Creative Communities is pleased to provide a contribution from guest Blogger Kay-Ann Williams, a PhD student in the Queen's University Department of Geography.

Did you know Canada admitted a total of 247,243 persons as permanent residents in 2008 from over 200 countries and over one-half of those admitted declare English as their official language?  Permanent residents are defined by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) as persons who have not become Canadian citizens but have been authorized to live and work in Canada indefinitely.  With such large numbers of immigrants working and residing in Canada indefinitely as permanent residents, rural communities have a tremendous opportunity to attract international visitors from within Canada.  

Having recently settled in Canada myself, many of my friends are also recent immigrants.  On Thanksgiving weekend 2009, several of us were looking to celebrate this Canadian holiday and mark having just passed a major hurdle in our academic career.  When we settled on a trip to Picton in Prince Edward County, we found a destination that was friendly and safe yet engaging.

Was I surprised by this pleasant combination you may ask?  I must admit, yes. Having originally planned to visit Quebec, a change of circumstances made us choose a closer locale for our getaway.  Visiting a rural community close to home made me realize the real effort and importance a small town such as Picton takes in developing itself and thriving.  Such effort does not go unrecognized either, as my friends and I invested in the community through hotel stays, winery tours, and meals at local restaurants.

Effort and interest exercised as a community are perhaps the greatest strengths a town such as Picton holds.  For example, we got lost on our way to a winery.  Here we were in a sparse area outside of town when we saw a local resident.  When we called to him, he came to our car, we had a very pleasant conversation and we left with helpful directions to our destination.  Believe it or not, this made such a great impact on our stay.   

In retrospect, there was a clear positive sense from everyone I met which encouraged us to spend more in smaller local stores.  The community was open and engaging and understood the importance of attracting business to their town.  We actually felt as if we not only contributed to one or two business owners but because of the heavy reliance on each other to boost their business affected the livelihoods of various spin off industries.  

I would encourage any of my hardworking immigrant friends to enjoy what Picton has to offer.  In times when Toronto, known for being one of the most diverse cities in the world, still struggles with social isolation, rural communities can take advantage of their forward thinking and embracing attitude.  The rewards are closer than you think!

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