NEWS

Local company gives new look to tourism

By Tim Ruhnke - Journal Editor

JOHNSTOWN ­ Chuck Arthurs decided to take a look around, and what he saw has evolved into a unique venture that is going places.

Mr. Arthurs and his wife Donna own and operate C360View.com, a company that makes use of technology to promote businesses and the communities in which they are located. C360 features 360-degree panoramic views of local attractions and historic sites, a tourism tool that is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Mr. Arthurs was a paramedic in the Prescott area for more than 20 years. He came up with the idea of panoramic views while he was on disability leave.

Using a digital camera, Mr. Arthurs takes 25 to 35 shots of a particular object or area. He splices together those images using computer software; the finished product offers more detail and perspective than still shots one might come across on a Website.

Mr. Arthurs said in an interview he always had an interest in photography, although he never really acted on it until two years ago when he purchased a digital camera. He did not have much of a background in computers, so he taught himself to put together the materials needed to make the site a reality.

"I carry the camera with me everywhere I go," he said.

When he selects a local community in Leeds and Grenville to spotlight, the couple approaches businesses to see if they would sponsor the panoramic tour of that community. Tour sponsors receive a special page of their own, multiple listings throughout the C360 site and a link to their own Websites.

A tour sponsor's page can have interior or exterior 360-degree photos or tours of its business. Site sponsors also receive 500 business cards to promote their featured pages. By maintaining the site and sponsor pages, Mr. and Mrs. Arthurs build working relationships and develop friendships with their clients.

C360 also offers its clients a one in ten chance of winning a vacation package.

The C360 site also offers a wide variety of other features; everything from a currency converter and weather links to free

Chuck and Donna Arthurs of C360View.com get shots of the area near the Prescott Cenotaph at Fort Wellington. The images are used to create an online panoramic photo which is added to photos of other attractions and points of interest in the community.

Photo By: Tim Ruhnke

classified ads and television listings is just a click away. Visitors to the site can at no charge register their own sites on 34 different search engines.

"The potential of this is totally unlimited down the road," he said.

Prescott, Brockville and Cardinal are now being featured on the C360 site. Mr. Arthurs said the basic goal is to provide 20 to 30 scenes for each community. The company is in the process of profiling other communities in Leeds and Grenville. He and his wife are talking to businesses on a daily basis.

Mr. Arthurs said he enjoyed being a paramedic, but he was always away from home. He is now able to plan his own time and see more of the family. The late hours he will spend at his home-based business does not feel like work, he said.

Mr. and Mrs. Arthurs said they did not know what to expect when they decided to take the plunge and open their own business, but they have been encouraged by the initial response to their promotional package. They have even begun to train their daughters.

Although C360 is focused on Eastern Ontario, the couple would like to expand the service and create a cross-Canada site. They are not ruling out the possibility of franchising their idea, according to Mrs. Arthurs.

In terms of competition, the only similar site C360 has come across is based in Australia.

For more information, visit www.C360view.com or call (613) 925-3401.