An Ontario-wide tourism initiative is looking to once again help a few Chatham-Kent entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life.
The application process has opened for round two of the Spark Program. Organized by the Ontario Tourism Innovation Lab in partnership with the Southwest Ontario Tourism Corporation, Chatham-Kent Tourism and several local tourism organizations, the Spark Program matches selected applicants with a mentor and provides a $3,000 grant to help make their tourism idea a reality.
Individuals, start-ups, established small businesses or non-profit organizations are all encouraged to apply. In 2020, three groups in Chatham-Kent were winners of the Spark Program.
Terry Jenkins, owner of TJ Stables in Chatham, was one of the recipients. Jenkins' proposal included an encounter with her Ojibwe spirit horses and an Indigenous tourism program.
She said so far, the program has exceeded her expectations. In addition to receiving $3,000 to help implement her tourism idea, Jenkins said she was also connected to the necessary resources to make it happen and paired up with a mentor, which she said was an invaluable experience.
"Fortunately, we got mentored with an Indigenous tourism executive from Indigenous Tourism Ontario," Jenkins explained. "The mentorship is huge in the success of our proposal."
The two other local programs that won the program in 2020 were Tabitha Hastings, Susanne Spence Wilkins and Thomas Waite's idea of The Fresh Connection as well as Ann Wright's Forest Bathing Experience concept.
According to a release from the Municipality of Chatham-Kent, organizers of the Spark Program are especially interested in ideas that connect with agri-culinary, angling, black history, culture, First Nations and War of 1812, small towns, villages and rural landscapes.
"Organizers are also interested in tourism ideas that are enabled by technology, incorporate sustainability principles, celebrate diversity, adapt to the evolving travel landscape, and build future resilience," read the release.
According to Jenkins, winning the program helped her to establish public tours and opportunities for visits with the spirit horses. In addition, she also created another tourism experience where people can spend the night in a teepee and awake to the spirit horses.
"In reality, it took my market from being for a horse-oriented little kid who wants to ride a pony to a much bigger market, the entire tourism market that I didn't expect. It was a huge eye-opener...it opened our eyes and our creativity to so much more," said Jenkins.
Applications for the second round of the Spark Program are being accepted until March 5, 2021 at tourisminnovation.ca/ChathamKent. Following a review process, top applicants will be invited to a virtual finalists’ pitch session and three winners will be selected.
Jenkins said the best advice she has for program hopefuls is to go in with a well thought out plan and be as genuine as possible.
"I think that if you yourself have a passion for what you're doing, you're going to spark that fire in the judges," she said. "Then if you win it, you'll also spark that fire in the mentor and they'll get excited as you do about what you're trying to put together."
Anyone who needs help applying for the program can reach out to Chatham-Kent Tourism by emailing cktourism@chatham-kent.ca or calling 1-800-561-6125.