Picture via Town of Smiths Falls social media
A new destination plan for Smiths Falls is calling for a major shift in how the community approaches tourism — treating visitors not just as tourists, but as potential future residents, entrepreneurs and investors.
The new 2026 Smiths Falls Destination Plan, prepared by Hawn Consulting for the town’s economic development and tourism staff, lays out a three-year strategy focused on building what it describes as a “visitor-first system” tied directly to economic development goals.
The report says Smiths Falls already has many of the pieces needed to succeed, including strong engagement on social media, a growing events calendar, canal recreation and a highly engaged local audience. But consultants say the town lacks the infrastructure to convert that interest into measurable tourism and economic growth.
One issue is the website, says Tourism, Arts & Culture Coordinator Jeff Murphy.
According to the audit, fewer than two per cent of the town website’s more than 223,000 annual visitors currently reach tourism-related content. The report also found tourism messaging is fragmented between the “Rise at the Falls” and “Experience Smiths Falls” brands, while visitor tracking and analytics remain limited.
Councillor Dawn Quinn says the Downtown Business Association and other organizations have done an excellent job in drawing town buzz in recent years.
The plan recommends positioning Smiths Falls as “The Active Canal Town” — a vibrant, inclusive and recreation-focused destination centred around the UNESCO Rideau Canal.
Consultants say the town has an opportunity to stand apart from nearby communities by emphasizing year-round events, canal recreation, trails, food culture and an inclusive community identity.
The strategy identifies several target visitor groups, including Ottawa-area couples seeking weekend getaways, sports tournament visitors, younger travellers looking for “hidden gem” destinations, cultural day-trippers from Kingston and visitors arriving through Le Boat canal tourism.
The plan proposes a three-stage rollout.
- Year 1 would focus on building the foundation, including a tourism-focused mini-site within the town website, new event landing pages, visitor email campaigns, social media video content and visitor surveys.
- Year 2 would expand into bilingual French marketing and launch a new economic development newsletter designed to target visitors considering relocating or investing in Smiths Falls.
- By Year 3, the strategy aims to formally connect tourism metrics with economic development outcomes, including repeat visitation, business inquiries and investor interest.
Read the full report here.
