THUNDER BAY – Graham Henderson says too many communities overlook music as a potential economic driver.
The CEO of Music Canada, he estimates the economic impact of the music industry in Ontario alone to be $1.2 billion a year.
Paul Pepe, Thunder Bay’s tourism manager, agrees.
“In 2014, 31,000 visitors to our region spent over $7.3 million on live entertainment, live music in Northwestern Ontario,” Pepe said on Wednesday, kicking off an afternoon conference aimed at helping Thunder Bay transition itself into Becoming a Music City.
“It’s a big economic driver on so many levels. Not only does entertainment support local musicians and entertains local residents, it has an economic impact and a social impact that goes far beyond that as well.”
Henderson was flush with examples of cities that have embraced music in a variety of different ways, pointing to Austin, Texas, Melbourne, Australia and Hamilton, Ont. as places that have become music friendly communities.
The city of Austin, the home of Willie Nelson and Austin City Limits, includes music in every pitch trying to lure businesses, events and young people into their community.
There’s no reason a city like Thunder Bay couldn’t unlock its Music City super-power, smash glass ceilings and create a better environment economically and culturally – and not necessarily just for music, Henderson said.
It involves everyone from the Chamber of Commerce, which put on the event, to city tourism and culture officials, to musicians, entrepreneurs and the music-listening public.
“You need to get all of these individuals from the community together in one room to start talking about the importance of music, understanding music maybe in a different way and the type of economic potential it can unlock,” Henderson said.
It goes far beyond live music, he added.
While events like the Thunder Bay Blues Festival, Summer in the Parks, Rock the Fort and concerts at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium and local bars get the front-line attention, there’s nothing stopping a behind-the-scenes industry from cropping up too, Henderson said.
“We’ve got a competitive advantage with music here, and what we really need to start to do is marketing that to the world,” Henderson aid.
“Our experience is this scales. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in Collingwood, London, Ont. or Thunder Bay. You will have opportunities. I wouldn’t write it off just because of a geographic location.
Well-known local musician Jean-Paul De Roover, who spoke on Wednesday, said it’s all about bridging the business side of the industry with the talent.
“It’s getting the first step of a conversation going in order to identify what it is the community wants, what it is we really need, and what we’re going to be doing as we move into the future.”
