Orillia Is Open For Business

Orillia Packet and Times

Last week was a good one for business in Orillia. Two events in particular generated significant economic spinoff in the city.

Let’s start with the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) girls’ high-school hockey tournament held Monday to Thursday at Rotary Place, Brian Orser Arena, the Coldwater Community Centre and the Rama MASK.

Besides the competitive and entertaining levels of hockey the tournament brought to Orillia, it also brought 32 schools from across the province and hundreds of students accompanied by their parents, teachers and members of their schools’ faculty. More than 800 out-of-towners visited the City of Orillia, stayed at our local hotels and ate at our local restaurants.

According to Paul Barnetson of the city’s parks, recreation and culture department, the four-day OFSAA championships infused almost $300,000 into the city and generated nearly $750,000 in economic activity.

Seeing as the tournament was held during one of the toughest times of the year for accommodations, there’s no surprise the city has played host to the OFSAA girls’ hockey finals three times in the past eight years. Let’s hope the tournament, and other sports tournaments, will come back to Orillia in the not-too-distant future. (The anticipated recreation facility surely would help in this regard.)

Now to the item that generated the most buzz: the opening of the new Target store at Orillia Square.

Never mind the fact it was considered a “soft opening,” a trip to the mall at any time last week proved Target’s arrival was no small deal.

What a welcome sight to see drivers scour the parking lot for an open space, the food court burgeoning with hungry patrons and shoppers, well, shopping. Other Orillia Square shops are already reaping the benefits of Target’s presence.

“It’s steady,” said an employee of a store next to Target. Before, he said, shoppers could walk the mall in a straight line without disruption.

“There’s actual traffic now,” he said. “Target’s definitely helped us out.”

The arrival of the U.S. retailer is no small victory for the Orillia Square mall as its planned revival surely centres on the Target acquisition. And while the new store may have temporarily drawn business away from the city’s downtown core, it should also draw shoppers through the area, thus creating more economic spinoff.

“It may encourage the downtown businesses even more on (the basis of) the increased traffic,” said Dan Landry, the city’s manager of economic development.

The dead of winter has passed and there appears to be a spring in everyone’s step.

Let’s hope this is merely a sign of things to come for business in Orillia.