“Heritage Economy” suggested for Amherstburg

Amherstburg's Heritage District.

The Amherstburg heritage committee received an update on a recent conference, with a topic of a “heritage economy” being an idea that could be developed in the future.

Committee chair Simon Chamely gave committee members a synopsis of the Ontario Heritage Conference in Prince Edward County held in June. He outlined what is happening in that area with regards to heritage and the events at the conference itself.

Chamely noted an address by historian Peter Lockyer, on the subject of a “heritage economy,” something Chamely wants to see more of in Amherstburg.

“He has created a heritage economy and that’s what he’s trying to do,” Chamely said of Lockyer. “I think it’s something we can easily adopt in Amherstburg. What he’s saying is when you have a core heritage group, if we come up with heritage partners similar to what Niagara Falls had done where they give you a Niagara tax on your food, your wine, that kind of thing.” 

Chamely suggested adding a small amount of money, “and I’m talking a few dollars, onto the restaurants and wineries in the area and start creating a small purse to promote heritage,” it could launch the initiative. He said the presentation at the conference showed 90 per cent of heritage promotion is done on a volunteer basis and most volunteers are 60 years of age and over.

“If you create kind of a heritage economy, then you can start hiring students to do tours and give information and create some kind of partnership. Once you have the heritage working group core, then you can get the heritage partners where you can start getting the money,” he said.

The ideas from the convention also included the sale of heritage-related products that can be sold to create additional revenue for tours and other initiatives. The program could grow from there and help educate more people, he said.

“What we’re selling in Amherstburg is history and history is a multi-billion dollar industry. If we can capitalize on that, we can save our properties and the more we save and the more information we can give out, the more people we can attract,” he said.

Chamely said he found Lockyer’s concepts interesting and encouraged committee members to read up on materials he brought back.

“It was incredible the way he talked about heritage and we’re on the way,” said Chamely. “We’re halfway there. We just have to create some kind of revenue. If we can hire more students and bring more awareness, I think we can do something with that.”

Vice chair Shirley Curson-Prue suggested utilizing the Marsh Historical Collection to support the plan, with Chamely agreeing with that idea. Curson-Prue added funding for students could come from a “number of different programs” and asked how the ideas could come together.

Chamely suggested coming up with an idea in the new year and pitching it to town council. 

“Who knows, maybe we can start getting some revenue to build that base and we can come up with a plan on how to use the money?” he said.

Curson-Prue said she wanted to see the issue re-appear at at the next meeting of the heritage committee for further discussion.

“It might just be a bad idea altogether but I’m just putting it out there to see if we can do something,” said Chamely. “We have all this information, we have all this history in town, let’s try to capitalize on it.”

Committee member Frank DiPasquale suggested bringing in stakeholders like museums, businesses and churches to a meeting. Chamely said that would be a future step.

“I think we have to come up with some kind of plan recommend it to council, and then pitch it to see who to include in it,” said Chamely.

Committee member Robert Honor said the town’s tourism department have created heritage-related opportunities and products.

“I would think the tourism office for the Town of Amherstburg would be involved in a project like this,” said Honor.

Chamely emphasized they have to figure out how to start and get a plan together, and wanted it added to the committee’s unfinished business list.

“Heritage Economy” suggested for Amherstburg

By Ron Giofu