Uniquely quaint, the City of Dunedin thrives on tourism. Which is why city officials and members of the chamber of commerce traveled to Toronto this summer, to strengthen ties.
“People really recognized Dunedin and actually knew how to pronounce the name,” said Dunedin Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski. “If you go over to the east coast of Florida, some people don’t even know how to pronounce Dunedin!”
Bujalski said she would like to explore the possibility of making Toronto a sister city. Meanwhile, she said the group was able to meet with Toronto Mayor John Tory and also came across a couple things that could work well back home, including an indoor-outdoor market and an even bigger push to recycle.
But according to chamber of commerce chair Lori Badders, the main purpose behind the trip was to let the Toronto Blue Jays know just how important the team is to Dunedin. Which is why the group made sure to stop by Rogers Centre.
“Their hospitality to us was amazing,” Badders said. “They brought us into the suites. We met the management team and the legal counsel for the Jays.”
The team’s contract with Dunedin is up in 2017. Badders said negotiations seem to be moving in a positive direction.
“We understand that it’s big for them to make the decision,” said Badders. “But it’s also important to Dunedin.”