Sandra And Dwight Produce For Windsor Tourism

In case you missed the small story buried at the bottom of Page 3 in Monday's Star, rather than on the front page, it looks like our two Liberal Cabinet members/MPPs have been able to send a quarter of a million dollars down Windsor way for convention promotion (and to help out in their re-election). Nothing like starting out the year in a positive fashion for the folks back home.

"The City of Windsor will receive up to $250,000 from Queen's Park to attract new national and international conventions and conferences, Tourism Minister Jim Bradley announced Sunday."

Well, it's not really that big a deal actually since the only real convention facility we have will be the Casino's when it is finished so it's really the Government giving the City money to promote its own facility.

However, beggars can't be choosers.

Interestingly, convention business is not very good in Windsor these days and it also seems that the Convention Bureau is not quite sure how to "sell" the Casino. Here's what their December Minutes say:

• "G. Orr comments on the convention statistics and states that fewer groups will translate into fewer delegates this year and it may affect the 2006 target. He is optimistic however about the new casino/convention center build. He explains that the CVB is still learning in terms of its relationship with the casino convention space. However, CVB account executives will work with them and continue to sell the destination. "

I hope it's not a waste of $250K!

However, did you see the big mistake in the story?

• "Gordon Orr, managing director of the Windsor Essex County and Pelee Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, said in a news release he was "thrilled" the Ontario government recognizes the positive economic impact of conventions."

"Thrilled" Come on Gord...get with the program. A word like "thrilled" does not help out Eddie running against Sandra.

Haven't you figured out that you should have been "disappointed" that Windsor only received $250K out of $2M that was available and that it took the Government this long to figure out that conventions were important.

Where's that "We are a border city and we have special needs" rhetoric that has not worked yet for Windsor but is good for the locals to eat up to show how Queen's Park is ignoring us? The no-smoking law should have been good for at least an extra $100K if you had threatened to repeat Dwight's words to the public to remind us of his "What me worry" attitude.

Hey, throw out the Mayor's outrageous numbers re Super Bowl, not the real ones, to show how tourist spending can help out Windsor's battered economy. (That stat "The average convention attendee spent $598 per visit, 312 per cent more than what an average visitor to Ontario shells out" was a good one!). That should have been worth more cash too since the WWE is coming to Detroit in April.

Where's that demand for "More, please." Have you asked Fulvio to raise at Council his "why no one is listening to Windsor" cry again?

Come on Gord, no more "conventional" thinking if Eddie is involved. We have a Cabinet Minister to elect!