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.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Canada Post’s newest stamp features special cookies for Islamic holiday
Canada Post’s newest specialty stamps feature “melt-in-your-mouth” desserts to mark two Islamic festivals, the crown corporation announced Thursday.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6 per cent in January as Quebec strikes end
Canada's real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December, Statistics Canada said Thursday.
Ukrainian child asylum seekers in St. John’s get class of their own
Roughly 50 children will gathered in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.