The Leaders Corner
From Your Co-Leads Laurie Harley & Vlad Haltigin
HERE WE GO!!!
The Ambassador 2026 season is
off to a fantastic start! On Tuesday,
April 28th, 82 Ambassadors along with guests from NOTL in Bloom and Tourism
Niagara-on the-Lake gathered at Inniskillin Winery to reunite with
returning volunteers, welcome new recruits, and learn what’s planned for 2026
and beyond. Our host, Sumie Yamakawa and
her staff, welcomed us in grand style. We felt special from the moment we
walked in the door! A HUGE thank you from
each and every one of us to our generous partner!
If you were not able to attend Kickoff, or, if
you were and might welcome a refresher, below is a copy of the presentation. Be sure to check out slide 8 to view a new
Court House training video and use the links in the Resources & Tools section below to explore the 2026
Ambassador Handbook and Digital Green Book. All these resource materials are available to
you in the files section of MAP.
Click here to log into MAP. You’ll find the "Kickoff Presentation April 2026" under General Information.
Let us add a few comments on
the key messages in the presentation.
Shifts will be released this
season in phases. You’ve already seen
the first group for May and June. They
will be followed by three phased releases for July, August and combined for
September/October. Watch for emails
announcing the release of the shifts.
With a Team of 110 volunteers
committed to a minimum of eight shifts over the season, there will be lots of
opportunities for you to signup. The
same is true for community site visits. With a guideline of 5 visits for each
Ambassador and 25 confirmed visits to date, everyone will be able to
participate. Even when opportunities
appear full initially, there are often cancellations. Please check MAP frequently to see if shifts
are available. There’s also a back-up
list where you can indicate your interest in a particular shift or site visit. It’s where we check when there are cancellations.
Coming in 2027 will be an
Ambassador Membership Program. It’s a
new tool for the Leadership Team to use to plan the season schedule. We need to know well in advance of the launch
of the season how many volunteers will be returning. Today, there is no process
to help gather that information.
Starting in January 2027, you’ll be asked to pay an annual membership fee
of $20. That will help us determine the
size of our Team and build a resource plan for the season. The money collected will also provide funding
to support Team building and recognition initiatives.
At the Kickoff meeting, the
NOTL in Bloom Team from Vintage Hotels shared their exciting plans for this
year’s festival. The 2026 theme, “All
Creatures Big and Small”, promises to inspire fantasies from giant butterflies
to animal-inspired creations as well as offer high-teas, workshops and dining
at the Gardens at the Pillar and Post.
If you are interested in following up on the offer of a complementary
pass for the Gardens on Monday, May 11, please contact Vintage Inns at 905
468-5949 and introduce yourself as a NOTL Ambassador. You’ll need to show your Ambassador badge for
entry to the site.
The Court House will be open
from 12 to 4 pm on Friday, May 8 to Monday May 11 to support this special
event. Unfortunately, the kiosk will not
be ready. It’s being moved from its
winter home at the old hospital site on May 8th but will need some
repairs and repositioning of maps before the doors officially open on May 15th.
Finally, you’ll see a new face in the Tourism
office this season. Thanks to funding
from the Canada Summer Job Program, Joshua Lennox will be joining us to support
the Ambassador Program and the Visitor Centre.
His work schedule will be 9 to 5 on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and
weekends from May 4 to the end of August.
Take a minute to introduce yourself and welcome him when you see him in
the office.
Thanks to everyone who joined
us at the Kickoff event. The energy and
enthusiasm we saw in the room was awesome.
We can’t wait to “see you on the street”!!
Laurie laurieharley24@gmail.com
Vlad vhalt@cogeco.ca
