NORTH BATTLEFORD - Destination Battlefords organized a workshop recently, inviting stakeholders to come together with ideas about how to better promote tourism and host events in the Battlefords area.
Destination Battlefords is a partnership between the City of North Battleford and the Battlefords Hotels Association, and is supported by many community partners.
Kent Lindgren, chair of Destination Battlefords, and a current city councillor, noted that Destination Battlefords is part of the city's strategic plan, mostly as an economic development driver.
"It has really identified that we have had a lot of success in the Battlefords and North Battleford in attracting and hosting events, conferences, workshops, festivals, sporting competitions, so we really want to build on that," he said. "[This workshop] was part of our strategic plan to bring together recreational, cultural, heritage, city [representatives] and anybody with an interest in tourism in hosting and sponsoring events, to look at how we can work together better as a community, and as groups."
Lindgren noted while the Battlefords does attract many important events, it would like to be able to draw even more.
"We want to amplify that, and help people to do that better," he said.
Lindgren added that Destination Battlefords wants to identify what steps are needed for community organizations to help them be more successful, and to connect different organizations so they might be able to achieve more with more partners working on bringing larger events here.
Some of the big events that have come to the Battlefords in the past include the Pinty's Grand Slam of Curling, the 55-Plus Senior Games and the Saskatchewan Winter Games.
"We've seen really what this community can do," Lindgren said. "We want to keep those large events coming because they bring people to our community, and they get to experience the businesses we have here and the recreational opportunities."
Workshop participants discussed ways to improve event planning, marketing, gathering volunteers for initiatives, and event timing, to name a few topics.
Representatives from businesses, culture, sport and recreation were among those taking part in the event.
Debi Anderson, a board member with the Battlefords North West Historical Society, was among those participating in the workshop.
The society is currently working on the Saskatchewan Hospital Legacy Trail fundraising effort, as well as consultations with Fort Battleford, she said.
"Fort Battleford is hoping to open up the Fort more, develop it more, tell a broader story, tell both sides of the story," Anderson said. "That's what we're involved with."
She participated in the Destination Battlefords event with the hope to promote tourism more in the Battlefords and the north-west region as a whole.
"It seems that there is a lot of focus on events. We hope we can encourage the community of North Battleford, the community of Battleford, and the broader north-west area to put a little bit more emphasis on tourism," Anderson said.
She would also like to see more people invited to the community to discover the area's historical value.
"There is such a rich history here. It's such an opportunity to have Truth and Reconciliation kind of conversations in this community," Anderson said. "We hope that Destination Battlefords will be a vehicle to participate in that and help the communities work together towards that."
