Insects annoy Stephen Harper - so much so that several weeks ago the Prime Minister asked Industry Minister Tony Clement, in whose Muskoka riding this summer's G8 summit is being held, when the mosquitoes "crest." Here is that conversation:
"How's the bugs?" the Prime Minister asked.
"Look, we've had a dry winter; that's good news. It means fewer pools for mosquitoes," Mr. Clement said reassuringly.
"When does it really crest?" Mr. Harper asked.
"Well, the May 24th weekend is pretty bad for black flies especially," the Industry Minister said. "It gets better every week after that."
Mr. Clement has promised the Prime Minister weekly updates on the bug situation until world leaders arrive on June 25 for their two-day summit before heading to Toronto for the G20 meeting.
Meanwhile, Mr. Clement was bugged about something else today when he was driving to his constituency office in Huntsville. He heard a disturbing interview on Moose FM ("putting the wattage in your cottage," accordingly to its tagline). Luckily, he said, he had both hands on the wheel.
That's because Kevin Gaudet, the federal director of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, was being interviewed about the upcoming G8 and he wasn't saying nice things about the region. "Kevin was saying nothing is ever going to come of the G8; Muskoka isn't going to get any new business or any new tourism out of it based on history," Mr. Clement recalled.
So the Industry Minister called up the radio station and got his own interview, which is to be broadcast tomorrow morning (99.5 CFGB, for anyone in the neighbourhood). It gave him a chance to give his side of the summit story.
Mr. Clement says Muskoka Tourism has a focused strategy in which it is calling up international conference organizers selling the fact that leaders such as France's Nicolas Sarkozy and America's Barack Obama are coming to the area this summer.
Already, he says, the G8 is paying off. Two conventions have already been booked in Muskoka - the 2010 Freshwater Summit is taking place in Bracebridge and in the fall the Ontario Tourism annual meeting is taking place at Deerhurst Resort, the same venue as the global gathering. "We feel it is going to mean more business for the area and that is one of the spin-offs you want to have as a legacy for hosting the G8," Mr. Clement said.
He added that local leaders are hoping to take the region to the next level in terms of marketing. They are trying to brand it as an international tourist destination and make it as widely known as the French Alps or the Cote D'Azur.
Similarly, Mr. Clement is making sure everyone knows about his interview. The Industry Minister took to Twitter this afternoon, with trademark quirky humour: "Listen to me on #Moosefm tmw as I refute CTF's Gaudet on local impact of G8 Muskoka Summit. Did NOT say his father smelled of elderberries."
(File photo: The Canadian Press)