Donald
Teuma-Castelletti
CHELSEA Jan. 11, 2018
An Allumette Island farmer gathered Outaouais leaders from various sectors at a roundtable discussion last Thursday, leading the talk on the potential for an agritourism route in the area.
Close to 30 people attended the CANAMEX meeting at the Meredith Centre, focusing on how to promote sustainable agriculture that produces a benefit for the local economy without detrimental effects to the environment.
“We wanted to plant the seed in their heads,” said David Gillespie, co-chair of CANAMEX. “I saw a lot of people generate new ideas and that’s going to lead to more feedback.”
Ideas were certainly in bloom in the conference room, as everyone brainstormed their thoughts, hopes, and ideal situations for the tourist route. Gillespie led the discussion with his view of the route as a chance for visitors to do something unique, while also extending to include not just the farms, but everything related to them, from farmers’ markets to education centres, museums and more.

“There could be a lot of benefit for farm exchanges,” added MRC Pontiac Warden Jane Toller, early into the discussion. “We’d need to keep everyone interested, through four- or six-day tours [in the area].”
Toller said there’s been a steady trend for tourists to seek out new, rural experiences, and that by having multi-day tours, this would draw such visitors.
Other benefits discussed included the lessons that can be learned on how to achieve success from the New York and Vermont partners, the value of the American dollar working to entice visitors from beyond the border and the variety of potential experiences.
However, the discussion wasn’t all well-wishing and dreaming, as hesitations and current limits to the potential success were discussed as well.
“As an agri-producer … if I had a dime for every organization that comes to me for payment to be included on their map,” said Municipality of Pontiac Mayor and Lavender Ridge owner Joanne Labadie, of the many tourist maps.
She said that local maps with a strong distribution and proper advertising would be beneficial, but like signage, would be costly. Gillespie expressed an interest in creating an interactive map subsidized by online tools, and shared some of the flashier, eye-catching maps that proved beneficial to tourists.
Other limitations discussed included a lack of accommodations for tourists to stay at, a lack of education to individual tourist locations on what to go to next, and maintaining a qualified work force, that locations can support.
“Seasonal workers and student workers cannot accommodate with these goals,” said Labadie. “If we’re going to work hard on the buy local movement, we should hire local, too.”
Questions to Gillespie also strayed to funding and structure for the group. He replied that beyond the initial committee, nine subcommittees were being formed to represent various regions of the circuit. As well, in the future, a technical committee will be formed for much of the behind-the-scenes work, helping to bring all the different aspects, like map design and abiding by local regulations, maintained by one group.
Gillespie did mention that it may be a smart move for the group to partner with an organization in the future, that would line up with CANAMEX’s expectations for the project.
CANAMEX, standing for Canadian/American Exchange, is a project aiming to promote sustainable agriculture between Canada and the United States, through agritourism, innovation and community outreach. The project is run and coordinated by a group of volunteers from various professional sectors between Quebec, New York and Vermont.
While the project is still in the works, with many ideas circulating and energy is high, Pontiac MP Will Amos had some advice to the group gathered.
“It’s up to CANAMEX to hone down and be specific with what you want to focus on, in order to get what you want to get out of it. If aspects become too focused on regulating for the future, there’s the issue of ignoring the now, the gradual uptick in tourism,” said Amos. “I am incredibly impressed at the energy that David brings to the table and the people that he’s gathered for this program. He can be sure that the federal minister of agriculture is already well-aware of this project.”