The Leaders Corner
From Your Co-Leads Laurie Harley & Vlad Haltigin
The Ambassador 2026 season is about to head
into full swing!
First up will be a visit to
the Shaw Theatre on Tuesday, March 24, just a few days before the Shaw season
starts. That happens on April 2 with the
mystery thriller “Sleuth” opening at the Court House Theatre. For the next
three years, until the Royal George is rebuilt, performances will be returning
to the venue where it all started back in 1962. Ambassadors will be there as
neighbors, sharing the Court House space with the Shaw from May to
October. You’ll want to become
particularly familiar with the Court House playbill. When visitors ask “what’s playing”, we’ll be
ready to tell them more about the plays.
April is Ambassador “training
time”. Orientation, Tech Training and
Kickoff meetings have all been scheduled.
Check out the calendar of events in this issue for the specific
dates. Events will be available in MAP for sign-up on March 7. Still to come are dates
for Court House training. You told us
last fall in the Ambassador Survey you’d welcome more focus on the Court House
role. Plans for additional training are
underway and more information will be available later in March.
Next up is the season
Kick-off on Tuesday, April 28 from 4 to 6 pm.
It’s always an enjoyable event but this year there will be a lot of
“news” to share. We’ll not only experience the famous Inniskillin hospitality,
but Vintage Inns will be there with a sneak preview of NOTL in Bloom. Also on the agenda will be announcements about
the 2026 and 2027 season you won’t want to miss.
One of those announcements is
ready to share with you now.
We heard a lot of comments in
the fall Survey about Ambassador attire. You told us your T-shirts were very
warm on those hot summer days. Thanks to the efforts of Patti Fraser, Membership Lead, and funding from
Tourism Niagara-on-the-Lake, we’re excited to announce new T-Shirts will be
arriving for everyone for the 2026 season.
Made of a 100% polyester interlock with moisture-wicking and UV
protection, they should be more comfortable in hot weather. You’re welcome to continue to wear your
current shirt – both will now be considered part of Ambassador attire.
But that’s not all. Some of you told us you’d like a warmer
jacket for cooler days in the spring and fall, and others asked for better sun
protection with a wider-brimmed hat. Providing branded jackets and new hats is beyond
our budget, but Patti has arranged to make jackets and hats available for
purchase. These are not required items
and purchasing them is strictly optional.
T-shirts, vests and the current style of cap will continue to be
provided as part of the Ambassador uniform.
Check out the photos of the
new items, below. Patti has organized two dates
(Thursday, March 12 from 2 to 4 pm and Wednesday, March 18, from 10 to 12) for
you to see the attire in the Lounge at the Tourism office and check your
sizing. You’ll want to make sure your
proper size is recorded in your MAP profile as this will be the information
used for ordering.
Watch for an email on March 7
with complete details on how the ordering and purchasing process will work.
That’s all the news for this Newsletter
– more to come at the Kickoff meeting.
From all of us, an
enthusiastic welcome to every returning Ambassador and a special “hello” to
those who are joining us in 2026. It’s going to be an incredible season.
Laurie laurieharley24@gmail.com
Vlad vhalt@cogeco.ca
