MDC developer invites partners to come on board

Posted Feb 2, 2012 By Doreen Barnes

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Developer Simon Fuller of the Tall Ships Landing and visionary of the Maritime Discovery Centre presents the exhibits and activities which will await families, students and visitors when the facility opens in June 2013. In addition, the centre will be able to accommodate private functions, weddings and receptions up to a maximum of 250 people.

Doreen Barnes, St. Lawrence EMC

Developer Simon Fuller of the Tall Ships Landing and visionary of the Maritime Discovery Centre presents the exhibits and activities which will await families, students and visitors when the facility opens in June 2013. In addition, the centre will be able to accommodate private functions, weddings and receptions up to a maximum of 250 people.

EMC News - Politicians and dignitaries from both sides of the river along with interested parties met mid January at the Brockville Arts Centre to listen to an update on further developments regarding the Maritime Discovery Centre of the Thousand Islands.

"The river unites us," said visionary and developer Simon Fuller. "I was inspired to say the least by my forbearers and I think that inspiration and curiosity are the core of this program. The one thing they did was to instill, in all of us, the ability to take opportunity, whether it was financial or otherwise."

Fuller's vision of the $20 million, 27,000 square foot MDC attraction will offer educational programs, interactive exhibits, ever-changing activities, and environmental outreach programs concerning the characteristics of the St. Lawrence River.

The centre is being promoted as a facility for families, students and tourists to visit and enjoy.

Signature experiences include under aquaria exploration and a demonstration station with deep underwater tunnel tanks, interactive theatre to go live to a shipwreck to ask a diver questions, play a weatherperson's role, guide a ship through the Brockville Narrows, interact with a shadow wall, view the amphibian and reptile exploration and demonstration facilities, see the otter and island exhibit, test yourself with the electric power generation contest, climb through the overhead ropes with 11 elements, learn about the Cangarda (formerly the Magedoma), use the exploration and interactive video wall, try the simulated electronic navigation bridge stations, see the Water Lab with diver support and training and learn about our very own Pirate Bill Johnston.

This is only a partial list of the activities in the centre.

In addition the MDC will offer space for small conferences along with a gift shop, a theatre and an area for public displays.

"If you are trying to draw people from a distance to this area," indicated Fuller, "you have to give them at least four times the activities that it takes for them to travel here."

Fuller went on to explain that in order to keep people coming back to this area it is necessary to offer other home-grown familiarities of either culture, history or tourism, the 1000 Islands experience.

Slated to open June 14, 2013, it is hoped that this centre will draw about 45,000 visitors to the area annually.

There will be nine permanent positions with several volunteer roles.

During the visual presentation, it was evident that Fuller has researched, visited and was very involved in the selection of exhibits and programs being provided.

He wants to share his enthusiasm and asked others to come on board to share their capabilities in a partnership.

"Let me tell you that this is an extraordinary piece of the earth, one worth celebrating," said Fuller. "We would like all of you, in your different activities and expertise, to come with the MDC as a partner to be able to present what your particular location has to offer. A partnership is an incredibly important aspect and we can not produce success, if you are not a catalyst in a campus of the entire river community from Kingston, Sackets Harbour, Ogdensburg, Cornwall and all communities in between."

One person who agrees with Fuller is New York assemblywoman Addie Russell, representative of the 118th Assembly District, known as the 'River District'.

"I'm very excited about working to brand our area not only for tourism purposes, but for larger economic development purposes," said Russell. "This is really a piece of that puzzle of working to bring both sides of the border even closer together so that we appear to be a seamless region, even though we have an international border."

Russell expressed her enthusiasm saying the project was fantastic and she is excited to become a partner.

"I will figure out how we can play a larger role in the State of New York," added Russell, "with what is being done here at the Maritime Discovery Centre."

She intends on doing this by bringing awareness to the effort and to actively engage people to help launch this region as a worldwide destination.

So the lingering question is whether or not the political arenas and the attractions of both countries along the St. Lawrence River waterway will work together to make the 1000 Islands a prime tourist destination?