The equine sector is deeply woven into the rich history of King Township. It is as much a part of King’s identity as it is a pillar in the economy. King has long been recognized and associated with all things equine; it is an undeniable strength and a differentiating factor of the Township. The Sustainability Plan’s vision calls for King to treasure nature and encourage a responsible local economy. Equine stakeholders are ideal and conscientious stewards of the Oak Ridges Moraine and Greenbelt lands, as they are passionate about preserving and developing relationships with the natural world and their facilities are of the highest and best use from an economic standpoint for rural lands that are not suitable for crops or development. For these reasons it is critical to continue supporting the equine sector and embrace and nurture King Township as an elite equine community.
Effective April 31, 2013, King Township committed to a three year partnership agreement with the Hills of Headwaters Tourism Association (HHTA), which includes them in the Headwaters Horse Country (HHC) marketing initiative and earns them a spot on the Headwaters Equine Leadership Group (HELG).
King Township has several goals that they hope to achieve through this partnership. These include, but are not limited to:
- Promote the Headwaters region (including King Township) as a destination and a centre of equine excellence;
- Help facilitate related economic development opportunities that support the growth and sustainability of the equine sector in the region;
- Identify opportunities to enhance the equine industry capacity in the region and work with partners to capitalize on the opportunities;
- Recognize the opportunities presented by the 2015 Pan Am Games which will be hosted in the Headwaters region and to work with partners to capitalize on related opportunities;
- Nurture positive and supportive working relationships with municipal partners, equine sector business, groups and organizations, and other community partners;
- Support public education and accessibility as it pertains to the equine sector in the Headwaters region;
- Ground truth the economic impact of the equine sector in the Township.
The Headwaters Equine Leadership group made a presentation regarding the status of the partnership to King Township Council on March 31st, 2014. If you are interested in learning more about King Townships involvement in the Headwaters Horse Country initiative please see the report and presentation below!
Headwaters Horse Country Presentation
Report to Council – Headwaters Horse Country Progress
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