BARRIE, ONT The Town of Penetanguishene has partnered with the Southern Georgian Bay Chamber of Commerce to support local businesses this summer. The town is heavily dependent on tourism during the summer, and the initiative will benefit the municipality after a challenging year. It s just been a really devastating 15 months for our business community, says Anita Dubeau, Mayor of Penetanguishene. Whatever we can do to support them, provide promotions for them, we re going to do. A satellite office will be operating out of the Penetanguishene Town Dock, Tourist Information Centre (TIC). We haven t had a physical presence in Penetanguishene for more than 20 years, says Cathy Tait, Chamber General Manager.
BARRIE, ONT Mother Nature had other plans as businesses were eager to capitalize on the warm weather and the first full weekend of summer. With heavy rain in the forecast for the next number of days, the weather could prove challenging for restaurants that have been shuttered for months. We re just going to make the best of it and try and cover up as much as we can, says restaurant owner Rick Antonucci. The Barrie Chamber of Commerce, however, says staffing concerns may be a more significant issue. The biggest concern is they just don t have the staff to be able to get up and running when these restrictions lift, says Paul Markle, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce.