In need of a new home for its visitor information centre (VIC), Woolwich thinks it’s found an ideal partner in the Mennonite Story in downtown St. Jacobs.
The service had been based out of the old “yellow house,” a refurbished farmhouse at 844 Weber St. N adjacent to the market, since 2005 under a dollar-a-year lease agreement with Mercedes Corp. The sale of the company and its assets left the township looking for a new location.
Enter a pilot project with the Mennonite Story, an already established tourism draw of its own, welcoming some 70,000 visitors each year.
Given that the building already has a presence, with volunteer staffers, plenty of parking, capacity for tour buses and washroom facilities, the spot is ideal, said chief administrative officer David Brenneman, whose office handles economic development and tourism.
“Since 2008, the Mennonite Story has consistently seen over 70,000 visitors, and has collected over $40,000 of door donations. The Mennonite Story will also enhance the visitor information services that were previously provided by way of the added amenity of the Mennonite interactive museum that is available to visitors at the Mennonite Story,” he said in a report to council.
Meeting Tuesday night, councillors agreed with his assessment, voting in favour of the pilot project to start this summer.
The township will continue to provide a summer student as a staff resource on market days – 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Thursdays and Saturdays from May through August – and will work with the Mennonite Story in finding an ideal candidate, said Brenneman.
Woolwich will also provide the organization with a $2,500 grant this year.
Located at 1406 King St. N., the Mennonite Story is a multimedia interpretive centre that respectfully shares the history and culture of the Mennonite community, a point interest for visitors.
