Canada Day Celebration To Promote Area Tourism
By Paul Gingras

At its regular meeting Thursday, April 20, the Mackinaw City village council approved signs for a new event called "Canada Day in Mackinaw City," an event designed by the Algoma Kinniwabi Travel Association of Canada in collaboration with Mackinaw Crossings and the Mackinaw Area Visitors Bureau.

"This is an unprecedented event. The people of our country have never celebrated Canada inside the United States this way," said organizer Stephen Hollingshead, manager of sales and marketing for Algoma Kinniwabi.

The effort is an experiment to encourage tourism on both sides of the border, he added. It will begin at Mackinaw Crossings in Mackinaw City at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 1, and end at 10 p.m. Sunday, July 2. The celebration coincides with Canada Day, a Canadian national holiday July 1. Canada Day, once known as Dominion Day, began in 1879 to celebrate the anniversary of the republic's formation.

Members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police will stand in uniform at the entrance to Mackinaw Crossings, and Canadian dignitaries and village council members will conduct a ribbon cutting ceremony to begin the event.

Visitors will encounter large "Welcome to Ontario" banners and have the opportunity to take part in activities with Canadian themes. There will be state-ofthe art fishing simulators that allow users to experience virtual fishing. Native dancers of The Great Spirit Circle Trail will perform in full regalia. A laser light show will be seen at night, and a concert will be held Saturday by "Shania Twin," an impersonator of the Canadian country singer Shania Twain. Organizers also hope to have a bush plane parked at the Crossings. The Canadian television broadcaster CTV will cover the event, which will include a trade show and opportunities to win prizes, including trips to Canadian tourism destinations.

Members of the Canadian federal and provincial governments will attend the event with representatives of the International Bridge Authority. The Bridge Authority will be on hand to discuss details of crossing the border into Canada, such as passport regulations and what food can and cannot enter the country. Mr. Hollingshead added that he hopes to have inspectors from U.S. Customs and Border Protection there to talk about American regulations, also.

Canada's vast rural trail systems are a major attraction to the Algoma District of Ontario, Mr. Hollingshead added, and to encourage Americans to use them, uniformed members of the Ontario Provincial Police will be on hand to discuss the rules, safety requirements, and other matters

associated with the various trail systems. Examples of their all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles will there for visitors to see, also.

The event is a "hands across the water" effort expected to draw Canadian tourists to Mackinaw City and to encourage Americans to visit the Algoma district, Mr. Hollingshead said.

William R. Shepler, president of Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry said, "This event will bring the magic back to Mackinaw Crossings."

"Canada Day in Mackinaw City" came about, in part, because of the presence of The Canada Store in Mackinaw Crossings, a retail shop connected with the Algoma Kinniwabi Travel Association. The store offers memberships for Algoma Kinniwabi, arranges trips to Canada, and sells Canadian merchandise.

"Canada Day in Mackinaw City" has been in the works for several years, Mr. Hollingshead added. It resulted from a visit by Sandra McInnis, head of the ministry of Ontario tourism, formerly known as the Ontario Tourism Marketing Partnership Corpora- tion.

"It was no small feat getting her there," he added.

Bridge crossings into Canada are down, and Canadian and American tourism officials hope this event will help encourage travel in both directions. Mr. Hollingshead said providing information about Canadian and American policies should help people reluctant to cross the bridge feel more comfortable doing so. To encourage American travel, his office will give away free passes that pay the bridge toll into Canada.

One village council member suggested Michigan host a similar event in Canada.

Marilyn McFarland of the Mackinaw City Visitor's Bureau said, "If this event is successful for Ontario, you'd better believe we'll be trying it, too."