory-sponsored club with over 280,000 members worldwide. Not only does the club provide an opportunity for Harley owners to get together and share their enthusiasm, but it also runs many charity events throughout the year including the Muscular Dystrophy Charity Carnival being held Friday.
The rally opens begins Thursday when over 300 Harleys will meet at Eldridge's Harley in Saint John and then drive along Highway 1 to St. Andrews. They will begin their drive at 10 am. Upon arriving in St. Andrews all bikers will register with HOG representatives at the Algonquin. After registration Harley owners will be given the opportunity to participate in a number of fun-filled events including scavenger hunts, chapter challenges, observation runs, tours of St. Andrews and poker runs.
Holy matrimony will also play a part in this year's rally. Cindy McColgan, chapter director/charter member of the Saint John chapter of HOG, and Mark MacAulay will be married Saturday. The ceremony will take place on the front lawn of the Algonquin and after the two have exchanged their vows they will lead a huge parade of bikers through downtown St. Andrews. the wedding starts at noon and everyone is welcome to attend. To finish off the rally there will be a beach party in Katy's Cove. During the beach party there will be an awards ceremony for winners of the rally events and also an auction to raise money for the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Melanie Coates, spokesman for the Algonquin, bills this as a very family-oriented rally. "It should be loads of fun, with lots to see and do throughout the weekend. A real community event," said Coates. Also, with the rally having almost doubled the normal population of St. Andrews the rally should be good for the local economy. Store owners from around the area have been ordering extra inventory in anticipation of the increased sales.
St. Croix Courier
Aug 1/1995
St. Andrews embraces Harley riders. A-8.
They roared around town by the hundreds, their motors racing while the burnished chrome glinted in the sun and then the rain. Intimidating black leather covered their heads, their chests, their legs, their feet, even their wrists. Several referred to themselves as "Cowboy" and admitted they had an "ego thing." "I like being a little bad, but not an outlaw," said one man Friday afternoon. "When I'm on my bike I feel different, not only free but a little wild"
But who were the bikers attending the 3rd Canadian National Harley-Davidson Owners Group (HOG) Rally this past weekend? "They are the nicest group, one of the best conventions this town ahs ever hosted," said Mayor Nancy Aiken on Saturday afternoon. "There hasn't been an incident of anyone being out of line that I know of," she said, "and they are obviously very concerned about their image and are careful to protect it."
Aiken, wearing one of the coveted 3rd Canadian National HOG T-shirts and a matching bandana around her neck, said the HOG group gave more to the town than the town gave back to them. "They were polite, pleasant, gracious and very enjoyable. The whole town came out to watch them and they've been very accommodating. Another person described HOG people as having "teddy bear hearts." Thursday and Friday interested local residents viewing the motorcycles on Water Street were even offered rides around town on the mechanical steeds.
Donna McNichol, whose smiling face and energy belies her 82 years, not only had a ride after showing interest, but was immediately outfitted in leather chaps, jacket and a helmet for the event. "It was fun, a great time," she said afterwards. These were no ordinary bikers. They were HOGs. If you ride a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, you are a member of the brotherhood, of the family. It's style and patriotism. it's freedom and adventure. It's friendship and family.
According to HOG statistics, the average age of the 1,200 – 1,500 bikers who gunned their motors into St. Andrews this weekend was 41. Sixty percent were male and 40 percent female. Seventy-six percent were married and most had their spouses with them. The median personal income was $37,000 and the household income was $45,000. Sixty-four percent had no children living at home. Thirty-four percent had one or two children at home and only two percent had more than three children at home.
Monday, as life returned to normal in St. Andrews, many residents were wishing HOG would schedule another rally here in the near future. "it was an ideal place to be and the people could not have been nicer," said HOG membership services representative Meredith Low from Toronto Monday. "The location was perfect, the staff at the hotel was fantastic and all the riders I talked to felt as though they'd been treated like royalty."
St. Croix Courier
Aug 1/1995
Come Back Anytime
Edit: The weekend's convergence of Harley-Davidson motorcycle owners in the tiny seaside town of St. Andrews was a historical moment for the entire region, and thousands of local residents were on hand to get a piece of the action. Sights and sounds in the resort community were unlike any witnessed before, as thousands of classy, shiny motorcycles and their leather-clad owners converged on and changed the complexion of St. Andrews for four days.
Staid conservatism met the essence of freedom here and the sight and sound of it was at once breathtaking and laughable. As one St. Andrews family enjoyed a quiet tea party on their well-manicured lawn, a dozen Harleys rambled by, their owners' tattooed arms waving in greeting. In front of the stately Algonquin, hundred of bikes were parked and women in their eighties vied with children for a chance to go for a ride.
Harley owners were not so welcome to hold their convention in some other communities; there was fear that unruly bikers would cause trouble. But that was not the case in St. Andrews. Town leaders are to be given credit for having an open mind and welcoming the convention here. During their four days in St. Andrews, we discovered what Harley owners already know—we have a lot in common, alth9ugh we like to express ourselves in different ways. For the HOGs a motorcycle represents freedom, individuality and a spirit of adventure. Many of us, who came out to the rally out of curiosity, left feeling a bit jealous. We have just one question for the Harley owners group. When will you be back?
St. Croix Courier
Oct 10/1995
GG Romeo LeBlanc speaks at Canada Japan Tourism Conference at Algonquin. Last GG to visit Ed Schruyer.