April 4, 2019
It’s no wonder Peter Magill loves Hay River! Home to the K’amba Winter Carnival, Hay Days Festival, Polar Pond Hockey and prime locations for fishing, kayaking or enjoying the best beach in the Northwest Territories, Hay River has a lot to offer.
Coming from a small town in northern Ontario Hay River’s Tourism & Economic Development Officer, was struck with a sense of familiarity “it felt like coming home” he reminisces. After working for Buffalo Air, during the height of its Ice Pilots fame, he got a taste for promoting Hay River and the South Slave.
He decided it was something he wanted to do full time and when the opportunity arose to work for the Town of Hay River, he jumped at the chance.
When asked what he loves most about Hay River and the South Slave he replied “First and foremost the people” followed by the beauty of nature and number of adventures that can be found in the South Slave. “Hay River is the hub for all of that!” he exclaims
Peter had to hit the ground running in his new position as the South Slave was inundated with athletes from across the circumpolar world for the 2018 Arctic Winter Games. Thankfully, he had already developed a taste for meeting people from around the world.
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Peter’s job has evolved, in part, because of the GNWT’s Tourism 2020 plan which identified the need for a program through which local governments and organizations could partner with the GNWT to fund community tourism coordinators.
ITI’s Community Tourism Coordinator Program now provides funding (up to a maximum of $50,000) to qualified organizations to hire and maintain community tourism coordinators who are dedicated to developing sustainable and marketable tourism products and packages in NWT communities.
It’s a program Peter wholeheartedly recommends it to others. “It’s so valuable for communities, a year-round Tourism Coordinator is needed to promote what each community has to offer and to cater to the needs of tourists” Coordinators are also tasked with providing information to not only tourists but local tourism operators.
Interested in the Community Tourism Coordinator Program? Click here for more information
Currently you can find Peter in his office at the Hay River Visitor Information Centre greeting tourists to the South Slave, promoting the region as a destination, helping with the artisan shop in the building and, above all else, making people feel the same sense of welcome that made Hay River home for him.