Sharing a New Chapter of Peterborough's Epic Canoe Tale

Posted on Wednesday May 08, 2024

Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism and Destination Ontario brings a group of travel media to explore the region, Canadian Canoe Museum’s new lakefront location, and to experience the Trent-Severn Waterway with Le Boat

 

[PETERBOROUGH, ON]: The region is gearing up for an exciting year ahead and a tourism season to remember. To kick off this pinnacle moment in style, Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism and Destination Ontario are welcoming a group of travel media professionals to the region this week to gather stories to share with the world.

In 2024, the region is set to make headlines with the grand opening of the Canadian Canoe Museum's brand new purpose-built, world-class, two-storey, 65,000 sq. ft. lakefront museum and campus. Adding to the excitement is the expansion of Le Boat, globally-acclaimed canal cruiser company, extending its Canadian operations to the historic Trent-Severn Waterway.

“We are thrilled to see the new Canadian Canoe Museum and Le Boat on the Trent-Severn Waterway,” said Vincenza Ronaldi, President & CEO, Destination Ontario. “Travellers from Ontario, Canada and around the world are drawn to the beauty and tranquility of our waterways, and this is exactly what these new signature experiences offer. We are pleased to share our excitement through the voice of the media that we are welcoming today.”

“Travel media relations work goes far beyond promotion; it is about inspiring wanderlust and cultivating connections to build a positive reputation for our region. The opening of the new Canadian Canoe Museum and expansion of Le Boat to the region, is a reminder of the profound ways that water connects us all,” said Kelly Jessup, Director of Marketing & Communications for Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development. “We are thrilled to see the results of our hard work come to fruition and to welcome this group of travel media to share the stories of our region, including our newest tourism offerings. With unprecedented media interest, this is just the beginning of an impressive wave of storytelling opportunities. It is a destination marketer’s dream to share this captivating story, in collaboration with fantastic tourism partners.”

Currently, the majority of visitors (97 per cent) to Peterborough & the Kawarthas come from within the province of Ontario. These new developments are set to put the destination on the map for new national and international visitors, as well as returning visitors from the domestic market.

Visiting media members will take part in a two-day familiarization tour with the region’s rich canoe culture, connections to the waterway, and the development of what is being touted as a new attraction corridor in the City of Peterborough’s east-end at its core. The itinerary includes stops in both the City of Peterborough and Peterborough County, with a sneak peek of the soon-to-open Canoe Museum and an opportunity to experience the County at a relaxed and scenery-revelling pace aboard a luxury Le Boat canal cruiser (houseboat). Parks Canada has also been engaged as a pivotal partner with opportunities to showcase the Trent-Severn Waterway and the Peterborough Lift Lock (both National Historic Sites of Canada). Additional highlights include the Peterborough Museum and Archives, the Art Gallery of Peterborough, Peterborough Musicfest, Elmhirst’s Resort on Rice Lake (a part of the Canadian Canoe Route), the Taste of the Trent-Severn and Trent-Severn Trail Towns program operated by Kawarthas Northumberland (Regional Tourism Organization 8), and many more local flavours, sights and sounds along the way.

Grand opening celebrations at The Canadian Canoe Museum and Le Boat will be taking place this weekend, ahead of the Canoe Museum opening its doors to the world on May 13, and Le Boat’s first cruises taking off in line with the opening of the navigation season on the Trent Severn Waterway on the May long weekend.

QUOTES

“The new Canadian Canoe Museum is primed to become a significant cultural and recreational tourism destination between Toronto and Ottawa. We are excited to play a vital role in shaping the region’s identity as a premier travel location known for its vibrant community space outdoor programs, events, and canoeing activities,” said Carolyn Hyslop, Executive Director, The Canadian Canoe Museum.

“Parks Canada is pleased to welcome our travel media partners to the Trent-Severn Waterway National Historic Site of Canada,” stated David Britton, Director of Ontario Waterways. “Top of the list for “see and do” on the waterway this year is our signature event, “Lock & Paddle.” Taking place on Canada's Parks Day - July 20 – this year, we are joined by the Rideau and Lachine Canals in a “triple crown” of paddling fun. We are also pleased to welcome Le Boat to the waterway for its first season, and with the Grand Opening of our new neighbours – the Canadian Canoe Museum - 2024 promises to be a milestone year.”

“With a fleet of 8 boats at our new base in Peterborough at Horseshoe Bay Marina & Resort, we look forward to introducing both our local and international visitors to everything that Peterborough and the historic Trent-Severn has to offer,” said Lisa McLean, North American Marketing Manager for Le Boat. 

MEDIA CONTACTS

Cara Walsh, Marketing & Communications Officer - Tourism,
Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development,
705-872-1705,
cwalsh@investptbo.ca

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About Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism

Peterborough & the Kawarthas Tourism (PKT) is a division of Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development and is the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for the City and County of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. PKT operates the year-round Visitor Centre located at 270 George Street North on the first floor, in downtown Peterborough, Ontario.

Peterborough & the Kawarthas Economic Development (PKED) is the lead regional economic development agency for the City and County of Peterborough, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1998, PKED is a not-for-profit organization that is funded to deliver economic development and tourism services through a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Peterborough and the County of Peterborough and is governed by a volunteer board of directors made of up to 13 members of the local community, including Chief Administrative Officers for the County and City of Peterborough.

About Destination Ontario

Destination Ontario is the lead tourism marketing organization for Ontario, Canada. It markets Ontario to travel consumers within Ontario, Canada and around the world, inspiring travellers to make Ontario a must-see destination. Destination Ontario works collaboratively with tourism partners to benefit from shared content, joint partnerships and delivering a visitor-first approach to marketing.

Destination Ontario is an agency of the Government of Ontario’s Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

About The Canadian Canoe Museum

Located on the Traditional Territory of the Williams Treaties First Nations in Peterborough, Ontario, The Canadian Canoe Museum stewards the world’s largest collection of canoes, kayaks, and paddled watercraft. As part of the Museum’s responsibility for this cultural asset of national significance (Senate of Canada, 2013), it now displays 100 per cent of its collection in its new purpose-built 65,000-square-foot home facility on the waters of Little Lake that aspires to be as innovative as the canoe itself. With an array of indoor and outdoor spaces, the Museum inspires visitors to learn about Canada’s collective history and reinforce our connections to land, water, and one another – all through the unique lens of the iconic canoe. The Museum was named to the list of Best Cultural Spots on National Geographic’s Best of the World 2024, the brand’s annual guide of the most exciting, meaningful, and one-of-a-kind travel experiences for 2024.

About Le Boat

Le Boat is the world’s largest boat rental company and offers the widest choice of beautiful boating vacations in Europe plus two locations in Ontario, Canada, the UNESCO Rideau Canal and new for the 2024 season, the historic Trent-Severn Waterway. Le Boat’s 50 years of experience ensures that both new and experienced boaters are in good hand. With no boat license or prior boating experience required, Le Boat’s team will teach you everything you need to know to operator our luxury Horizon Cruises. Eat, sleep and live on board as you cruise yourself along the waterway from the comfort of our own private boat.

About Trent-Severn Waterway, National Historic Site

Salute human ingenuity on the Trent-Severn Waterway as you travel this 386km waterway, first opened in 1922 to connect Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. Today, Parks Canada maintains and operates this historic lock system as a perennial destination for recreational boaters and paddlers and a home to the many people who live, work, and play along its length