The Prince Albert Visitor Centre will not be opening its doors this year. (file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Michael Joel-Hansen

Summer Tourism

Changes announced as slow tourist season expected

May 15, 2020 | 12:04 PM

The Prince Albert’s Visitor Centre will not open its doors this year.

The decision was announced in a media release sent out Thursday afternoon. Ashley Charles, CEO of the Prince Albert Regional Economic Development Alliance (PAREDA) said the decision was made after consultation with the organization’s board.

“We met with the PAREDA board and decided that because of COVID, and the uncertainty of a tourist season we decided that the Visitor Centre would remain closed,” she said.

PAREDA’s board is made up of a number of representatives, they include people from City of P.A., Town of Shellbrook, R.M. of P.A., R.M. of Buckland, Muskoday First Nation and Peter Ballantyne Developments Corporation.

Charles said it is too early to tell what kind of economic impact the city and area will be looking at, but she said the tourism industry is in a rough place as minimal travel is expected.

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“This year is a very brutal year for tourism all across Canada,” she said.

Charles said the full economic impact from a lack of a tourist season will likely not be fully known until next year. She added by not opening, it will lead to some savings.

Despite the closure, Charles said the organization will continue to work on some projects — mainly the reorganization of P.A. Tourism, which falls under PAREDA’s mandate.

“There’s a lot of foundational work that has to be done, so we’ll use that time to do that,” she said.

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MichaelJoel.Hansen@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @mjhskcdn