What's in it for Parry Sound?

 
Next year's G8 Summit of international leaders in Muskoka should produce some economic spinoffs for Parry Sound.
The preparations for the June 25-27 event in 2010 at Huntsville's Deerhurst Resort will lead to a whirlwind of new construction across the federal riding of Industry Minister and Parry Sound-Muskoka MP Tony Clement.
About $50 million is being dumped into the region for a new $20-million G8 Centre that will host the event, as well as other related infrastructure.
Clement promised last winter that West Parry Sound area will benefit from the spinoffs but hasn't made that clear to community leaders.
Parry Sound's G8 committee chairman Paul Scofield said they await a meeting with Clement in late May to get a better idea on how the community will participate. The town has proposals into the government and been stalled by integration of the G8 with the government infrastructure stimulus package.
Clement's office was to have delivered a report in late March outlining criteria to evaluate and respond to the anticipated demand to host and entertain several thousand foreign dignitaries, security officials and international media.
But that report has not yet be seen.
“We're waiting in a holding pattern,” said Parry Sound's Director of Economic Development and Leisure Services Lynn Middaugh. “All the request for funding are being filtered through FedNor and evaluated by this criteria that was to be done by March 31.”
Middaugh said all projects that receive will have some lasting legacy benefit to the community will extend beyond the life of the summit.
“When we've been at the leadership meetings in Muskoka, that's the message that's come across loud and clear from Tony's office.”
All direction is coming from a central leadership committee set up through Clement's office made up of area mayors and reeves. But there's been no leadership meeting since February.
While the G8 Summit is only expected to last three days, Middaugh said other events leading up to the conference could last “several months” with several world organizations expected to attend.
In Huntsville, the legacy of the summit is a new University of Waterloo environmental research centre, which will occupy the G8 building after the world leaders leave.
The 30,000-square-foot eco-system research and graduate studies facility will include laboratories, seminar and meeting rooms with accommodations for up to 50 students and faculty.