Council meeting
Tourism London needs to invest more in promoting the region’s Indigenous history, city council heard Tuesday.
At a meeting about how tourism tax dollars are being spent, Coun. Corrine Rahman said nearby First Nations communities should be included and consulted when promoting the region.
“We want to make sure that First Nations communities are involved with our promotion of tourism in the region,” Rahman said. She emphasized that Indigenous communities should have equal participation in tourism goals.
Cr. Susan Stevenson and Jerry Pribil in chambers Feb. 2, 2026. (Prateek Ahuja/XFM News)
Tourism dollars come from a small tax paid by people staying in hotels and short-term rentals. The money goes toward tourism projects and infrastructure in the city.
Councillor Skyler Franke explained how funding decisions are made. “Tourism London helps create the strategy of what we should be investing in locally,” Franke said. “Our finance team also reviews what infrastructure projects we could invest in… and then together we recommend different projects.” The goal, she added, is to make sure the money goes to projects that support the city’s tourism growth in a planned way.
Council also discussed how large withdrawals from the Tourism Infrastructure Reserve Fund should be tracked. There was a proposal to provide annual reports when significant amounts are spent. Staff said the city clerk keeps records and would provide yearly updates.
Cr. Corrine Rahman in chambers Feb. 2, 2026. (Prateek Ahuja/XFM News)
Another part of the meeting focused on energy planning. Councillors debated whether a $385,000 study, partly funded by a grant, was worth the cost. Staff said the study would help guide long-term upgrades to city buildings and inform future spending decisions.
