The Town of LaSalle will be hosting a large-scale exhibit next winter.
During Tuesday's meeting, council approved a report looking at the feasibility of hosting the large exhibit at the Event Centre in the winter of 2024 with Imagine Exhibitions.
Despite a large price tag of $500,000, administration and council members were in favour of supporting the exhibit as it would bring many visitors from all over the region to the Town of LaSalle.
The exhibit would run for approximately three months, with the cost including aspects of rental fees, shipping, set up and tear down, marketing, exhibit staffing, security and cleaning.
Councillor Mark Carrick says an event such as this is certainly worth a try.
"I mean, it's early in the process, but there's a lot of safeguards built in already. If we have to go to the bank, we have to go to the bank, I don't want to do that. I think it'll be very successful and unique to our area. It certainly helps support the Event Centre down there. I have no problem with moving this forward for this year, I think it's worth a try, and we do have safeguards built in so I don't think it's that much of a risk."
Councillor Terry Burns says he's not against the event, but is worried about the location for multiple reasons.
"There's not enough parking as we know now, and we're going to be doing construction for the next year. To run an event like this, I wouldn't want to be like some of the venues in the City of Windsor when you have to go to their facilities, you're hell-bent to find a parking spot."
Mayor Crystal Meloche says she's not worried about the aspect of parking.
"I've attended events like this before and they're quite different then some of the other events we've offered, where this is a ticketed event, so only so many people show up between 10 and 11, they leave and then the next group comes. So, it is a little bit different then what we've seen in the past operating down there. And more parking is coming, but we're never going to have enough parking."
Administration states that due to the large windows in the Event Centre, the event hosted would most likely be an all-ages museum-like event for the entire family.
Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island has offered to support the Town in promoting the event and administration will be looking for other sponsorships.
Due to the large cost of the event, administration will continue to explore grants to help off-set the cost to the Town.
Despite the possibility of grants, sponsorships, and ticket sales, funding for the event would come from LaSalle's Waterfront Reserve.