By Patrick Newhook/January 20, 2022
Harbour Grace council is hoping the provincial Come Home Year takes flight this spring so that the local tourism sector can benefit from the town’s aviation heritage.
At last week’s public council meeting, the chairman of council’s tourism and heritage committee, councilor Randy Wrice, discussed how the town is preparing.
“Over the last couple of months we’ve had many meetings with different interests and with people excited about the Amelia Earhart anniversary celebration happening from May 20th into August,” said Wrice. “It’s also our Come Home Year and we want all the committees input on taking part in the process of getting everyone involved on the same platform and how to proceed forward and to make it all a success. We have a zoom meeting tomorrow for a discussion on including the Harbour Grace Regatta into the Come Home Year events, and I guess that will have to do to with raising funds for the whole celebration. We have a lot of preparation ahead for all events and hopefully COVID restrictions will not limit progress.”
Mayor Don Coombs expressed confidence that 2022 is going to be good for the town.
“I’m looking forward to one of the best years ever in the history of Harbour Grace,” said Coombs.
He added that he has a positive feeling about Come Home Year. After two years of dealing with COVID-19, this is a chance to get the town moving and get some traction.
“We’re excited. We see so many opportunities and so many things happening in our town,” Coombs said. “Our economic development officer, again, is reaching out to the business community and we’re actually trying to get the business community in (for discussions)…. We’re making it attractive so that everyone can come in. The economic development officer and the committee that was put in place to spearhead that are doing a good job. We’re reaching out to everybody.”
Seeing the regatta go ahead will also be a benefit to the town, he said.
“It’s going to be exciting times, and it’s going to be a full schedule for kids, and adults, for seniors, for everybody and we are trying to tie in everyone which is important,” said the mayor.
