The Haliburton County Development Corporation and the County of Haliburton are each receiving funding for projects through the province’s Rural Economic Development (RED) program administered through the Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs.

HCDC is receiving $50000 for development studies on creating a student residence building in the community and the county will receive $20000 in funding for food tourism projects.

“It is one of our strategic priorities at the Haliburton County Development Corporation to work closely with post-secondary institutions. We are very grateful for the opportunity to work with KOB North Lake Holdings to investigate the feasibility of a student residence next to the Haliburton campus” Patti Tallman executive director of HCDC said in a release. “Through the support of OMAFRA’s RED Program these studies are the first step towards creating the infrastructure needed for the Haliburton School of Art + Design Fleming College to expand. A student residence would be an incredible asset for our community.”

“The County of Haliburton has been working on the development of food tourism in support of many local businesses for the past several years” County Warden Liz Danielsen said in the release. “With the funding from the Rural Economic Development program we will be able to launch a number of exciting programs in the back half of 2019 and support a contract position as well. It’s an exciting – and delicious! – time for the Haliburton Highlands.”

The county recently hired a food tourism facilitator in a contract capacity and the culinary arts are one of the three pillars of the county’s tourism strategy.

“By focusing on projects that help to create jobs and remove barriers to investment for the County of Haliburton the revitalized Rural Economic Development program will undoubtedly help to grow and expand our local economy and create more investment and opportunity” Haliburton-Kawartha Lakes-Brock MPP and Infrastructure Minister Laurie Scott said in the release.

– Staff