Northeastern Ontario offers a variety of places to explore
Whether you’re looking for a change of pace, a breath of fresh air or a glimpse into nature, northern Ontario has an outdoor oasis waiting to be discovered.
"There’s a whole world up here to explore," said Trevor Beard, the executive director for Northeastern Ontario Tourism.
Stay-cations and exploring the north are growing trends after two years of restrictions.
Tourism officials said the north has several hidden gems for people to explore, especially when it comes to outdoor beauty.
"With our southern market people are starting to get a little bit more adventurous, travelling further north of Muskoka, they want to experience different things, we have an abundance of those here,” said Beard.
"Everything from waterfalls to old growth trees, you know, everything… museums, arts and culture, boating, pretty much anything you can do… we’ve got it up here."
With a powerful rush of water, waterfalls are usually just a quick hike away. There are several across the north including Duchesnay Falls in North Bay, Onaping Falls in Sudbury and Bridal Veil Falls on Manitoulin Island.
"The Bridal Veil out on Manitoulin Island and that in itself is a hidden gem for us," said Beard.
However, at Bridal Veil Falls, exploring the north doesn’t end at the water. Just minutes up the road is a piece of history at the Old Mill Heritage Centre.
"The history of the town itself and the pioneers, the elders who put this town together," said Rick Nelson, the curator at the Old Mill Heritage Centre.
"Also we have a military exhibit. We have a lot of veterans from Manitoulin Island and Billings Township in Kagawong, and a lot of their history is here, and of course, the history of the building itself."
Nelson said the water falls and museum go hand in hand, working together to draw tourists to the area.
"There’s a bit of a connection between the two, if you are visiting the falls there’s a trail at the base of the falls and if you follow it, it leads you right to the Old Mill Heritage Centre… it’s kind of like following the yellow brick road," he said.
It’s a vital part of the northern economy, that happens to come with some of the best scenes the north can offer.
"We live and die by tourism," said Nelson.
"We do get some subsidies from the municipality, but mostly we depend on donations so we love tourists."
Beard adds, “tourism is one of the largest economic drivers for not only our region, but the north in general and the province, I mean we are the only industry that is still in recovery mode so it’s very important that people are getting out, exploring their own backyard."
For those eager to see picturesque sights and explore what the north is all about, the options are endless.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre unrepentant over calling Trudeau 'wacko' as his MPs say Speaker should resign
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says he does not regret calling Prime Minister Justin Trudeau 'wacko,' and now his MPs are renewing calls for the House of Commons Speaker to resign, this time over ordering the Official Opposition leader to leave the chamber.
Is it cold, flu or norovirus? Symptoms explained
The highly contagious norovirus is spreading across Canada, with some symptoms overlapping with other viruses. CTVNews.ca spoke with a health expert to find out how you can tell you have norovirus, the most common form of stomach flu, and what to do if you have it.
Ontario's police watchdog continues probe of high-speed pursuit involving fatal crash
The investigation continues into a collision that killed two grandparents and their infant grandchild during a high-speed police chase on the wrong way of Highway 401 east of Toronto.
Stranded cruise passengers in Spain race to catch up with their ship
A month after eight Norwegian Cruise Line passengers were stranded in Africa when their ship left without them because they were late getting back, a U.S. couple – ages 84 and 81 – were also left behind by the cruise line in Spain.
London Drugs expected to give update on store status following 'cybersecurity incident'
Days after dozens of London Drugs locations closed due to a 'cybersecurity incident,' a spokesperson for the company says an update on the stores' status is expected Wednesday morning.
No criminal charges after 4 newborn bodies found in Boston freezer
A prosecutor in Massachusetts won't seek criminal charges against anyone, two years after four newborns were found in a freezer in a South Boston apartment.
Anger can harm your blood vessel function, study shows
Stress and anger can have a negative impact on cardiovascular health, studies have shown. New research points to just how the mechanism may work.
Freeland leaves capital gains tax change out of coming budget implementation bill, here's why
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will be tabling yet another omnibus bill to pass a sweeping range of measures promised in her April 16 federal budget, though left out of the legislation will be the government's proposed capital gains tax change.
Ontario woman surprised after 20-year-old fines suddenly tank credit score
An Ontario woman says that she was shocked when fines from 20 years ago suddenly tanked her credit score last week, but the situation may not be as unusual as it seems, according to at least one debt expert.