It's being called a catalyst that could change Niagara for the better, but it comes with a staggering price tag.
Niagara has had its bid accepted to host the 2017 International Horticultural Exhibition, which will be a 150-day event expected to draw more than 2 million visitors and generate an economic impact of more than $800 million.
But while the bid alone cost nearly a half million dollars – $250,000 of which was paid for by taxpayers through the Tourism Partnership of Niagara – hosting the event will cost in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
“This is a showcase of the community with horticulture as the base,” said Tony DiGiovanni, the executive director of the Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association, which is part of the organizing committee and covered $175,000 of the bid costs. “Niagara has been a pioneer in the horticultural industry and now it's time to showcase it.”
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Niagara Falls Review