King officially joins the Hills of Headwaters equine initiative

August 22, 2013 · 0 Comments

The Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association has announced that King Township has joined the Association’s equine initiative, becoming a standing partner on the Headwaters Equine Leadership Group (HELG).
The official announcement was made recently by Association Chair Ron Munro at the Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave.
Recognizing the important contribution of the equine sector to the economy of the Headwaters region, the Association has facilitated the formation of HELG, a collaborative initiative of regional stakeholders who are committed to the importance of the equine sector in the area, and whose principle objective is to promote the region as a centre of equine excellence in Ontario, and to support, grow and advocate for this vital sector of the regional economy.
King is a municipality adjacent to the self-defined Headwaters region, but it has numerous assets that are synergistic to the municipalities, economies and tourism products found in the Hills of Headwaters, and specifically has a significant equine sector that naturally aligns with the development of Headwaters Horse Country.
In making the announcement, Munro observed that political boundaries really make no difference to consumers or visitors to the area.
“This partnership with King Township is another important pillar in positioning the Headwaters region as horse country,” he added. “King Township is recognized as one of the premier equine communities in Ontario, and having them join our initiative further enhances our opportunities to position Headwaters as a centre of equine excellence, and allows Headwaters and King Township to have a stronger and more impactful presence in the marketplace.”
“Partnership and collaboration are the cornerstones of our strategic direction, and we are delighted that King Township shares our philosophy, and we look forward to working with them as we move forward,” he observed.
“We are delighted that King Township had the vision and wherewithal to join us,” Munro commented.
“This is really a spectacular partnership,” King Mayor Steve Pellegini remarked.
“We too are delighted to be partnering with the Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association on this Headwaters Horse Country project,” he added. “Through this partnership, we are now reaching a significant critical mass and committing resources to work closely with our new partners and our local equine industry stakeholders to nurture and promote a viable and sustainable equine industry. This partnership opportunity is timely and addresses both stakeholder’s needs and the economic and socio-cultural values that have been identified in King’s most recent Sustainability Plan, Economic Development Strategy and Business Retention and Expansion action plans.”
“The County of Dufferin welcomes King Township to the work being done by the Tourism Association, and we see this partnership providing further credibility to the significant contribution the equine industry makes to our rural communities,” Dufferin County Warden Laura Ryan commented.
“King Township is a natural partner within the Hills of Headwaters equine initiative,” Caledon Mayor Marolyn Morrison stated. “Working together shines a spotlight on our region as a centre of equine excellence leading up to the 2015 Pan Am Games and beyond.”
The equine events of the TO2015 Pan/Parapan American Games are coming to the Palgrave facility in 2015, and the work of HELG will ensure that Headwaters is positioned as Ontario’s Horse Country, now and well into the future.
The work of HELG is also supported by funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

Dufferin County Warden Laura Ryan was on hand recently with King Mayor Steve Pellegrini, King Councillor Linda Pabst, Headwaters Tourism Association Chair Ron Munro and Caledon Councillor Patti Foley for the announcement that the Township has joined the Association’s equine initiative, becoming a standing partner on the Headwaters Equine Leadership Group.
Photo by Bill Rea