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? 

According to a recent Belleville Intelligencer article ("Company Wants to Make Belleville Hotel a Destination," Mar. 4), the city's Bell Boulevard is going to become the site of a mega-hotel in 2011. The sponsoring company, Pacrim Hospitality, indicates that they focus specifically on suburban development and chose to build in Belleville due to its position between Montreal and Toronto, and its closeness to an (expanding) raceway and casino. The new hotel will include a 25,000-35,000 sq. ft. waterpark, which will supposedly serve to make the hotel a regional "destination" in and of itself. Although the hotel is expected to bring revenue to the city, it seems out of line with recent tourism development in Eastern Ontario that has focused on small-scale establishments (such as bed-and-breakfasts) and capitalized on wine, food, and the natural setting of the region, as in Prince Edward County. Does a "destination" hotel work against the region's tourism industry or is it the type of project that should also be pursued in Peterborough, Brockville, Smiths Falls, Picton, and other communities?