Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Toner.
Hi Jason, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
We are the official Destination Marketing Organization for Windsor, Essex County, and Pelee Island.
We look to create unique experiences for visitors and locals alike with programs like the Barrels Bottles & Brews trail and others like our EPIC Wineries, WE Heart Local program, and more.
Windsor Essex is home to some of Canada’s best in addition to our breweries & distilleries – including: Canada’s largest casino resort at Caesars Windsor, the Southern tip of Canada at Point Pelee National Park, Canada’s best pizza at Armando’s (we won the award – and we won world’s best!), one of the world’s top burger spots at Mamo Burger, North America’s largest distillery at the J.P. Wiser’s Experience Centre and more!
We aren’t just that – our roots run deep! Talk about: The War of 1812 at Fort Malden National Historic Site, our automotive history and the Model T in Ford City and at the Canadian Transportation Museum, our part in the underground railroad at the Amherstburg Freedom Museum, our roots in prohibition at Willistead Manor and so much more!
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
COVID-19 was a challenge for our region – especially with 1/3 of our visitors normally coming from the US, but our partners were resilient
During COVID-19 we released digital passports to encourage exploration safely at our wineries and breweries with the Flight Log (breweries) and EPIC Tasting Pass (wineries) that includes a tasting flight at each stop for a self-guided experience
A lot of our partners also created unique experiences like charcuterie board classes, pottery wheel classes, candle making & more that are becoming more and more popular with visitors and locals.
I don’t think some of them are obstacles as rather opportunities – like our street art. Artists took advantage of abandoned buildings to create world-famous artwork, and one of our partners created a street art tour on Bird scooters to tell the story of Windsor and help you explore new districts in a unique way.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We are the southernmost spot in Canada – and the only spot of Canada that looks North into America (Detroit)!
We have two huge secrets that people don’t necessarily know about: our EPIC Wine Region and Pelee Island, Canada’s Best Kept Secret!
Our EPIC Wine Region includes 20 wineries along the Essex Pelee Island Coast, part of the Lake Erie North Shore wine area. Our wineries special in reds but are producing flavorful whites, rose, and bubbly too! Located just 25 minutes from Windsor, each winery offers a unique experience: wood-fired pizza, lake erie fresh perch, picnic baskets, stacked charcuterie boards, Canada’s only beachfront winery, and more!
Pelee Island – just an hour and a half ferry ride away and a whole different world. It is the southernmost spot in Canada and the perfect day trip or weeklong escape! The island is home to Pelee Island Winery Pavilion (Canada’s largest Estate Winery) and also Vin Villa, the ruins of Canada’s first commercial winery!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.visitwindsoressex.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/twepi
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/visitwindsoressex
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/twepi
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/visitwindsoressex
