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A UNIFIED GOAL

The Northeast Community Network is an incorporated, regional, not-for-profit organization that promotes collaborative economic development, applied research and support, for regional development by promoting the utilization of all available resources in the Northeast region. The area represented by the NeCN spans from Constance Lake First Nation to the West, to Black River-Matheson to the East along Highway 11, to Timmins located to the West along Highway 101 and the Unincorporated Territories within these boundaries.

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THE PROJECT

The NECN works to grow and strengthen all economic sectors within the region through the establishment of committees who are responsible for overseeing various industry related projects. The Building the Best Snowmobile Destination in the World project is a key example of an initiative that is being spearheaded by the NECN.

Dedicated to working towards building a snowmobile tourism product in Northeastern Ontario that capitalizes on existing assets and brings them together to create a world class snowmobiling destination, the NeCN has launched this this multi-phased project which includes:

  • Undertaking a situational analysis of snowmobile tourism in the Northeastern Ontario
  • Engaging stakeholders through surveys and consultations
  • Hosting a Northeastern Ontario Tourism Snowmobiling Summit
  • Developing a five year Snowmobile Tourism Destination Plan for Northeastern Ontario

So, whether you are a tourism operator, snowmobile rider, club member or a volunteer, we want to hear from you. We need feedback from businesses and individuals to gather different perspectives about our regional snowmobiling industry.

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THE COMMITTEE

The committee that has been formed to oversee the Building the Best Snowmobile Destination project is made up of economic development staff from the Towns of Hearst, Kapuskasing, Timmins and Cochrane along with representatives from the OFSC and several local clubs.

This exciting initiative will result in the development of a long-term Northeastern Ontario snowmobile development strategy.

CURRENT PROJECT MEMBERS
  • Sylvie Fontaine – Hearst EDC
  • Guy Lamarche – City of Timmins
  • JP Ouellette – Town of Cochrane
  • Isabelle Denault – Town of Cochrane
  • Chantal Rody – Town of Kapuskasing
  • Al Carriere – District 15 Vice President
  • Pierre Demers – Polar Bear Riders Snowmobile Club
  • Michel Garon – District 15 Governor, OFSC
  • Gilbert Fortin – District 14 Governor, OFSC
  • Kenny Johnston – Polar Bear Riders Snowmobile Club
  • Marc Lapalme – Timmins Snowmobile Club, TATA, OFSC
  • Erin Van Alstine – Northern Corridor du Nord Snowmobile Association
  • Graham Campbell – Ministry of Northern Development and Mines

SNOWMOBILING

STATS & QUICK FACTS

DID YOU KNOW?
  • Ontario generates the largest source of snowmobile tourists in Canada.
  • There are about 3.4 million American annual overnight leisure travellers who are snowmobile tourists.
  • Three in ten snowmobile tourists have household incomes of less than $60,000, the same proportion are in the $60,000 to $99,999 income bracket and about 4 in 10 have incomes of at least $100,000.
  • Snowmobile tourists spend about $23.6 million of the $687.0 million spent by all Canadian overnight tourists in RTO13.
  • The North’s market takes trips that are, on average, about twice as long (4.3 nights) as snowmobilers in Southern Ontario (2.2 nights).

TOTAL SPENDING | BY REGION

AVERAGE SPENDING | BY REGION

ECONOMIC BENEFITS!
  • RTO13’s Canadian snowmobile tourists contributed $14.4 million toward Ontario’s gross domestic product (GDP).
  • Approximately 155 direct jobs and an additional 57 indirect and induced jobs in Northern Ontario were generated as a result of snowmobile tourists’ spending.
  • Over a year, RTO13 retained 93% of the 226 jobs created by snowmobile tourists in Northern Ontario. These jobs generated $8.7 million in wages and salaries province-wide, with 91% of this amount ($7.9 million direct, indirect, and induced) retained in Northern Ontario.
  • More than 90% of the economic benefits generated in Ontario by Canadian snowmobile tourists in RTO13 were retained in the region.
  • Over a season, overnight snowmobiling trips by Canadians reached over one million nationwide. Approximately 80,500 (7%) of these trips were to locations in Northern Ontario.

SNOWMOBILE TOURISTS | SPENDING BY SUB-REGION

Below is an approximate share of overnight snowmobile trips in 2013, from tourists who snowmobiled in Northern Ontario. The pie charts below display visitation numbers and respective spending by sub-region.

REGION 13A

REGION 13B

REGION 13C