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THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020
Vol. 8 Edition 3
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Frosted by the lake
Fatima Pisquem/The Chatham Voice
Ice coats the branches hanging low over the shore of Lake Erie on this Erie Shore Drive property recently. To date, it’s been a strange winter across Chatham-Kent.
Program ‘Sparks’ tourism creativity
By Bruce Corcoran bruce@chathamvoice.com
Indigenous spirituality, communing with nature and tracking one’s food from farm to plate earned high praise at a recent tourism competition in Chatham-Kent. The three concepts also earned $3,000 each in funding from the Ontario Tourism Innovation Lab.
The lab and its Chatham-Kent partners hosted a Dragon’s Den-style event at SOAR Innovation on Jan. 8 as part of the Spark Program. Five finalists pitched their innovative tourism ideas for the region. The top three were selected to receive a $3,000 grant to start up or continue growing their tourism idea along with mentor-
ship opportunities. Winners were TJ Stables for further developing their spirit horse program and facilities, Dan and Ann Wright for their effort in what they call “forest therapy,” and The Fresh Connection for that group’s farm-to-plate efforts. Terri Jenkins and John Basden of TJ Stables purchased a herd of spirit
horses last year. Jenkins said the ponies once ran wild on Walpole Island. People who connect with the horses are amazed at the bond. “People are coming from all cultures. We’re working closely with First Nations people. We’ve got their stamp of approval,” she said. “This is about creating indigenous and historical awareness and
teachings through the spirit horses.” Jenkins said the goal is cultural restoration, adding the horses are very important in terms of indigenous culture. “This money will go towards promotion, and we want to build an authentic teaching lodge. Just like any other space, it’s conducive to success,” she said. “We get students
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or anybody visiting, they go into the lodge and it’s decked out properly and is a big part of the experience.” The Wrights plan to further develop their 72-acre property near Bothwell to serve as a place of forest therapy; essentially getting back to nature by taking a quiet walk in the woods.
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