'Resiliency' has been key for Northeastern Ontario tourism spots who are ready to reopen the doors

Nestled deep in between the trees of the French River region lies the Bear's Den Lodge which is only accessible by boat or float plane. June 18/21 (Ian Campbell/CTV News Northern Ontario)

SUDBURY -

It's been a long few months for tourism outfits, a year and a half dealing with the new norm facing all of us, COVID-19. Even still, many in Northeastern Ontario say they're excited for this coming season.

Nestled deep in between the trees of the French River region lies the Bear's Den Lodge which is only accessible by boat or float plane.

Owners, the Barefoot family, have been using the extra time to apply an extra coat of paint on the wood decking. They want to be ready for when the guests return full time to this piece of paradise.

"We're hearing more phone calls coming in and it's giving us more hope to keep going with the season," said the couple's son Joe, who now handles their marketing.

Bear's Den opened its doors to CTV Northern Ontario shortly after learning they'd be able to re-open but with COVID-19 protocols still in place.

"Most of the people that we've been getting are from Sudbury and the Greater Toronto area, the 5-1-9 area code. There's tons of new people, we've also had some repeat guests from before. We've had a strong Canadian base but it's nice to keep our base going and in keeping people's trust," he said.

There's a long, storied history with the lodge itself, which has stood on these grounds for almost 100 years. It's been with the Barefoot family for the last 36 years.

When you walk into the lodge, you're greeted by a large, record-breaking Muskie that was once pulled from these waters. Hunting and fishing is clearly a way of life here. They're also known for their conservation efforts introducing slot limits some time ago to the area.

The cottages boast most of the amenities from home but it's just far enough outside of cell phone service to provide a break from work.

Led by the younger Barefoot, they've been looking at new ways to attract guests, they've rebranded and have been putting more of a focus online with their social media presence.

After Parry Sound 33, the 100-year-flood and two COVID shutdowns, it's their resiliency that deserves to be celebrated. The owners credit that in part to their son's efforts.

"It's just getting away from the city life, the hustle and bustle, and returning to a normalcy that we had before COVID. Getting able to get out on the water, fishing with your friends, and just release all that stress that we normally would have," said Barefoot.

"I'm really proud of our son, he's really taken it by the horn to get us to the next level," said his mother Brenda.

It's stories like these, people doing what they can to make sure Northeastern Ontario remains a viable and beautiful place to visit, that makes it proud moment for Trevor Beard.

Beard, the new acting executive director for Northeastern Ontario Tourism, says resiliency has been key.

"Over the past year, we've seen a lot of businesses shake things up from what they're used to doing," he said.

"Everything from online art exhibits to at-home culinary experiences with restaurants selling meal kits or at-home cocktail kits to even local artisans taking their business online to reach a wider audience."

"I think our businesses are eager to welcome people back to our region. They're excited, they've been prepping this for a long time. It's been a long-time coming, some of them have been shut down for awhile, some of them didn't have a season last year so they're eager to get up and going. I think we're going to have a great year," said Beard.

One of those businesses which hopes Beard is right is the Perivale Gallery, more than 100 kilometres to the west of Bear's Den on Manitoulin Island.

Owner and curator Shannon McMullan says they had one of their best years ever last year with people from down south exploring their own province. She's hoping this year for more of the same.

"There was an explosion of Canadian visitors here last year, primarily from the GTA and Southwestern Ontario that ferry just keeps bringing them here and they love to visit," she said.

The quiet, peaceful, and beautifully landscaped museum is almost unassuming in a way from the road. It could be mistaken for many of the beautifully landscaped Manitoulin properties but inside is what truly makes it special.

The walls are adorned with beautiful pieces of artwork from some of the region's most well known artists, including Manitoulin's own Ivan Wheale.

"We start in about February and we plan on the workshops that are going to happen in the summer and all of the events that will happen in the gallery, we have concerts that are fundraisers," said McMullan.

The grounds tend to be popular too with outdoor classes, musical entertainment, and shows planned throughout the summer.

While this year might be different depending on COVID-19 precautions, they're still trying to plan out some events. They've also left a few days by appointment only for those hoping to keep safety in mind or those looking for a little privacy as they check out the art.

Perivale has seen a steady stream of people over the last little bit and they're expecting things will pick up as the summer progresses.

"It's just the beginning of the season and our opening was postponed by a couple of weeks so the people that are here are just having a fast getaway or it is the seasonal visitors who are coming up and they're busy opening up their cottages," she said.

Some people, no doubt, are also learning about the island before they arrive thanks to McMullan's social media efforts.

She's turned one of her Twitter feeds into @ManitoulinMagic and has been using it to promote some of the region's wilderness and beauty, some of the things that make Manitoulin so magical.

"People have been in their homes for a long-time looking at the same four walls and they'd like to change the way their walls look and this is the place to come," smiled McMullan.

She has high hopes for what the rest of the season will look like as people look to get outside and finding some of that "Manitoulin" magic for themselves.

Two establishments that spend their time promoting the beauty that is Northeastern Ontario and everything the region has to offer.