At our most recent meeting, we were pleased to welcome Kelly Deeks-Johnson, Tourism and Economic Development Manager for the Town of St. Marys. With over 20 years of experience in marketing, communications, and community development, Kelly has played a central role in advancing local tourism initiatives, supporting events, and strengthening the town’s economic profile. She joined us to share insights on the Stonetown Heritage Festival and related tourism projects shaping the community’s future.
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Kelly began by providing an overview of her role with the Town, which includes managing VIA train station operations, overseeing tourism marketing, and developing programs that balance both visitor attraction and quality of life for residents. A major focus of her talk was the Stonetown Heritage Festival, a long-standing community event.
She explained the festival’s history—originating as a BIA initiative centered on sidewalk sales before transitioning to a Town-managed event. While traditionally a one-day street festival, its success has often been challenged by unpredictable weather, extreme heat, and heavy reliance on volunteers, particularly for children’s activities.
In recent years, the Town has invested in data collection through the Regional Tourism Organization (RTO4), using cellphone mobility reports to better understand attendance. Findings showed that the festival is largely attended by local residents, despite expanded marketing efforts. This highlighted the need to rethink the event’s structure.
Kelly outlined a vision for evolving the Heritage Festival into a “Heritage Summer Series” —a collection of smaller events spread across July, culminating in a one-day street festival in partnership with Kinsmen Summerfest. This collaborative model would reduce strain on staff and volunteers while broadening the appeal to both residents and visitors.
Other ideas under consideration include heritage walking tours, public art installations, live music downtown, expanded outdoor dining, and even bringing back a heritage trolley service. She also touched on other initiatives such as the growing Winter Lights Market, downtown beautification efforts, and exploring alternative attractions like inflatable games or a synthetic ice curling rink.
Kelly concluded by inviting Rotary to consider opportunities for partnership, whether through supporting public art, walking tours, or other elements that align with Rotary’s community focus. Her presentation provided a clear picture of both the challenges and exciting opportunities facing St. Marys’ tourism future.