Having trouble viewing this email? View as a web page.

Industry Report - January 2024

Film Durham. Your locations. Their next film.

Are you interested in having your property listed as a potential filming location in the Film Durham and Ontario Creates Digital Location Libraries? If so, Film Durham offers an opportunity for homeowners and businesses to learn about hosting a film or television shoot—something that can be a very exciting and rewarding experience, but may hold some surprises if you’ve never done it before.

On February 29, Film Durham is inviting you to meet with industry professionals that will educate and prepare you to market your unique location for film and television production. The event will take place on February 29, from 1 to 4 p.m., at Parkwood National Historic Site in Oshawa. Registration closes on February 23.

Reserve your spot

Forward Motion Webinar - Electric Vehicle (EV) ChargeON Program

Applications are now open for the Province of Ontario’s EV ChargeON Program—a provincially funded program to support charging station projects across Ontario’s municipalities.

The program will support 50 per cent of total project costs up to a maximum of $1 million per site. Eligible charging sites must meet a few requirements, including being accessible and in a community with a population of 170,000 or less.

Learn how you can apply for provincial funding and add EV charging to your business at the Forward Motion webinar on January 18 from 2 to 3 p.m., hosted by the Tourism Industry Association of Ontario.

Central Counties Tourism (CCT) 2024-25 Partnership Program and Information Session

As part of their partnership program, CCT challenges every organization entering a partnership to determine how they will work with others to encourage increased length of visit and money spent.

New to the 2024-25 Partnership Program this year:

Three priority streams for partnership support, including Out-of-Region Marketing, Multi-Stakeholder Development Initiatives, and Destination Development;
Two intake periods to support projects occurring between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025;
Only one application per stream per tourism business or organization; and,
All applicants must be registered with CCT.

CCT will be hosting an information session on February 1 at 1 p.m., for updates on important changes to the program’s support criteria and eligibility, application requirements and intake deadlines. The session will also provide an opportunity for questions. The application portal opens on February 1 and the first of two intake deadlines is March 15.

Table with various plates of food at The Springwood Restaurant in Whitby

FeastOn® Certified Local Information Session

Feast On® is a certification program, managed by the Culinary Tourism Alliance (CTA ), for restaurants and purveyors in Ontario. It recognizes businesses committed to sourcing and celebrating Ontario-grown food and drink—making it easier for food lovers to find local food.

CTA is hosting a virtual information session on February 12 at 10 a.m., for attendees to learn more about the Feast On® program, its current network and the benefits of getting certified.

The session will provide an opportunity to ask questions, share ideas and connect with fellow food tourism providers—including chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, growers, producers and distributors.

Local Business Highlights

New year, new award nomination! Congratulations to The Second Wedge Brewing Co. in Uxbridge, who have been shortlisted as a standout candidate for the ‘Community Initiative of the Year’ by the 2023 Canadian Brewers Choice Awards. The awards ceremony will take place on January 31. Learn more.

Buddha Belly Bakery in Newcastle is searching for dynamic partners to expand their business across Canada. The bakery recently franchised and is now offering franchise opportunities across the country—with a mission to make delicious, gluten-free eating a nationwide delight! Learn more.

Two Durham restaurants have made it on to OpenTable’s Top 100 Restaurants with Healthy Bites in Canada 2024. Congratulations to Urban Pantry in Uxbridge and Bistro '67 in Whitby! This list was compiled from more than 1.1 million OpenTable diner reviews and dining metrics. Learn more.

Discover more local business news

Sport Durham News

🎙️ Congratulations to Oshawa’s very-own, Saroya Tinker—retired ice hockey defenceman, and the new CBC Sports, TSN and Sportsnet Analyst! Learn more about this exciting update.

🏀 Congratulations to Jayvon Frogley from Whitby on earning a roster spot with the 2023-2024 Team Ontario Junior Provincial Wheelchair Basketball Team, and Dawson Emberly from Whitby who was selected for the 2023-2024 Team Ontario Junior Provincial Development Squad. View the full update from Ontario Para Network.

🏆 Congratulations to James Titmarsh, the recipient of the 2023 Accessibility Award from the Town of Ajax’s Community Awards. James is a longtime sledge hockey advocate, and served in leadership roles for the 2019 and 2023 Durham Region Ontario Parasport Games. Learn more about James and this award.

Find more sport updates in Durham Region

For unique trip ideas or to plan your perfect day, visit DurhamTourism.ca, or call 1-800-413-0017. If this information is required in an accessible format, contact Durham Tourism.