Pickering Museum Village Receives Reconnect Festival and Event Grant

Pickering, ON, August 19, 2021 - The Pickering Museum Village is thrilled to announce that we have received $60,000.00 in grant funding from the Reconnect Festival and Event Program for the Anne and Maud Experience tourism route.

Receipt of this grant will allow the museum to develop an Anne and Maud interpretive walking trail through the Greenwood Conservation Area in partnership with the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority. It will also allow us to work with Uxbridge Tourism, Durham Tourism, and Central Counties Tourism on Regional marketing. Funding will also support advertising for www.anneandmaud.ca, staff support, a new Anne-themed podcast including music from the Pickering Summer Concert series, and new event materials. This tourism route was established by the Pickering Museum Village with funding from the Government of Canada ($150,000.00). 

The Pickering Museum Village is offering unique cultural tourism experiences within Durham Region. The Anne and Maud Experience will showcase both Anne of Green Gables and Lucy Maud Montgomery in our two great communities. The Anne and Maud Experience features Lucy Maud Montgomery’s home, literary works, and film culture of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables. The route features on-site experiences at Lucy Maud Montgomery’s home (Leaksdale Manse), film history, a guided walking tour, beautiful exhibits, a tea workshop, and a picnic lunch at the Pickering Museum Village. There will also be a celebration of literature at Blue Heron Books as well as an exploration of Anne and Maud inspired food, products and experiences at OpenStudio Art Café and The Bridge Social. The Anne and Maud Experience is set up as a tour where guests can follow a map and visit each stop along the way. Tourists may complete the entire tour by visiting each of the five stops, or pick and choose which experiences they want to discover.

Due to the impact of COVID-19, the focus for the 2021 Pickering Museum Village season will be on local tourism, encouraging people to explore the stories of Anne of Green Gables and author Lucy Maud Montgomery in their local community. The participating businesses will also focus on COVID-safe practices, including physical distancing, wearing masks, take-out and curb-side pickup, and encouraging visits by social bubble, and small group experiences.

For more information and to check out our Anne Podcast, and experience map, please go to www.anneandmaud.ca.

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As the gateway to the east GTA, Pickering (population 94,000) is strategically located where Toronto, York and Durham Regions meet. An award-winning municipality, Pickering is slated for significant economic and residential growth; offering an unparalleled quality of life for those who live, work, and play here. Its dynamic City Centre has been designated by the Province of Ontario as both an Urban Growth Centre and Mobility Hub, and continues to evolve as a preferred destination for creative learning, memorable events, and unique experiences at the heart of a vibrant, connected, and engaged community.

Media Contact:                                                                                    

Jessica Elliott
Audience Development Coordinator l Community Services
905.420.4660 ext. 1033
289.200.3723                                                                                                                                               
jelliott@pickering.ca