Town explores VIC options, including move to museum

The town’s visitor information centre could close, move, or remain the same. But time is running out for council to decide what to do this year.

Councillors explored options at the committee of the whole meeting March 19 after receiving a report on cost of operations and condition of the VIC building on Bridge Street. Cost to run the tourist bureau can be more than $20,000 a year with a manager and an assistant hired.

The building also needs several thousand dollars in upgrades.

It was the option to approach another organization to run the service that caught Coun. Michael Fairn’s attention, and he suggested Macdonald Museum as the perfect place for the VIC to be housed, managed, and possibly co-staffed.

The town CAO wasn’t sure what service level councillors were looking for, and wasn’t certain what could be put in place for summer with a new partner.

Coun. Melinda den Haan was concerned about giving up control of the VIC. All were concerned about how any change would affect the town’s delivery of its bicycle and kayak loan program.

In the end, the issue was turned over to staff to explore.

“Staff will start to initiate discussions with the museum to see what type of partnership we could establish with them to offer VIC operations out of that location or in partnership with them,” said Turner. “To see if there’s any uptake at all.”

She said any results of that discussion with museum staff would be brought back to the town’s committee of the whole meeting in April.