For immediate release:
May 17, 2006

Barrett invites Cabinet to Caledonia on Friday
“Observe tourists trying to navigate the blockades”

Queen’s Park—MPP Toby Barrett slammed the provincial government for its failure to provide a plan to accommodate tourist traffic in Caledonia and along the highway 6 corridor, yesterday in the Legislature.

“We have heard rumours of progress on this file, but as of yet, tourists have been taking a lengthy, convoluted and quite confusing detour, quite confusing even for local residents, to get around the area of Caledonia, to attempt to continue on down provincial Highway 6 to Lake Erie,” Barrett told the Legislature.  “The May 24 weekend is coming, and all of these communities need a big tourist weekend, especially given the dramatic loss of business sustained to date.”

“I was in Caledonia last night. The pizza parlour is normally open quite late; it was closed,” Barrett continued.  “Other shops had closed early -- the video stores and some of the convenience stores. Local merchants need this tourist business.”

Barrett’s comments came during a Parliamentary debate over the government’s recent cuts to the tourism budget, coinciding with significant challenges to tourism both provincially and within Haldimand-Norfolk-Brant.

“So I invite Premier McGuinty, Minister Ramsay, Minister Kwinter, Takhar if he's allowed, to make the trip,” Barrett concluded.  “Come down to Caledonia this Friday.  Observe tourists trying to navigate the blockades while they attempt to reach Ontario's famous south coast of tourism.”

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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at: (519) 428-0446 or
1-800-903-8629