CALEB NICKERSON
CAMPBELL’S BAY
March 7, 2019
On March 7, the MRC Pontiac offices were filled with young entrepreneurs and agricultural experts for a seminar on agri-tourism.
The bilingual session was hosted by Corine Jacob and Charles Séguin of the Table Agroalimentaire de l’Outaouais (TAO). The evening served to inform local business owners (or potential business owners) what resources they have available to them, as well as offering input for the TAO’s 2019-2022 action plan.
The pair explained what the table has been working on so far, highlighting the Outaouais Gourmet Way, a partnership with Tourism Outaouais that highlights various farms and agri-tourism destinations across the region. Séguin noted that they produced a pocket tourist map to be distributed this year, but due to a printing error, the delivery will be delayed.
Jacob said that they are also currently working on a mobile app that will act as a counterpart.
“We really hope that it will be finished for June so it can be used this summer,” she said.
Jacob explained that there is a vetting process for a business to appear on the app, to ensure that users have a pleasurable excursion.
“It’s really easy, we just want to make sure that it’s organized and that people will be there,” she said, noting that they assess applicants for things like accessibility, on-site bathrooms and the like. “Some people want to jump in and they’re not ready. We’re here for that. We’ll help them build something so that visitors can come and have a really good experience.”
TAO Director Vincent Philibert said that many entrepreneurs don’t know that through the Réseau Agriconseils Outaouais, they offer a wide range of financial aid to start or improve an agri-tourism business.
“I think the program is not that well known in general,” he said. “We want to promote it because there’s financial aid that they can get. [It] can be used to for more technical needs, like better yields. Now there’s grants for agri-tourism and marketing strategies and that.”
After a dinner break, the participants offered input on the TAO’s 2019-2022 action plan.
