*Please note: In my June 22 column, I noted that Thompson Insurance had taken over Forsyth Agency’s MPI insurance business. Although Thompson Insurance did take over Forsyth’s Agency and they do sell MPI insurance, they did not take over this portion of the Forsyth Agency business. It is in fact now handled through Hub International. My apologies for any confusion this misstatement may have caused.
That out of the way … Snow Lake’s Chamber of Commerce has just released a unique publication within the realm of tourism. It comes in the form of a locally commissioned, written and produced tourism magazine, which is centred on Snow Lake and environs.
The publication was based upon an idea the chamber’s president, Gerard Lamontagne, put forward several years back. The suggestion turned into a resolution, put forward for discussion at the group’s AGM in September 2017. It passed unanimously. At that meeting the chamber contracted local writer Marc Jackson to design, write and lay out a publication based on the community that would be ready the following summer. He began in the spring, putting the finished product in their hands in May. After a round of edits, it was printed by Winnipeg’s Kendrick Quality Printing in June 2018, with 1,000 copies back in Snow Lake for the Canada Day weekend.
Gerard Lamontagne noted that producing the 32-page exclusive publication was important to the chamber, primarily because it had never been done. “In all the northern tourism magazines Snow Lake is lucky to get a portion of a page,” Lamontagne observed. “We knew there was a lot to tell about this community and more to show in its natural beauty.”
Lamontagne feels the new magazine will undoubtedly increase tourism in Snow Lake. “Visitor percentages, of course, we would only be guessing at right now,” he said. “But, we will notice more local business next summer and the following summers. Most summer holidays for this year are already planned, but we should catch some quick weekend trips through the coming months.”
Currently copies of the publication are being distributed with Travel Manitoba at their targeted locations on various borders, and airports. However, the Chamber President advises distribution will not be limited to Travel Manitoba. “The chamber itself will distribute it through a networking system of chambers across Canada, the United States, Asia and Europe,” said Lamontagne. “We will specifically target areas that are known for northern Canadian travel: lake lovers, hikers, fans of what we have to offer. Snow Lake is a great product to sell; we just have to let a few million people in on the secret!”
The chamber will locally monitor the impact of the magazine and the president feels the best way to gauge its impact will be by talking to chamber members next summer. “We’ll be asking if our motels, hotels, B & Bs, restaurants and stores are noticing more tourist business,” he explained. “Also, are our campgrounds busier?”
Asked what membership thinks of the final product, Lamontagne stated that the chamber loves it. “The community hasn’t yet seen it en masse, but I am going to ask the group if they wouldn't mind selling some copies to locals who would like one,” he said. “We will also give a copy to each member and the rest will be sent out far and wide to work their magic!”
Writer Marc Jackson said he was pleased with the final product and was happy to hear that the chamber was as well. He noted that his wheelhouse was the local community newspaper and that this was his first foray into putting something this elaborate together from cover to cover. “I really enjoyed the writing and the layout … I made some mistakes, but learned a lot,” he said. “The next time around, if there is one, will be easier.”
