In The News

Georgian Bay Eco Museum Supports the United Nations World Water Day

March 22, 2007. ………. Georgian Bay Eco Museum would like to bring attention to the United Nations World Water Day today March 22, 2007. 'Coping with Water Scarcity' is the theme for World Water Day 2007. This year's theme highlights the increasing significance of water scarcity worldwide and the need for increased integration and cooperation to ensure sustainable, efficient and equitable management of scarce water resources, both at international and local levels. More than 150 events are taking place around the world. See website http://www.unwater.org/wwd07/flashindex.html

Scarcity of water in Ontario may seem to many to be a false vision, however, recent declines in water levels in Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan and Georgian Bay is a reality with no apparent immediate solution.

The FAO (The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) http://www.fao.org/newsroom/en/news/2007/1000520/index.html indicate agriculture is the greatest user of fresh water in the world. In the Georgian Bay area water is also essential for the many tourism businesses and the recreational well being of Ontario residents and visitors. There is also a synergy between tourism and agriculture, often branded as agri-tourism, which is closely aligned with ecotourism.

Ron Taylor, Publisher of the new Georgian Bay Eco Museum is positioning Georgian Bay as the “World’s Largest Fresh Water Eco Museum”….a museum without walls, a museum that looks at the ecological integrity first in order to maintain a healthy fresh water resource for all to enjoy. Taylor, who just returned from Great Lakes Day in Washington D.C. says, “One way to protect Georgian Bay and the watersheds feeding into Georgian Bay and maintain the present high water quality and water levels, is to create a recognizable world icon—and Georgian Bay certainly qualifies as it is one of the cleanest, if not the cleanest locations in all of the Great Lakes.”

Taylor adds, “The Eco Museum tries to blend outdoor recreation, with conservation. Many resort destinations call this ecotourism, which is becoming the number one growth segment of the tourism industry. Georgian Bay is well positioned to create and maintain this image, but it can only do it with a clean and healthy water resource.”

Editors’ Notes

Ron Taylor has been in the tourism industry for more than 25 years. Most recently he has developed the successful Ontario tourism web site promoting Ontario Resort Destinations North of Toronto www.400eleven.com and is passionate about Ontario’s natural outdoors. He was a shareholder in Muskoka’s premier resort, Sherwood Inn on Lake Joseph. Taylor helped produce a tourism-marketing textbook when he was a full time professor at Georgian College in Barrie. Taylor continues to teach part-time at Georgian College and consult to the tourism and resort industry on marketing initiatives.