BARRY’S BAY – A Madawaska Valley resident investigated what 17 Renfrew County municipalities are doing in regards to visitor information centres and presented her findings at the April 18 regular council meeting.
That evening, Paula Schreader explained that there has been heated discussion about the railway station in Barry’s Bay.
“This is not a core service,” she said. “There is very questionable economic gain for our township.”
She cited the $77,000 in salaries, excluding benefits and operating expenses at the facility to be open year-round.
“In delivering services, 300 hours of staff overtime were incurred,” she said. “So, in short, due to decisions for year-round coverage made by our past council, the railway station has gone from costing us around $40,000 per year and is now pushing up toward $100,000 per year.”
That decision, Schreader explained, is why the new council was voted in.
Schreader decided to contact 17 municipalities to see what is implemented in each region. The Town of Arnprior, Deep River, Petawawa, McNab-Braeside Township, City of Pembroke, and Head-Clara-Maria Township offer brochures or tourist information directly from the township office.
Laurentian Hills Township, Brudenell-Lyndoch-Raglan Township, Admaston-Bromley Township, Horton Township, Laurentian Valley Township and North Algona Wilberforce Township either have information online or offer little to no visitor information services.
Get your April 20, 2016 edition of The Valley Gazette to read the full story.