Tourism picking up in North Bay due to different activities

To put it simply, Bryce Gartner loves to be on the water. He’s been operating two to three hour paddle tours, through Shockwaves Paddle Adventures and Lifesaving, of lakes and rivers within a 20 minute drive from North Bay since 2017.

“We’ve got the big open water on Lake Nipissing; we’ve got the rivers, and we have Trout Lake,” Gartner said.

“There are lots of variety for paddlers.”

If Gartner can host between eight and 10 water tours a summer, he’s happy. Just last week, he took a family visiting the Gateway City from Thunder Bay for a sunset adventure.

“Most people I get are from other places in Ontario and occasionally outside of Ontario,” he adds.

“They’re people coming to North Bay for other activities and looking for something to do in in the evening or the weekend.”

Nature is one of the city’s biggest draws, with the Lake Nipissing waterfront overlooking the city and 16 surrounding conservation areas.

“You’re able to come and stay in a beautiful urban hotel with all of the modern amenities and within five minutes you can be out in nature as if you’re out in the middle of nowhere,” said Steve Dreany, Tourism North Bay’s executive director.

Tourism levels in North Bay haven’t reached the levels they were before the COVID-19 pandemic, but a steady uptick in intraprovincial travel has given tourism officials a sense of hope.

“The occupancy in hotels is very, very strong,” Dreany explained.

“Restaurants are getting back to business.”

A big draw is the city’s new Cascades Casino. Built over the course of a few years and just opened in the spring, high rollers and card dealers have been travelling from as far as Sudbury, north of Toronto and even from the U.S., for a chance to win big money.

“We have been so excited to see this vibrant city support us,” said Mo Shulu, the casino’s general manager.

“We’ve watched all of our patrons become excited for launch and we’ve seen sustained success. We are an entertainment destination.”

For those who enjoy the arts, the Capitol Centre is the place to go. For 35 years, the performing arts theatre hosts live performances, shows, and concerts. Next on the plate is the planning of Blues Fest in September.

“September 1st to the 4th we have events happening in the WKP Kennedy Gallery and then concerts and programs on the Chief Commanda cruise and concerts in the back parking lot here," said Katina Connolly, executive director of Capitol.

With summer still in full swing, the hope is people will take a trip here, enjoy the scenic view, catch a show or spend money in the city and then come back again.